Overvaluation of shape and weight as a mediator between self-esteem and weight bias internalization among patients with binge eating disorder

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the roles of self-esteem and overvaluation of shape and weight in accounting for the internalization of weight bias among patients with binge eating disorder (BED) and obesity. Method: Two hundred forty-five treatment-seeking individuals with BED and obesity were evaluated with diagnostic and semi-structured interviews and completed the Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). Correlations and bootstrapping mediation analyses were computed to evaluate the relationships among self-esteem, overvaluation of shape/weight, and weight bias internalization. The effects of body mass index (BMI) and binge-eating frequency were also tested. Results: Significant correlations emerged between WBIS, RSE, and overvaluation of shape and weight. BMI did not correlate with any measure, and binge-eating frequency only correlated with overvaluation. Mediation analyses provided support for the hypothesis that overvaluation of shape and weight mediates the relationship between self-esteem and weight bias internalization. Discussion: These findings provide support to the proposed model that self-esteem and overvaluation of shape and weight contribute to weight bias internalization among patients with BED, which holds implications for clinical efforts to address weight bias and associated eating and weight-related psychopathology. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.