Body dissatisfaction in female restrained eaters depends on food deprivation

This study investigated the effects of food deprivation on the body image in female restrained and unrestrained eaters. Twenty female restrained eaters and 20 female unrestrained eaters were asked to identify their current and their ideal body shape by choosing them from a sample of nine female silhouettes. This test was conducted under three deprivational conditions: hungry, thirsty and non-deprived (neither hungry nor thirsty). The discrepancy between the current and the ideal body shape—termed as body dissatisfaction—did not differ significantly between restrained and unrestrained eaters when thirsty or satiated. Under hunger, however, the restrained eaters scored a significantly larger discrepancy between their current and ideal body shape than the unrestrained eaters. The data suggest that women with restrained eating behavior feel a body dissatisfaction when being hungry.