EATING DISORDERS AND THE REGULATION OF EMOTION: FUNCTIONAL MODELS FOR ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA NERVOSA

Abstract

Different types of eating disorders may be better described and understood in terms of their specific behaviors and the emotion regulatory function these behaviors serve. Individuals may influence their affective states by upregulating or downregulating different emotions. Evidence characterizing eating disordered behavior according to this theory is discussed based on personality research, comorbidity, affect intensity, and neurobiology. An original emotion regulation theory of eating disorders is proposed. This theory centers on individuals' affect intensity and their emotion regulation strategies. Eating disorders are conceptualized by their behavioral components, not by their diagnostic category. Individuals with anorexia nervosa-restricting type (restrictors) were compared to individuals with bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa-binge/purge type (binge-purgers). Restrictors were posited to be low in affect intensity, or emotionally constricted. In contrast, binge-purgers were posited to be high in affect intensity, or emotionally labile. Food restriction in restrictors was hypothesized to be a method for increasing positive affect and decreasing negative affect. In binge-purgers, binging was seen as a method for reducing negative affect, and purging was seen as a means to increase positive affect and reduce negative affect. Participants were 63 inpatient females with a clinical diagnosis of an eating disorder. Participants were given an assessment battery measuring various indices of eating behavior and emotionality. Overarchingly, it was hypothesized that women classified as restrictors versus binge-purgers would show different patterns of emotional processing. Results of the present study support the theory that affective differences exist between individuals who solely restrict dietary intake and those who also engage in binge-purge behaviors. It appears that affect intensity may be one of the most important differences. Binge-purgers had marginally higher levels of affect intensity than did restrictors. However, affect intensity moderated the emotional outcomes of disordered eating behaviors in both groups. These preliminary analyses support the emotion regulation theory of eating disorders and warrant further investigation.