Is the selective information processing of food and body words specific to patients with eating disorders?

The selective processing of food- and body size-related information was investigated using a modified version of the Stroop task. Anorexic and bulimic patients and matched female controls were compared on the basis of categorical (diagnosis), dimensional (restraint and drive for thinness) criteria, or both. The findings suggest that the phenomenon assessed by the Stroop paradigm is not exclusive to patients with a clinical eating disorder, but patients and those control subjects who are restrained eaters with a high drive for thinness share a selective processing of information related to shape and eating. The discussion focuses on the implications of these findings.