Constant dieting in a bid to improve appearance and reach what is perceived as a 'socially acceptable' low weight can cause an obsession with weight and an increased likelihood of developing an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.

This is the conclusion of research by Kamilah Tomlinson, Natasha Boxill et al of Lewisham Counselling and Counsellor Associates, which will be presented today, Friday 6 May, at the 17th Annual BACP Research Conference. The event, which is co-hosted by the Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR) UK, takes place at the Liverpool Marriott Hotel City Centre, Liverpool, on 6-7 May 2011.

Their study revealed that there is a strong link between dieting on a regular basis and developing an eating disorder. Specifically, findings suggest that people who often diet can become obsessed with their weight which is a major characteristic of the three most prevalent eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating.

Findings indicate that many clients who do/have dieted solely to lose weight have low self-esteem, and that once dieting starts the clients' psychological issues become more profoundly associated with their physical appearance. Emphasis then becomes increasingly centred on losing weight rather than addressing the underlying self-esteem issues and a strong link between such clients' low self-esteem/confidence and body image emerges; it also seems that many such clients primarily tend to use dieting in an attempt to control/improve their lives.

The research also indicated that once such clients reach their idealised weight they suddenly, often rapidly, begin to regain weight, with many individuals becoming heavier than before. Dieting exclusively for appearance sake manifests as a socially accepted westocentric phenomenon fuelled by the media and the increasingly celebrity obsessed culture.

Kamilah Tomlinson, said: "Because it is possible to reasonably conclude from our research that clients who constantly diet demonstrate many of the same behaviour traits as those who have eating disorders, our results suggest that counsellors/psychotherapists need to be aware of the apparent link between dieting/low self esteem and eating disorders. In addition to this, the research also suggests that regular dieting is a socially accepted norm, and given this acceptability, clients can easily pass unnoticed as someone who has an eating disorder."

Source:
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy