The mediator role of loneliness in the relationship between body image and eating attitude

Body image is known as the totality of individuals' attitudes towards their bodies. Having a negative attitude towards any part of one's body results in disliking one's body. Since body image has generally been emphasized in terms of weight in the last century, it seems possible that individuals may be dissatisfied with their weight. As a result of an individual being dissatisfied with his or her weight, changes in eating attitudes and eating disorders may occur. The individual's pathological insistence on achieving the desired body triggers behavioral patterns such as restricting eating, changing eating habits, doing sports and constantly grooming his or her body. It can be thought that the concept of loneliness mediates the relationship between the concepts. An individual's dissatisfaction with himself/herself due to his body image and distancing himself from his environment may result in loneliness and may be effective in the development of an eating disorder. The aim of this study is to examine the mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between body image and eating attitude. A total of 1049 people, 729 women and 320 men, took part in the study conducted for this purpose. A survey form including a personal information form, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Body Image Scale, Eating Disorder Assessment Scale and Eating Attitude Test was administered to the participants. As a result of the comparative analysis, loneliness, body perception, eating disorder and eating attitude scores show significant differences according to the participants' gender, age, education level, marital status, financial situation, the person they live with, frequency of doing sports and body mass index information. Participants with impaired eating attitudes had significantly higher loneliness and eating disorder scores. Eating attitude,eating disorder and loneliness scores of participants with impaired body perception were found to be significantly higher. It has been found that the distribution of body mass index levels according to gender varies significantly. Finally, he calculated significant correlation coefficients between concepts. Findings regarding the mediating role in the continuation of these relationships showed that loneliness had a statistically significant mediating effect on the relationships between body image and eating disorder and eating attitude scores. The findings provide useful information to experts in examining and understanding the dynamic relationship between concepts. In addition, the study has valuable results for both psychotherapists and clients in terms of understanding the etiology of eating disorders and presenting concepts that should be taken into consideration in the conduct of the therapy process.