An exploration of some contemporary risk factors for the development of disordered eating.

Eating disorders are amongst the most deadly and difficult to treat mental health conditions
(Beat, 2015), thought to be influenced by many complex factors, including in part social
pressures of body appearance. However, current understanding of eating disorders is based
heavily on a very specific population; cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied, white women
(Burke et al., 2020; Fabello, 2020). Furthermore, modern advances in communication mean
that the social context in which eating disorders develop is rapidly changing. This thesis
examined whether a frequently used measure of disordered eating, the Eating Disorder
Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is fit for purpose in minoritized communities that
deviate from the traditional eating disorder patient, as well as the role of social media
(specifically ‘fitspiration’ images) as a contemporary eating disorder risk factor. The results
identify a new structure for the EDE-Q that is relevant across genders and sexualities
(bisexual, homosexual, and heterosexual). Data obtained suggest that both gender and
sexuality had a small but significant influence on eating disorder symptomatology. We also
find that although disordered eating thoughts and behaviours may influence our judgments of
social media images of other people’s bodies, viewing such images has no immediate effect
on the judgments we make about our own bodies.