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Influence of fears of compassion on body image shame and disordered eating

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

Abstract

Purpose

The current study tested a path model examining the impact of fears of compassion in the adoption of disordered eating and whether social safeness and body shame would mediate this relationship.

Methods

Participants were 645 women (aged between 18 and 55) from the general community, who completed an online survey.

Results

Results indicated that fears of compassion were negatively associated with one’s ability to feel secure and safe within close relationships, and positively linked with higher levels of body shame and disordered eating. The tested model accounted for 62% of the variance of disordered eating. Path analyses results revealed that the three dimensions of fears of compassion impacted on disordered eating. Particularly, fear of expressing compassion for others presented a direct impact on disordered eating. Moreover, fears of self-compassion and fears of receiving compassion from others partially impacted on disordered eating attitudes and behaviours, through the mechanisms of social safeness and body image-focused shame. These findings suggested that women who present higher levels of fear of self-compassion and of receiving signs of affection and compassion from others tend to feel more insecure in their social group, which seem explain body shame and the engagement in disordered eating behaviours.

Conclusions

This study highlights the pathogenic impact of fears of compassion on body image and eating attitudes and behaviours. The current data seem to offer relevant insights for research and clinical practice, by supporting the relevance of developing compassionate abilities and attitudes to target body image and eating-related difficulties.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CINEICC, Faculdade de Psicologia e Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Coimbra, Rua do Colégio Novo, Apartado 6153, 3001-802, Coimbra, Portugal

    Bernardo Santos Dias, Cláudia Ferreira & Inês A. Trindade

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  1. Bernardo Santos Dias
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  2. Cláudia Ferreira
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  3. Inês A. Trindade
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Inês A. Trindade.

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The authors declare 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 Coimbra University Hospital (CHUC) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Dias, B.S., Ferreira, C. & Trindade, I.A. Influence of fears of compassion on body image shame and disordered eating. Eat Weight Disord 25, 99–106 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0523-0

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