Boost Self Esteem Month – February

Why is Self-Esteem a Protective Factor against Eating Disorder Risk?

~Sina King-Smith, MS, M.Ed., RDN, LD (she/her/hers)

We talk a lot about eating disorders, and I recently wrote about different signs and symptoms to look out for. Remember, risk factors associated with eating disorders are complex and layered, involving biological, social, and environmental factors. Body dissatisfaction, the internalization of the thin-ideal, dieting, and poor self-concept are examples of risk factors associated with eating disorders (Stice, 2016). But what about things in our lives that can act as protective factors against eating disorder risk?

Just knowing the risk factors alone doesn’t reduce the onset of disordered eating or eating disorders (You probably already guessed that!). Reducing our risk factors AND increasing protective factors is a recipe for success (food pun intended!). There are a ton of protective factors we could focus on, like effective problem solving skills, multiple safe social roles, emotional well-being, a family that doesn’t over-emphasise weight and physical attractiveness, eating consistently and so much more! But first, let’s slow down a bit and start with the basics.

What are protective factors? A protective factor is something that helps lessen the likelihood of a risk factor leading to a negative event or occurrence. For example, let’s say a student is having a stressful semester filled with obstacles and hard courses. A risk factor for anxiety related mental health disorders is chronic stress. However, the student is very well connected to their family, has a great group of friends and a strong sense of belonging in their extracurricular club they participate in. Social connectedness (such as the examples provided) is a protective factor that disrupts the process of stress leading to anxiety. Protective factors don’t just decrease a risk factor but protect against a negative outcome and increase the likelihood of a positive outcome!

Self-esteem

So, in honor of International Boost Self-Esteem Day, I’d like to focus on a couple protective risk factors, self-esteem and self-compassion. Self-esteem or self-worth is related to the positive and negative perceptions we have about ourselves (Argyrides, et al, 2020).

Some signs pointing to a lower self-esteem could include:

• You don’t feel confident in your abilities at school, work, in social settings, etc.
• Frequently compare yourself to others.
• Are judgemental and negative towards yourself after making even the slightest mistake.
• Find yourself always focusing on your failures and ignoring positive feedback you may receive.
• Finally, noticing often that you feel anxious, depressed and worried about everything you do.

If you resonate with any of the above options, focusing on improving your self-esteem might be a good idea. Positive beliefs about oneself can be protective in avoiding dysfunctional eating behaviors (Argyrides, et al, 2020). Seeking therapy to improve self-awareness, develop mindfulness strategies and addressing negative core self-concepts have all been shown to improve self-esteem (Abrams, 2017).

Some other suggestions that you can try incorporating now to focus on improving your self-esteem could include:

• Challenging the negative narrative you have about yourself or negative thoughts that pop up. For example, if you have a thought that you always fail, try checking in with the facts. Is it true that you have never completed ANY task that led to something positive before? A lot of times we tend to think in very black and white or extreme ways of thinking. Instead, look for the gray area! Ask yourself, What’s the evidence that goes against my negative thinking?
• Consider making a list of your strengths and writing them down. Many of us tend to have a fear that others won’t accept us, and instead of isolating, we could ask a friend or family member to help us make a list & check in on us when we are feeling down.
• Adding in some self-compassion can neve hurt… check out the next section for more ideas!

Self-compassion

What exactly is self-compassion? Self-compassion is extending care, consideration, and empathy to yourself even when we are feeling inadequate. Practicing self-compassion is so IMPORTANT as this may intervene in us thinking and acting in some not great (maladaptive) ways (Braun, et al, 2016). Kristin Neff, a psychologist and researcher, provides an alternative to self-judgment and personal shortcomings, suggesting that giving yourself unconditional acceptance and warmth regardless of good or bad situations is essential in practicing self-compassion (Barnard & Curry, 2011).

Here are some self-compassion strategies:

• Try practicing mindfulness and self-kindness without self-judgment (follow our social media @_alo_nutrition_ for some mindfulness tips)
• Seek out emotional social support from friends, family, therapist or registered dietitian
• Even humor has been shown to provide ourselves with the self compassion we need– so don’t be afraid to lay on a good joke now and again!

What’s interesting is some researchers recommend focusing on self-compassion rather than self-esteem because self-compassion has fewer drawbacks (Intriguing huh?!). Why you may ask? A focus on improving self-esteem can lead us to increase self-evaluation and compare ourselves to others more, whereas self-compassion practice offers the same mental health benefits (like boosting self-esteem) with added benefits of emotional resilience and regulation (Neff, 2011).

Other considerations…

When considering protective factors within family systems a couple themes that have been identified include families that do not overemphasize weight and physical attractiveness (Langdon-Daly & Serpell, 2017). Additionally, families that eat regular meals together also acts as a protective factor against eating disorders (Langdon-Daly & Serpell, 2017). More generally, social support systems and connectedness are also helpful as a positive and supportive coping strategy (Leonidas & Dos Santos, 2014). Most recently, intuitive eating behaviors have been identified as a protective factor as well. Intuitive eating includes several principles that involve respecting oneself, non-judgmental awareness of eating and emotions, gentle movement, and finding satisfaction (Tylka, & Piran, 2019). Not surprisingly, intuitive eating has been positively correlated with increased self-esteem (Gödde, et al, 2022)!

References

1. Abrams, A. (2017). 8 Steps towards improving self-esteem, Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/nurturing-self-compassion/201703/8-steps-improving-your-self-esteem
2. Argyrides, M., Anastasiades, E., & Alexiou, E. (2020). Risk and protective factors of disordered eating in adolescents based on gender and body mass index. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 9238.
3. Braun, T. D., & park, C. L., Gorin, P. A. (2016). Self-compassion, body image, and disordered eating: A review of the literature. Body Image, 17, 117-131.
4. Barnard, L., & Curry, J.F. (2011). Self-Compassion: Conceptualizations, correlates, & interventions. Review of General Psychology, 15(4), 289-303.
5. Ewert, C., Vater, A., & Schröder-Abé, M. (2021). Self-compassion and coping: A meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 12, 1063-1077.
6. Gödde, J.U., Yuan, T.Y., Kakinami, L., Cohen, T.R. (2022). Intuitive eating and its association with psychosocial health in adults: A cross-sectional study in a representative Canadian sample. Appetite, (1)168:105782.
7. Levine, M. P., & Smolak, L. (2016). The role of protective factors in the prevention of negative body image and disordered eating. Eating Disorders, 24, 39–46.
8. Leonidas, C., & Dos Santos, M. A. (2014). Social support networks and eating disorders: an integrative review of the literature. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 10, 915–927.
9. Langdon-Daly, J., & Serpell, L. (2017). Protective factors against disordered eating in family systems: a systematic review of research. Journal of Eating Disorders, 5(12).
10. Neff, K. D. (2011). Self‐compassion, self‐esteem, and well‐being. Social and personality psychology compass, 5(1), 1-12.
11. Stice, E. (2016). Interactive and mediational etiologic models of eating disorder onset: Evidence from prospective studies. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 12, 359–381.
12. Tylka, T.L., & Piran, N. (2019). Handbook of positive body image and embodiment. Oxford University Press.