Eating pathology in relationship to hopelessness

Abstract

Past research evaluating the continuity and discontinuity hypotheses has produced inconclusive results. The continuity hypothesis states that dieting plays a role in the development of bulimia and disordered eating falls on a continuum. The discontinuity hypothesis however, states that dieters and bulimics are essentially different. Although numerous studies have examined the relationship of depression and eating disorders, little research has been done on the relationship of hopelessness and eating disorders. The researcher hypothesized that the higher the degree of eating pathology, the more hopeless a person would be. The current study surveyed eighty-one college women from two different Wisconsin universities to determine whether a correlation existed between eating pathology and hopelessness using the BULIT-R and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. Four groups were established based on scores: low risk non-bulimic, medium risk non-bulimic, high risk non-bulimic, and bulimic. A statistically significant correlation between eating pathology and hopelessness scores was established using Pearson’s r. Using an ANOVA, results confirmed a statistically significant difference between the bulimic group and the three non-bulimic groups. When an analysis was done looking at only the three non-bulimic groups, no statistical significance was found, thereby indicating support for the discontinuity hypothesis. A number of implications are suggested for this study.