Ever since I can remember myself: Implications of attachment and perceived maternal feeding practices on adult women's body dissatisfaction.

Abstract

Background: Research indicates that women with an eating disorder are more insecurely attached than those without. Over-restrictive maternal feeding practices in childhood are associated with elevated BMI and more disordered eating in adult women.

Goals: The goal of the current study was to examine the extent to which the two insecure attachment styles contribute to women's body dissatisfaction indices and to examine their role in moderating the influence of restrictive maternal child feeding practices.

Methods: 283 women between the ages of 18-42 (mean=25.04; SD=3.53) sampled through social networking completed an online self-report, including the Figure Rating Scale (from which Self-Ideal comparison was calculated), retrospective child feeding questionnaire (RCFQ), the experience in close relationship (ECR) questionnaire, and the EDI's Drive for Thinness and Body Dissatisfaction subscales.

Results: Insecure-anxious attachment positively predicted Drive for Thinness, Body Dissatisfaction and Self-Ideal Disparity. However, insecure-avoidant attachment did not predict indices of body dissatisfaction. Recalled over-controlling maternal childhood feeding behaviors were associated with Drive for Thinness, Body Dissatisfaction and greater Self-Ideal body image disparity. Significant interactions between attachment styles, maternal childhood feeding behaviors, and body dissatisfaction indices emerged.

Conclusions: In the presence of restrictive feeding practices in childhood, insecure attachment styles moderate women's adult body dissatisfaction indices. Avoidant attachment style plays a protective role while anxious attachment style exacerbates body dissatisfaction indices.