THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FEMININE GENDER-ROLE STRESS, BODY-IMAGE, ANDEATING DISORDERS

The Feminine Gender Role Stress (FGRS) scale was used in two studies t o determine whether eating disorders could be linked to the cognitive tendency among women to appraise specific situations as highly stressf ul because of rigid adherence to the traditional feminine gender role. Study 1 showed the FGRS scale could distinguish eating disorders from other psychiatric disorders in an inpatient setting and from normal c ollege women. This suggests that women who have eating disorders repor t higher than usual levels of stress as a result of rigid adherence to the traditional feminine gender role. Study 2 looked at cardiovascula r reactivity to a ''feminine'' (i.e., body image threat) and a control stressor and determined the FGRS scale could predict which women are threatened by feminine stressors. Results from these studies suggest f eminine gender role stress may be the missing link between cultural va lues of femininity and vulnerability for eating disorders.