Testing Competing Mediation Models of the Effects of Weight Bias Internalization and Weight Suppression on Disordered Eating in Young Adults
Abstract
The current study investigated a novel theoretical model of longitudinal relations between weight bias internalization (WBI), weight suppression, and disordered eating. Undergraduate students (N = 787) completed surveys at three time points. Path analysis was used to test competing models representing the temporal order of effects between WBI and weight suppression on disordered eating symptoms. Neither pathway was supported by the data, indicating that WBI and weight suppression were not related over time. However, results supported distinct effects of WBI versus weight suppression on the prediction of overall disordered eating, binge eating, and body dissatisfaction over six-month follow up. Taken together, these findings suggest that reducing WBI and identifying individuals who are weight suppressed may be important eating disorder prevention targets for undergraduate students across gender and weight status.