According to psychologists from the Free University of Berlin, perceived masculine identity in women is linked to bulimia.

"Bulimic eating disorders are predominantly diagnosed in women. Social-psychological factors in particular stereotypes that associate gender with specific personality traits are thought to influence eating behavior and to cause eating disorders. Previous findings suggest that bulimic eating behavior is linked to the suppression of masculine traits.

"In order to test this hypothesis," explained B. Klingenspor and associates, "discrepancies between the actual and the ideal self were examined as precursors of low self-esteem and bulimic eating behavior in adolescents between the ages of 13 and 20."

The researchers obtained their data from an anonymous questionnaire study and used structural equation modeling to analyze them.

"The discrepancy between how much [the study subjects] believed to possess masculine traits (actual self) and how much they would like to (ideal self) increased with age in girls in contrast to boys, while the discrepancy with regard to feminine traits decreased in both groups," Klingenspor and colleagues wrote.

"For both sexes, bulimic eating behavior was related to masculine self-discrepancies indirectly, via self-esteem and dieting," they concluded.

Klingenspor and colleagues published their findings in Zeitschrift fur Sozialpsychologie (Gender identity development and bulimic eating behavior in adolescence. Z Sozpsychol, 2004;35(2):67-82).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting B. Klingenspor, Free University of Berlin, Institute Klin Psychology & Gesundheitsforderung, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.

The publisher of the journal Zeitschrift fur Sozialpsychologie can be contacted at: Verlag Hans Huber, Langgass-Strasse 76, CH-3000 Bern 9, Switzerland.

The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of Eating Disorders, Mental Health, and Women's Health. This article was prepared by Biotech Law Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2004, Biotech Law Weekly via LawRx.com.

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Last updated: 10/11/2004 - 03:28 PM