Eating Disorders (EDs) are serious mental illnesses characterized by a disturbed relationship with food and the eating process. They are typically accompanied by an excessive preoccupation with body size/weight/shape. Adolescent and young adult females, as well as young women, are most susceptible to them. In addition to restrictive and purging behaviors aimed at weight loss in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, EDs may involve episodes of overeating—either as compensation for constant restriction or as a standalone disorder in the form of binge eating disorder, which, on the contrary, is accompanied by obesity.
Another variant of specific eating behavior, not yet classified as a clinical form, is orthorexia nervosa, which manifests as an excessive preoccupation with proper, healthy eating. Eating disorders can be viewed as a maladaptive coping mechanism for dealing with life's difficulties. EDs may help a person feel safe or gain a sense of control in a difficult life situation. It is important to understand that EDs develop as a result of the interaction of many factors. Typically, the risk of EDs is considered to be biopsychosocially determined—there is no single cause.
The relevance of this topic is driven by the steady increase in the prevalence of these destructive patterns worldwide. Today, they extend far beyond classical clinical forms and affect a wide range of age, gender, and social groups.
This issue brings together contemporary research aimed at studying the nature of EDs, identifying key risk and protective factors, and developing precise diagnostic tools for timely screening.
In the presented articles, the authors analyze the problem in detail from various perspectives.
The issue opens with a work by A.V. Shakhova, dedicated to a theoretical understanding of orthorexia nervosa (ON) as a rigid system of "healthy" eating. The author substantiates a five-component analytical framework for ON, comprising the restrictive-dietary, ritual-control, addictive-reinforcing, self-attitude-identification, and affective-regulatory blocks. This model makes it possible to differentiate between a normative pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and pathological dietary control, laying down the main directions for further research on orthorexia nervosa.
An important step in the diagnosis and prevention of EDs among adolescent girls—the primary risk group—has been made in a study by T.A. Meshkova and co-authors, grounded in J. Thompson's classic tripartite influence model. The questionnaire "MSP-ED-15," developed and validated by the authors, is designed for surveying girls and young women to assess the behaviors and statements of individuals in their microsocial environment (mother, father, peers) that may influence the risk of developing EDs. The questionnaire has demonstrated high predictive power. Of particular significance is the "Pressure/Criticism" subscale from parents and peers: the cumulative score on this scale increases the odds of detecting ED risk by 99 times. The authors recommend using this brief subscale for screening purposes.
Issues of personal identity are addressed in an article by O.S. Alexeeva and co-authors, which examines the relationship between ED risk and measures of masculinity and femininity in young women. The study showed that women with a clinical diagnosis exhibit higher levels of masculinity. Subjective attitudes toward one's own gender identity serve as a significant factor in eating disturbances: gender self-acceptance is associated with a lower risk of EDs, whereas high gender self-definition combined with low self-acceptance is linked to an increased risk.
In an article by D.E. Shloydo and G.L. Isurina, which presents a comparative analysis of plastic surgery patients, women with ED symptoms, and conditionally healthy respondents, specific triggers for body dissatisfaction were identified. It was demonstrated that anxious anticipation of rejection due to appearance is a universal predictor, while depression is a unique risk factor exclusively for the group with ED symptoms. The findings can be used to identify intervention targets in psychotherapeutic work addressing distorted body image and disturbed eating behavior.
Concluding the thematic section of this issue is an article by M.V. Fomicheva and T.A. Karavaeva, presenting an exploratory study of overweight women. The authors show that the nature of the relationships between patients' psychological characteristics and the severity of different types of eating behavior (emotionogenic, external, restrictive) depends on the degree of obesity severity. While in Class I obesity, associations with emotionogenic eating patterns predominate, in Class III obesity the clinical picture becomes more complex, with associations involving all types of eating behavior.
The materials in this issue have pronounced practical value. They not only expand theoretical understanding of the structure of EDs but also identify clear targets for psychotherapeutic work, the development of weight correction programs, and the implementation of effective screening systems in educational and medical institutions.
Tatyana Aleksandrovna Meshkova, Candidate of Psychological Sciences (Ph.D. in Psychology), Head of the Department of Differential Psychology and Psychophysiology, Faculty of Clinical and Special Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (MSUPE).