Body Dissatisfaction Mediates the Relationship between Self-Esteem and Restrained Eating in Female Undergraduates

The purpose of the current study was to examine the eating behavior, self-esteem, and social anxiety of restrained and non-restrained eaters exposed to an interpersonal stressor. Sixty female undergraduate students completed questionnaires and took part in a stressor and taste test. Results indicated that self-esteem was not predictive of eating behavior during the taste test, but was predictive of a chronic pattern of restricted eating and diet-breaking behavior (p<.01). The relationship between self-esteem and restrained eating was fully mediated by a measure of body image dissatisfaction. Social anxiety was also predictive of restrained eating behavior (p<.05), and this relationship was fully mediated by body image dissatisfaction as well. These results support the cognitive-behavioral model of bulimia nervosa in suggesting that low self-esteem is a risk factor for restrained eating behavior.