Low self-esteem, restricting eating behaviour and psychopathological variables in anorexia and bulimia nervosa

The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between low self-esteem, restricting eating habits and other clinical and psychopathological variables in patients with anorexia (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) when compared with control students (CG). 50 eating disorder patients (24 AN and 26 BN), according to DSM-IV criteria, who sought treatment at the University Hospital of Bellvitge in Barcelona (Spain) and 38 university students (CG), restricters (RE, N= 18) and non restricters (NRE, N= 20) participated in the current study. All Subjects were female and ranged in age between 16-37 years old. Assessment measures included the: Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale (RSES), and Restraint Scale (RS). Our results suggest that AN, BN and RE appeared to be well differentiated from NRE in restricting eating habits, drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction (p< 0.0001); nevertheless, a core symptom of patients with eating disorder (AN and BN) was low self-esteem (p< 0.0001), negative eating attitudes and psycho-pathology (p< 0.0001). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between restricting eating habits and low self-esteem (r= 0.52, p< 0.0001). In conclusion, negative attitudes and psychopathology towards eating and low self-esteem appeared to be characteristics of patients with eating disorders, and not only diet behaviour and body dissatisfaction, also common factors in general population.