Examining adverse life experiences, disordered eating behaviors and cognitions and weight loss treatment in Peru

Genna Hymowitz; Yvette Karvay; Jessica Salwen-Deremer; Lucero Molina; Adam Gonzalez; Carlos J Toro-Huamanchumo

doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2024.101939

Examining adverse life experiences, disordered eating behaviors and cognitions and weight loss treatment in Peru

Eat Behav. 2024 Nov 28:56:101939. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2024.101939. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Genna Hymowitz¹, Yvette Karvay², Jessica Salwen-Deremer³, Lucero Molina⁴, Adam Gonzalez⁴, Carlos J Toro-Huamanchumo⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, United States of America. Electronic address: genna.hymowitz@stonybrook.edu.
² Department of Psychology, Fordham University, United States of America.
³ Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and Dartmouth Health, United States of America.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, United States of America.
⁵ OBEMET Center for Obesity and Metabolic Health, Lima, Peru; Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima, Peru; Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia.

PMID: 39616660
DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2024.101939

Abstract

Objective: Studies conducted in the US indicate that exposure to trauma, and stigma related to weight are environmental factors associated with the development of disordered eating. Few studies have explored psychosocial and contextual factors surrounding disordered eating in Latin American populations. This study examined everyday discrimination, verbal weight-related abuse, adverse childhood experiences, and disordered eating across individuals seeking versus not seeking weight loss treatment in Peru.

Method: Participants (N = 420) were recruited via social media and a weight management clinic in Peru. Participants completed disordered eating, everyday discrimination, verbal weight-related abuse, and adverse childhood experiences measures.

Results: The weight loss treatment seeking group showed greater disordered eating behaviors (dietary restraint) and cognitions (body dissatisfaction, overvaluation of shape/weight) compared to the non-weight loss treatment seeking group. Increased experiences of everyday discrimination, adverse childhood experiences, and verbal weight-related abuse were associated with greater levels of disordered eating behaviors and cognitions in both samples. Weight loss treatment seeking status was not a moderator of the relationships among disordered eating behaviors and cognitions, and everyday discrimination.

Discussion: Results suggest discrimination, adverse childhood experiences, and verbal weight-related abuse are associated with eating pathology, and more disordered eating and behaviors are seen in individuals seeking or engaged in weight loss treatment. Findings highlight the importance of evaluating eating pathology for individuals reporting, or at high risk for discrimination, childhood trauma or weight-related abuse.

Keywords: Adverse childhood experiences; Binge eating disorder; Bulimia nervosa; Discrimination; Disordered eating; Eating disorders; Weight loss treatment; Weight related abuse.