Self-Disclosure and Abnormal Eating Behaviour

Secrecy and concealment are typical behaviors in patients suffering from eating disorders (ED). This study explored the relationship between abnormal eating and self-disclosure (SD) in Italian and Dutch women. Different types of SD were investigated, considering general SD, body appearance SD, and restrained eating SD. The role of risk factors involved in ED was also explored. Results revealed an inverse relationship between general SD, psychological variables and ED risk factors. As expected, risk factors (i.e., dieting, body dissatisfaction, social pressure to be thin) were significantly associated with ED symptoms. Remarkable results were found when considering the SD indexes as mediators and moderators. Finally, differences between Dutch and Italian women were observed concerning to their eating habits and to the role of risk factors in eating attitudes. One limitation of this study refers to the recruitment of non-clinical populations, which precludes the generalization of these findings to patients with actual eating pathology. This study confirms the inverse association between SD and abnormal eating, showing specific differences between Italian and Dutch women