Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Jan;8(1):93-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2010.10.005. Epub 2010 Nov 18.

The interaction between the superhero ideal and maladaptive perfectionism as predictors of unhealthy eating attitudes and body esteem

Halina J Dour  1 , Sally A Theran
Affiliations

The interaction between the superhero ideal and maladaptive perfectionism as predictors of unhealthy eating attitudes and body esteem

Halina J Dour et al. Body Image. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Unhealthy eating attitudes and poor body esteem often lead to adverse outcomes (e.g., eating disorders). Prior research has identified two risk factors for these outcomes--endorsement of the superhero ideal and maladaptive perfectionism--and has suggested that these factors may interact to predict unhealthy eating attitudes and body esteem. The current study examined the interaction between the superhero ideal and maladaptive perfectionism as predictors of unhealthy eating attitudes and body esteem among 161 12- to 14-year-olds (74 males, 87 females). Maladaptive perfectionism moderated the relation between endorsement of the superhero ideal and unhealthy eating attitudes for girls only, such that endorsement of the superhero ideal was significantly associated with unhealthy eating attitudes only for adolescents with high levels of maladaptive perfectionism. The moderation model was not significant for body esteem. Prevention strategies should focus on reducing endorsement of the superhero ideal when there are high levels of maladaptive perfectionism.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources