Low body mass and ethnic identity exploration exacerbate the association between body image concerns and loss of control eating in Hispanic/Latino men.

OBJECTIVE: Although Hispanic/Latino populations have some of the highest rates of obesity in the United States, little is known about their loss of control (LOC) eating, a robust predictor of excess weight gain. This study examined the association between body image concerns and LOC eating frequency in a sample of young Hispanic/Latino men. Body mass index (BMI), ethnic identity, and acculturation were examined as potential moderators. METHOD: The sample included 271 Hispanic/Latino men between the ages of 18 and 30 years (Mage = 23.89 ± 3.54; MBMI = 26.46 ± 5.82). Participants completed an online survey and reported on height, weight, and demographic characteristics; concerns with muscularity and body fat; LOC eating frequency in the last 28 days; ethnic identity; and perceived acculturation. RESULTS: Negative binomial regression models were conducted, adjusting for BMI, income, education, and presence of a psychiatric diagnosis. Concerns with muscularity and body fat were positively associated with LOC eating frequency (ps < .001). Low BMI exacerbated the link between concerns with body fat and LOC eating frequency (p = .03). The positive association between concerns with muscularity and LOC eating frequency was exacerbated among those who reported low ethnic identity exploration (p = .01). While acculturation did not function as a moderator (ps = .14-.27), it was inversely associated with LOC eating frequency (p < .001). DISCUSSION: BMI and ethnic identity are important individual factors to consider in the link between body image concerns and LOC eating among young Hispanic/Latino men.

Cultural values and ethnic identity are important considerations in the link between emotion dysregulation and loss of control eating in Asian/Asian American men.

OBJECTIVE: Preliminary data suggest that Asian/Asian American report among the highest rates of loss of control (LOC) eating, yet the psychosocial and sociocultural correlates of LOC eating are currently understudied. The present study sought to examine the link between emotion dysregulation and LOC eating in Asian/Asian American men. Adherence to traditional Asian cultural values and ethnic identity were evaluated as potential moderators. METHODS: 266 Asian/Asian American men (Mage = 24.4 ± 3.6y; MBMI = 24.2 ± 5.6 kg/m2) participated in the current study and completed an online survey. RESULTS: Negative binomial regression models generally supported the positive link between emotion dysregulation and LOC eating in Asian/Asian American men. However, lack of emotional awareness when distressed was found to be significantly and inversely associated with LOC eating frequency. Adherence to Asian cultural values moderated the association between emotional impulsivity and LOC eating frequency; this link was positive among those with low adherence to Asian values, and negative among those with high adherence to Asian values. Exploration of one's ethnic identity moderated the link between emotional awareness when distressed and LOC eating frequency; the association was flat among men with low exploration of their ethnic identity, and inverse among those with high exploration of their ethnic identity. DISCUSSION: Although mechanistic and prospective studies are needed, these findings provide support for the affect regulation model of LOC eating in Asian/Asian American men and suggest that there are culture-specific factors that may be relevant to the development and/or maintenance of this disordered eating behavior.

Perceptions of general and postpresidential election discrimination are associated with loss of control eating among racially/ethnically diverse young men.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between young men's perceived experiences with discrimination, both general and following the 2016 presidential election, and their loss of control (LOC) eating. The degree to which men identified with their ethnic identity was evaluated as a moderator. METHOD: The sample included 798 men (18-30 years; M = 24.0 ± 3.6) who identified as African American (n = 261), Asian/Asian American (n = 266), or Hispanic/Latino (n = 271). Participants completed an online survey of items assessing demographic characteristics; perceived discrimination; perceptions of race-related discrimination following the 2016 U.S. presidential election; ethnic identity; and LOC eating. RESULTS: After adjusting for income, education, generational status and body mass index, perceived discrimination was positively associated with LOC eating frequency in African American and Hispanic/Latino men (ps < .01). Ethnic identity was inversely associated with LOC eating frequency in Hispanic/Latino men (p < .001). In Asian/Asian American men, perceived discrimination was only associated with more LOC eating among those with a low ethnic identity (p < .001). Higher levels of perceived discrimination following the presidential election were uniquely associated with more frequent LOC eating (p < .01) only among Asian/Asian American men who were not born in the United States or whose parents were not born in the United States. DISCUSSION: LOC eating may partially explain known associations between discrimination and heightened risk for obesity and chronic diseases among African American and Hispanic/Latino men. Asian/Asian American men's LOC eating may be linked to postpresidential election and general experiences with racial discrimination, particularly if they report a low sense of belonging to their ethnic group.

Preliminary evaluation of a brief worksite intervention to reduce weight stigma and weight bias internalization.

Weight-based discrimination (WBD) is common and associated with reduced physical and emotional functioning. WBD is common in the workplace, yet no studies have evaluated a WBD intervention delivered in a worksite setting. This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a 3-hour, remote-delivered WBD intervention at a large public university. Six workshops including 94 participants (41.76 ± 9.37 y; 92.8% women) were delivered December 2020 through May 2021; 88.3% of participants enrolled in the study and 88.8% of enrolled participants completed pre- and post-intervention surveys. Participants strongly agreed the workshop contributed to a more inclusive work environment (M=4.98 ± 0.2; 1 =Strongly Disagree to 5 =Strongly Agree); and was highly needed (4.9 ± 0.3) and liked (4.8 ± 0.5). Qualitative feedback cited benefits of remote delivery in providing body size anonymity and wanting access to intervention materials and more time for discussion and action steps to reduce WBD. Participants experienced significant, medium reductions in explicit weight bias (ps < .001), significant, small reductions in weight bias internalization (p < .001), and statistically non-significant (p = .08), small-to-medium reductions in implicit bias. Targeting worksites as a delivery mechanism has the potential to reduce WBD, thereby improving the health and well-being of diverse employees and creating a more inclusive workspace.

Ecological momentary assessment of state affect prior to and following loss of control eating in young men.

OBJECTIVE: Loss of control (LOC) eating is prevalent but understudied among young men. Affect regulation models propose that LOC eating functions as a maladaptive effort to escape from distressing affective states. As such, negative affect is thought to increase before and decrease after LOC eating. However, examinations with young men are lacking and it remains unclear whether specific emotional experiences are differentially implicated in their LOC eating. METHODS: The current study examined the temporal roles of affect in LOC eating in 31 young men (18-35 years; Mage = 25.74 ± 5.61y; 46.7 % White; 30 % Black/African American; 10 % Hispanic/Latino, 10 % South Asian) who reported engaging in recurrent LOC eating. Participants completed a 14-day ecological momentary assessment protocol and recorded all eating episodes each day and their state affect five times per day. Generalized linear mixed models were conducted to examine the trajectories of global and item-level negative and positive affect pre- and post-LOC eating episodes. RESULTS: Negative affect did not change significantly before or after LOC eating (ps > .05). Positive affect did not change significantly before LOC eating (ps > .05). Global positive affect, excitement, and happiness decreased significantly after LOC eating (ps ≤ .001). DISCUSSION: Study findings contradict extant theory and empirical data largely from female samples. Negative affect did not increase risk for LOC eating, nor did LOC eating function to improve participants' mood; rather, positive mood slightly decreased after LOC eating. Further investigation around the observed decline in positive affect after LOC eating will clarify if this is a relevant intervention point in this population.

Social media and dating app use are differentially related to same- and next-day disordered eating pathology in young men with loss of control eating.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether social networking site (SNS) and dating app use is associated with disordered eating in young men. METHODS: 42 men (18-35y) who reported ≥4 loss of control (LOC) eating episodes in the prior month completed a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol. Five times throughout the day, participants responded to prompts regarding their dietary restraint, body dissatisfaction, and LOC eating. Each night at ~10 pm, participants reported their total time spent on SNSs and dating apps/websites within the last day. RESULTS: 39 out of 42 cisgender men (Mage = 25.1 ± 5.3 years; 47 % non-Hispanic White, 29 % Black or African American; 63 % non-students; 87 % heterosexual) reported using SNSs and/or dating apps. Neither SNS nor dating app use was associated with body dissatisfaction. Dating app use with associated with higher same- (r2 equivalent = 0.022, p = .003) and next-day dietary restraint (r2 equivalent = 0.016, p = .02); SNS use was not. More SNS use was associated with lower odds of same- (OR [95 % CI] = 0.86 [0.75, 0.99], p = .044) and next-day LOC eating (OR [95 % CI] = 0.82 [0.71, 0.96], p = .011); links with dating app use were non-significant. DISCUSSION: Non-significant links for SNS and dating app use with body dissatisfaction, and inverse associations with LOC eating, are contrary to research conducted with girls and women. Research is needed to evaluate whether the quality of SNS and dating app engagement (e.g., specific sites) are more closely related to men's disordered eating, and this work should consider muscularity concerns.

Rural sixth-grade teachers' and students' perceptions of a mindfulness-based mental health curriculum.

Introduction: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have the potential to improve students' mood, behavior and cognitive functioning; yet, little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of adapting such programs for rural middle schools. Methods: An exploratory qualitative evaluation was conducted to examine the feasibility and acceptability of an initial trial delivery of AttuneEd®, a trauma-informed, mindfulness-based mental health curriculum. In this single-group design study, 10 weekly lessons were taught in a middle school located in a rural town in the pacific northwest during 6th grade students' P.E. classes. Three P.E. teachers, 26 6th grade teachers, and one school counselor attended trainings before and mid-curriculum implementation, where they provided qualitative feedback. A total of 160 students completed acceptability surveys before and after curriculum delivery. Results: Three themes were identified from qualitative data: cultural considerations, teacher self-efficacy, and barriers and facilitators to student acceptability. Student acceptability ratings were high. Students reported, on average, that the classes helped them better understand themselves and others. Conclusion: Some identified needs for future MBIs include (1) the need for culturally sensitive, trauma-informed delivery strategies; (2) teachers' desire for more support in content delivery; and (3) students' desire to have their own teachers deliver the curriculum. Findings elucidate the nuances associated with implementing an MBI in a rural middle school and have notable implications for development, scalability, and sustainability.

Loss of control may uniquely predict negative affect among the disinhibited eating experiences of high-risk young men.

OBJECTIVE: Loss of control (LOC) eating is a disordered eating behavior that is prevalent but understudied among men. It is common for men with LOC eating to concurrently engage in diverse eating behaviors characterized as disinhibited. It remains unclear which eating qualities are most distressing for men. This study evaluated the link between disinhibited eating qualities and subsequent negative affect in young men. METHODS: 42 men (18-35 y) who reported engaging in ≥4 LOC eating episodes in the prior month completed a 14-day ecological momentary assessment protocol. For each meal and snack, participants were asked to rate the extent to which they felt they overate; lost control; ate more than planned; ate mindlessly; had concerns about wasting food; and were encouraged to eat more by others. State negative affect was evaluated during random intervals five times per day. RESULTS: After adjusting for previous negative affect and time between ratings, five of the six eating qualities were significantly and positively associated with subsequent negative affect according to between-participant findings (ps < 0.026). In within-participant analyses, only LOC was significantly and positively associated with subsequent negative affect (p = 0.044). DISCUSSION: While a range of disinhibited eating qualities are correlated with negative affect in a sample of young men, a sense of LOC while eating may be a promising target for interventions focused on improving the psychological functioning of high-risk young men.

Weight-related teasing is associated with body concerns, disordered eating, and health diagnoses in racially and ethnically diverse young men.

Research suggests that weight-related teasing is associated with body concerns and disordered eating in male and female adolescents and women. Yet, little is known about these associations for young men with diverse racial and ethnic identities. This study examined the association of weight-related teasing frequency and distress with body concerns, loss of control (LOC) eating, dietary restraint, and history of psychiatric and medical diagnoses in racially and ethnically diverse young men. Racial and ethnic identity was examined as a potential moderator. Participants (N = 1,069; 18-30 years; Mage = 24.1 ± 3.6 years) completed an online survey and reported on general demographics; weight-related teasing; body concerns; LOC eating frequency in the last 28 days; dietary restraint; and history of psychiatric and medical diagnoses. All models adjusted for BMI, income, education, and history of psychiatric diagnoses (when not the dependent variable). Both weight-related teasing frequency and distress were significantly and positively linked with all dependent variables, and these associations did not significantly vary by racial and ethnic identity. These findings suggest that, much like in prior research with adolescents and women, experiences with weight-related teasing are associated with body concerns, disordered eating, and poorer health in racially and ethnically diverse young men, regardless of body size.

Perceived discrimination, emotion dysregulation and loss of control eating in young men.

Experiences with discrimination may account, in part, for race-related disparities in obesity. Yet, there is minimal understanding of the link between perceived discrimination and health behaviors that contribute to obesity. This study examined the link between perceived discrimination and loss of control (LOC) eating in 798 African American, Asian/Asian American, and Hispanic/Latino men (18-30y; M = 24.0 ±â€¯3.6). Emotion dysregulation was examined as a moderator. Participants completed an online survey assessing perceived discrimination; emotion dysregulation; and LOC eating frequency in the last 28 days. Negative binomial regression models were conducted within each racial/ethnic group, as each group completed different measures of perceived discrimination. In Hispanic/Latino men, perceived ethnic discrimination was positively associated with LOC eating frequency (p < .001). In African American men, perceived daily discrimination was positively associated with LOC eating frequency (p < .001). In Asian/Asian American men, neither perceived racial microaggressions nor racism were associated with frequency of LOC eating. Emotion dysregulation did not significantly moderate any of these associations. Findings highlight another detrimental correlate of perceived discrimination among some ethnic minority men - LOC eating. Future research should examine whether other identity- and culture-specific factors serve to exacerbate or mitigate the effects of discrimination on the health and health behaviors of ethnic minority men.

Evaluating components of existing theories for loss of control eating in a sample of young racially/ethnically diverse men.

The current study evaluated components of existing theoretical models for loss of control (LOC) eating in young men. The link between body image concerns, including concerns with fat and muscularity, and LOC eating frequency was evaluated in 1109 ethnically/racially diverse men (18-30y). Dietary restraint, compulsive exercise, and emotion dysregulation were evaluated as putative mediators. Body mass index (BMI) and race/ethnicity were examined as moderators. Participants completed online surveys. Path analyses in Mplus tested indirect paths using the bias-corrected bootstrap method. Higher body fat concerns were directly linked to LOC eating frequency and indirectly linked through greater dietary restraint, compulsive exercise, and emotional dysregulation (ps<.01). The link among fat concerns, restraint, and LOC eating frequency was moderated by body mass, such that this association was particularly strong for men with a low-to-average BMI relative to those with a high BMI (p < .001). Higher muscularity concerns were not directly linked to LOC eating frequency but were indirectly linked through greater emotion dysregulation (p < .001). Body image concerns are associated with LOC eating in young men. The pathways to LOC eating may differ depending on the nature of men's body image concerns (muscularity vs. thinness). Prospective data are needed to verify these findings.

The effect of functionality-focused and appearance-focused images of models of mixed body sizes on women's state-oriented body appreciation.

Research demonstrates that exposure to appearance-focused images of models depicting societal standards of beauty negatively affect women's state-oriented body dissatisfaction. The purpose of this research was to extend this experimental research to women's state-oriented body appreciation. The 374 women participants were randomly assigned to view images that were either depicting a model who was representative or not representative of the thin ideal (body size), while this model was in either an appearance-focused pose or a function-oriented pose (pose type). State body appreciation increased significantly after viewing images depicting models who did not conform to societal standards of thinness (p<0.001). Exposure to the control condition images, which were images of natural environments, also produced increases in state body appreciation (p=0.049). These findings provide insight into the construct of state body appreciation and offer implications for future positive body image research.