Background: Despite being the most prevalent eating disorder, Binge eating disorder (BED) remains largely unrecognized and lacks awareness among the general public, where it is also highly stigmatized. Common stigma surrounding BED includes the belief that individuals with this disorder are responsible for their condition and lack willpower and self-control. Research on BED recognition and stigma among lay adults is scarce. Enhancing public recognition of BED and reducing the stigma associated with it is crucial, as this could significantly improve access to treatment. The aim of the present study was to examine BED recognition and stigma within an adult community sample, and to identify associated respondent characteristics, including sociodemographic and psychosocial factors.
Methods: A sample of 894 adults (88.6% women; Mage = 35.20 ± 14.52) completed an online survey. Participants were presented with a vignette depicting a woman with BED and obesity, followed by questionnaires assessing BED recognition, stigma, and other respondent characteristics. Independent samples t-tests were performed to compare participants who recognized BED in the vignette with those who did not, based on sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., gender, age, income, education) and psychosocial variables (i.e., explicit and internalized weight bias, familiarity with BED). A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify the sociodemographic and psychosocial variables that were the most important in explaining the variance in stigma towards BED.
Results: Results indicated that 33% of participants identified BED as the main problem in the vignette. Those who recognized BED were younger, more educated, more familiar with BED, and exhibited lower levels of stigma towards BED. The most significant factor in explaining stigma towards BED was explicit weight bias, particularly attributing obesity to a lack of willpower and disliking people with obesity. Identifying as a man and older age were also associated with greater stigma towards BED.
Conclusion: The findings of the current study highlight the importance of comprehensive public awareness campaigns to improve recognition of BED and to reduce associated stigma.
Keywords: Binge eating disorder; Knowledge; Mental health literacy; Stigma; Vignette study; Weight bias.
Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder but is still largely unrecognized and stigmatized among the general public. This study aimed to explore how well BED is recognized and the stigma associated with it in a community sample of 894 adults (88.6% women; mean age of 35.20). Participants completed an online survey with a vignette depicting a woman with BED and subsequent questionnaires. Around one third (33%) of participants identified BED as the main issue in the vignette. Those who recognized BED tended to be younger, more educated, more familiar with BED, and exhibited lower levels of stigma. Explicit weight bias, such as attributing obesity to a lack of willpower and disliking people with obesity, was the most significant factor in explaining stigma towards BED. Additionally, identifying as a man and being older were linked to greater stigma. These findings underscore the need for public awareness campaigns to improve BED recognition and reduce stigma.
© 2024. The Author(s).