Study: Central Body Fat Raises Risk of Eating Disorders in Women

Women with higher amounts of central body fat are at greater risk of developing eating disorders, according to a recent study.

While previous research has examined the relationship between elevated BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and body dissatisfaction and the risk of developing eating disorders, the risk associated with body fat distribution is less well understood.
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To further examine the relationship, researchers assessed college-age women who were currently dieting, had a history of dieting, had a highest lifetime weight minus current weight of 1.8 kg or greater, or a score of 3.3 or higher on the Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction with Body Parts Scale.

Participants’ height and weight measurements, as well as information about their percentages and distribution of body fat were measured periodically over 24 months. Scales were used to measure loss-of-control eating, body dissatisfaction, and depressive symptoms.

Overall, nearly 75% of participants had normal BMI, 4% had a BMI greater than 30, and 19% reported loss-of-control eating in the past 3 months.

Independent of BMI, percentage of body fat, trunk fat, and abdominal fat were associated with greater body dissatisfaction, and each point increase in percentage of abdominal fat was associated with a 53% increase in the risk of loss-of-control  eating.

“These findings lend further support to the premise that increased central body fat deposition is associated with body image dissatisfaction and suggest that it may represent a risk and maintenance factor for loss-of-control eating,” they concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Berner LA, Arigo D, Mayer LE, et al. Examination of central body fat deposition as a risk factor for loss-of-control eating. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Oct;102(4):736-44.