“If I feel disgusted, I will become fat”: Disgust-based emotional reasoning in the context of weight and shape concerns

Abstract

Current models point to weight/shape concerns as core symptoms of eating disorders. A striking feature of these concerns is their persistence even in the absence of objective signs of overweight. To help delineate the mechanisms involved in persistent weight and shape concerns, we focused on feelings of disgust following food intake. In two studies, we tested if individuals with weight/shape concerns interpret feelings of disgust as a signal of threatening eating-disorder-related outcomes. Participants read scenarios involving high or low amounts of food intake that varied in the presence/absence of feelings of disgust. Following each scenario, participants rated perceived threat related to gaining weight. In Study 1, we compared women with high ( n = 26) versus low ( n = 32) weight/shape concerns. Specifically, the high group inferred heightened threat related to gaining weight when scenarios implied disgust. This disgust-based reasoning was especially pronounced following small amounts of food intake (i.e., low objective threat). These findings were replicated in Study 2 ( N = 346) using a correlational approach. This study showed a positive relationship between weight/shape concerns and disgust-based reasoning for scenarios implying low objective threat of food-induced weight gain. Together, the results provide converging evidence consistent with the view that disgust-based emotional reasoning might be involved in weight/shape concerns.