An experimental test of the relationship between self-esteem and concern about body shape and weight in restrained eaters.
OBJECTIVE
Although self-esteem and overconcern with body shape and weight are considered to be closely connected in bulimia nervosa, little empirical research has been done to investigate the alleged link.


METHODS
In this study, we examined experimentally whether overconcern with body shape and weight was connected with self-esteem in an analogue sample of high restrained eaters by means of a subliminal lexical decision task.


RESULTS
It could indeed be demonstrated that low self-esteem and overconcern with body shape and weight are associated in high restrained eaters: after priming low self-esteem, the accessibility of subliminally presented body shape and weight stimuli was increased. The effect was not found with a supraliminal lexical decision task.


CONCLUSIONS
Apparently, the automatic, nonconscious processing of body shape and weight words was influenced in high restrained eaters with a low state self-esteem, whereas the strategic, conscious processing was not. As soon as the body shape and weight stimuli were processed consciously, the initial increased accessibility was countered and the effect disappeared.
Meijboom
A
A
Department of Experimental Abnormal Psychology, Universiteit Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Jansen
A
A
Kampman
M
M
Schouten
E
E
D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D001828:Body Image; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003463:Cues; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011930:Reaction Time; D011932:Reading; D012649:Self Concept; D013360:Subliminal Stimulation; D014836:Volition / Q000502:physiology