Eating DisordersEating Disorders

Cognitive modelCognitive model– Psychological disorders are the result of faulty Psychological disorders are the result of faulty

or maladaptive thinking processesor maladaptive thinking processes– Anorexia and bulimia may involve Anorexia and bulimia may involve

misperception of the bodymisperception of the body– They will also involve faulty reasoning about They will also involve faulty reasoning about

the self, the body and food/eatingthe self, the body and food/eating

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Cognitive Distortions in EDsCognitive Distortions in EDs

Faulty thinking in EDS typically includes:Faulty thinking in EDS typically includes:– Misperceiving the body as overweight when it Misperceiving the body as overweight when it

is actually underweightis actually underweight– Basing feelings of self worth unduly on Basing feelings of self worth unduly on

physical appearance physical appearance – Basing sense of self on control over eating/ED Basing sense of self on control over eating/ED

symptomssymptoms– Irrational/mistaken beliefs about Irrational/mistaken beliefs about

food/fat/dieting behavioursfood/fat/dieting behaviours

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Cognitive Errors in EDsCognitive Errors in EDs

All or nothing thinkingAll or nothing thinking– ““I ate one biscuit…that’s blown everything!”I ate one biscuit…that’s blown everything!”

OvergeneralisingOvergeneralising– ““If I fail at controlling my eating I fail in life.”If I fail at controlling my eating I fail in life.”

Magnifying/minimisingMagnifying/minimising– ““My weight loss isn’t serious.”My weight loss isn’t serious.”

Magical thinkingMagical thinking– ““If I reach size 8 then my life will be perfect.”If I reach size 8 then my life will be perfect.”

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Cognitive Errors in EDsCognitive Errors in EDs

Fallon & Rozin (1985)Fallon & Rozin (1985)– Male & female students rated themselves on Male & female students rated themselves on

current and ideal body shapecurrent and ideal body shape– Compared to males, females rated Compared to males, females rated

themselves as heavier than what was themselves as heavier than what was attractive, and much heavier than their idealattractive, and much heavier than their ideal

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Cognitive Errors in EDsCognitive Errors in EDs

McKenzie et al (1993)McKenzie et al (1993)– Female ED patients overestimated their own Female ED patients overestimated their own

body size in relation to other womenbody size in relation to other women– They judged their ideal weight to be lower They judged their ideal weight to be lower

than comparable non-ED patientsthan comparable non-ED patients– Following a sugary snack, they judged their Following a sugary snack, they judged their

body size to have increased. Controls did body size to have increased. Controls did not.not.

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Cognitive Errors in EDsCognitive Errors in EDs

Women are generally more dissatisfied Women are generally more dissatisfied than men with their bodiesthan men with their bodies

ED patients misperceive their own bodies ED patients misperceive their own bodies and have more unrealistic body idealsand have more unrealistic body ideals

In ED patients, minor events related to In ED patients, minor events related to eating activate fear of weight gaineating activate fear of weight gain

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The Cognitive ModelThe Cognitive Model

AN and BN are certainly associated with AN and BN are certainly associated with biases and distortions in thinkingbiases and distortions in thinking

However, most women are dissatisfied However, most women are dissatisfied with their bodies, not all of them develop with their bodies, not all of them develop EDsEDs

A good account of what helps to maintain A good account of what helps to maintain EDS, but not of what causes them in the EDS, but not of what causes them in the first place.first place.

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