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Rita Hage, Psy.D., is a 2021 graduate of the Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, New England

Dissertation Committee:

  • Kathi Borden, PhD, Committee Chair
  • Gina Pasquale, PsyD, Committee Member
  • Katherine Russell, PsyD, Committee Member

Keywords

disordered eating, societal pressure, Lebanon, women, thinness, peer, media

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2021

Abstract

Messages that women receive from the media, family, and peers are often intended to promote the female thin ideal, and these messages may contribute to the development of eating disorders. In Lebanese society, unrealistic standards for thinness are a central component of how Lebanese society defines glamour. The following paper examined the relationship of societal pressures on Lebanese women to meet these beauty expectations and how those pressures are related to disordered eating. Ninety Lebanese women between the ages of 18 and 39 responded to two questionnaires: (a) the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and (b) the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-4). A correlation analysis indicated that there was a positive relationship between problematic eating and exposure to social pressures of thin ideals and beauty conveyed by family, peers, and media. Given the limited research examining eating disorders in Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East, the results of this study can be useful to help facilitate awareness of social pressure and advocate for necessary treatment facilities and programs for women in Lebanon.

Comments

Rita Hage

ORCID Scholar ID# 0000-0002-0895-6045

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