COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 14 (UPI) -- Just being unhappy with their bodies is not enough to lead most women into eating disorders -- it takes additional factors, U.S. researchers have found.
Ohio State University researchers said women are more likely to have eating disorders when their body dissatisfaction is accompanied by other issues, such as a tendency to examine their bodies obsessively and think about how they appear to others.
The findings help clarify a long-running issue that has complicated the problem of identifying women at risk for eating disorders, the researchers said. Though studies have shown body dissatisfaction is strongly related to the development of eating disorders, there are many women who express dissatisfaction with their bodies but who do not have symptoms of disordered eating.
"Body dissatisfaction is so prevalent among women in our society that it isn't very useful in identifying women who may have eating disorders," said Tracy Tylka, author of the study and assistant professor of psychology.
"About 3 to 8 percent of women have some type of eating disorder," Tylka said. "But many women -- maybe most women -- are dissatisfied with their bodies."
