Attitudes toward Eating Disorders and the Role of Body Dissatisfaction in College Women

Abstract

Few studies have examined stigma towards people with eating disorders. What research has been done indicates that stigma towards those with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa may be different than stigma of severe mental illnesses, though the nature of this stigma is not clear. Research also indicates that attitudes may be different depending on the type of the eating disorder. In the current study, body dissatisfaction was predicted to be a contributing variable in the formation attitudes towards those with anorexia and bulimia. Results indicate that body dissatisfaction does not play as important role in attitudes towards those with anorexia and bulimia as predicted. However, this study was unique in that video clips of women describing their symptoms were used, as opposed to written vignettes, and this may have influenced the direction of the results.