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The relationship between body weight and dietary restraint is explained by body dissatisfaction and body image inflexibility among young adults in China

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

Eating disorders and obesity are commonly recognized as key public health concerns worldwide. Although rates of obesity and disordered eating have traditionally been lower in China than Western countries, these rates are on the rise. As such, interest is growing in identifying mechanisms that may address these conditions. While associations between body weight and dissatisfaction are well established, burgeoning research aims to examine how these factors are related to dietary restraint and body image inflexibility. This study aimed to explore the possible mediation effect of body dissatisfaction and body image inflexibility between body weight (body mass index) and dietary restraint. Furthermore, we explored how these relationships differed across men and women.

Methods

A sample of 1068 young adults (563 females and 505 males) in China participated in the study. Participants completed the Eating Disorder Inventory and Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire as well as the Body Image-Acceptance and Action Questionnaire.

Results

Results showed that: (1) body dissatisfaction and body image inflexibility fully mediated the relationship between body mass index and dietary restraint; (2) this model fit both genders, although differences were found in the regression coefficients between the mediation model for men and women.

Conclusion

These findings support body image dissatisfaction and inflexibility as mediators of the relationship between body weight and dietary restraint, highlighting these as potential mechanisms for treatment.

Level of evidence

Level III, case-control analytic study.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Presidential Fund of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, to Jinbo He (Grant Number: PF. 01.001428).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Humanities and Social Science, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China

    Chanyuan Tang, Jianwen Song & Jinbo He

  2. Eating Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, US

    Marita Cooper

  3. College of Economics and Management, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China

    Saihai Wang

Authors
  1. Chanyuan Tang
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  2. Marita Cooper
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  3. Saihai Wang
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  4. Jianwen Song
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  5. Jinbo He
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Contributions

C. T. led the result interpretation, drafted and revised the manuscript. M.C. helped draft and revise the manuscript. S. W. helped collect the data. J. S. helped revise the manuscript. J. H. performed the statistical analysis and helped draft and revise the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jinbo He.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the research committee of Hunan University (the corresponding author’s previous affiliation) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Written informed consent was obtained from all the surveyed participants.

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Tang, C., Cooper, M., Wang, S. et al. The relationship between body weight and dietary restraint is explained by body dissatisfaction and body image inflexibility among young adults in China. Eat Weight Disord 26, 1863–1870 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-01032-0

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