Eating Pathology and Body Image in Cultures in Transition: The Impact of Westernization in Saudi Arabia

Background and Objectives: Women in cultures in transition are vulnerable to eating and body image issues. Saudi Arabia is undergoing rapid cultural changes towards Westernization. However, the existing literature to date is inadequate to demonstrate the impact of those cultural changes. This dissertation addresses this gap in the literature. Methods: A literature review identified a knowledge gap in eating and body image issues in women in Saudi Arabia (Chapter 2). Therefore, Chapters 3 and 4 examined levels of eating pathology, body image dissatisfaction and psychological comorbidity levels and the prevalence of eating disorders in Saudi women during cultural change. Based on the findings, a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention programme was tested for feasibility and acceptability (Chapter 6) and efficacy (Chapter 7). Results: Saudi women suffered from comparable levels of eating pathology and related issues to women in Western cultures, though the pattern was more bulimic than anorexic. Dissonance-based eating disorders prevention created in a Western culture can help Saudi women, as it does women in other cultures. Conclusions: This dissertation identifies the impact of ongoing cultural shift on eating and body image issues. It indicates that prevention developed in a Western culture can benefit women in non-Western cultures. Limitations and further directions for research are outlined, along with potential clinical implications. Local research might include national screening and cultural adaptation for interventions developed in a Western culture. The findings indicate the need to screen for eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction in Saudi and comparable locations.