Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Floor D, Cathedral Court, 1 Vicar Lane, Sheffield, S1 2LT, UK.
Eat Weight Disord. 2022 Mar;27(2):597-604. doi: 10.1007/s40519-021-01196-3. Epub 2021 Apr 26.
It has been suggested that body comparison is a safety behavior in eating disorders. This experimental study investigates the causal impact of upward and downward body comparison on body image, eating pathology, self-esteem, anxiety and mood. It also considers whether trait body comparison and eating pathology are associated with responsiveness to upward and downward comparison.
Thirty-nine women participated. Each completed trait comparison and eating pathology measures. Following this, each participant spent an hour (on different days) making an upward, downward or neutral comparison in a naturalistic setting. After each condition, the participant completed measures of body satisfaction, self-esteem, anxiety, depression and eating pathology.
Participants were significantly less satisfied with their bodies following upward comparison. Both upward and downward comparison were associated with particularly negative effects if an individual had greater trait eating concerns. The effects of downward comparison were correlated with increased anxiety.
The sample was lacking in diversity. Compliance with the experimental tasks was not strictly monitored.
Upward comparison resulted in lower body satisfaction, but downward comparison did not result in positive effects. However, trait eating concerns and comparison influenced the impact of both forms of comparison. Body comparison should be a target for treatment in CBT for eating disorders, particularly where the individual has a strong tendency to make comparisons with other people.
Level III: Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.
有人认为，身体比较是进食障碍中的一种安全行为。本实验研究调查了向上和向下身体比较对身体意象、进食病理、自尊、焦虑和情绪的因果影响。它还考虑了特质身体比较和进食病理是否与对向上和向下比较的反应性有关。
39 名女性参与了研究。每位参与者都完成了特质比较和进食病理测量。在此之后，每位参与者在自然环境中分别进行了向上、向下或中性的比较，持续一个小时（在不同的日子进行）。在每种情况下，参与者都要完成身体满意度、自尊、焦虑、抑郁和进食病理的测量。
与中性比较相比，参与者在进行向上比较后对自己的身体明显不满意。如果个体有更大的特质进食问题，向上和向下比较都会产生特别负面的影响。向下比较的效果与焦虑增加有关。
样本缺乏多样性。对实验任务的遵守情况没有进行严格监测。
向上比较会导致身体满意度降低，但向下比较不会产生积极影响。然而，特质进食问题和比较会影响这两种形式的比较的影响。在针对进食障碍的认知行为治疗中，身体比较应该是一个治疗目标，特别是对于那些有强烈与他人比较倾向的个体。
III 级：来自精心设计的队列或病例对照分析研究的证据。
