Overweight preoccupation is associated with eating pathology in male collegiate athletes with body dissatisfaction.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study examined specific aspects of body dissatisfaction and drive for muscularity as correlates of eating pathology and explored sport confidence as a moderator of these associations in male collegiate athletes. METHOD: Ninety-three male collegiate athletes who endorsed body dissatisfaction and were enrolled in a body dissatisfaction intervention study completed baseline measures of appearance orientation, appearance evaluation, overweight preoccupation, muscularity-oriented attitudes and behaviors, eating pathology symptoms, and sport confidence. RESULTS: There were significant associations between overweight preoccupation and cognitive restraint, purging, binge eating, and excessive exercise, appearance orientation and cognitive restraint, negative appearance evaluation and restricting, muscularity-oriented attitudes and binge eating, and muscularity-oriented behaviors and excessive exercise. Low-to-moderate sport confidence moderated the association between muscularity-oriented behaviors and purging. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight a need for interventions targeting drive for muscularity and body dissatisfaction, especially overweight preoccupation, in male collegiate athletes. Findings additionally suggest a need to further examine the utility of sport confidence in prevention and intervention programs targeting eating pathology in larger samples of male athletes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V, Cross-sectional descriptive study.