Comparison of eating disorders and other dietary/weight groups on measures of perceived control, assertiveness, self-esteem, and self-directed hostility

Anorexic and bulimic patients were compared to obese dieters, nonobese dieters, and normal controls on measures of perceived control, assertiveness, self-esteem, self-directed hostility, and psychiatric caseness. The anorexic and bulimic groups both scored significantly differently in the expected direction from the other three groups on all measures. There were no significant differences between the anorexic and bulimic groups and in turn, no significant differences among the obese, nonobese dieters, and normal controls. Results are in keeping with the notion that perceived control, low assertiveness, low self-esteem, and self-directed hostility are characteristics of eating disorder patients that differentiate them from individuals who display dietary/weight features, as well as from normal controls.