Are Disgust Sensitivity, Self-Disgust and Negative Affect Related to Disordered Eating?

Abstract

Disordered eating behaviors are non-pathological forms of abnormal eating that may develop into physical and mental health disorders. More specifically, disordered eating has been shown to precede eating pathology. Disordered eating is frequently associated with negative affect, such as fear and anxiety. One form of negative affect that has received special attention is disgust, a multifaceted emotion that seems to maintain and intensify disorder eating. While the majority of studies that have examined the interaction between disgust and abnormal eating patterns have focused on clinical samples (i.e., individuals with eating disorders), the interaction between disgust and disordered eating is less understood. We assessed the unique contributions of disgust sensitivity, self-disgust, and negative affect on disordered eating. One hundred and sixteen undergraduate women and men completed self-report measures of negative affect, disgustsensitivity, self-disgust, and disordered eating. Results demonstrated that disgust sensitivity’s animal-reminder subscale was a significant predictor of external and emotional eating. No significant associations were found between disordered eating and both core and contamination disgust. In addition, physical and behavioral self-disgust predicted restrained eating. Our results suggest that self-disgust and disgust sensitivity are associated with disordered eating.