Elevated fullness and bloating as correlates of eating pathology: Implications for screening

ABSTRACT

A minority of individuals with eating disorders report being asked about their eating by health care professionals; delayed detection of eating disorders may contribute to poorer outcomes. The current study investigated common meal-related gastrointestinal symptoms (i.e., elevated fullness and bloating) as correlates of eating pathology that may be more readily disclosed to health professionals and indicate the need to assess for eating pathology. The current study also tested the hypothesis that elevated fullness and bloating are more strongly linked to eating pathology among those with higher body dissatisfaction. 281 university students (70.1% female, 84.3% white) completed gastrointestinal symptom and eating pathology assessments. Elevated fullness and bloating were each associated with increased purging, restrictive eating behaviors, and likelihood of having an eating disorder. Elevated fullness and bloating were more strongly linked to purging and probable eating disorder diagnosis with higher, relative to lower, body dissatisfaction. However, body dissatisfaction did not moderate the relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms and restrictive eating behaviors. Results indicate that elevated fullness and bloating are correlates of eating pathology. Healthcare professionals should consider and/or assess for eating pathology when elevated fullness and bloating are reported; further assessment of body dissatisfaction may be helpful in identifying purging behaviors.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Pamela Keel for her conceptual feedback.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2022.2141705.

Notes

1. The instructions of the Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory were modified to administer online. From “Development and validation of the Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory,” by Forbush et al., 2013, Psychological Assessment, 25, 859–878. Copyright © 2011 by Kelsie T. Forbush. Reproduced with permission. No further reproduction, modification, or distribution of the Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory, derivative versions, or translated versions is permitted without advance, written permission from the copyright holder (Dr. Kelsie Forbush).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.