Perfectionism in women with binge eating disorder

Objective: This study examined self-oriented (SOP) socially prescribed (SPP ), and other-oriented (OOP) perfectionism in 127 obese women with binge eat ing disorder (BED). Method: Relationships between eating disorder and gener al psychopathology variables and SOP, SPP, and OOP were assessed. Levels of SOP, SPP, and OOP in the BED sample were compared with those of 32 normal weight women with bulimia nervosa (BN) and 60 obese non-eating-disordered i ndividuals (NED). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test model s of the maintenance of BED. Results: Only SPP was significantly associated with eating disorder variables related to BED. All three groups demonstrat ed similar levels of SPP and OOP. BN and BED groups scored significantly hi gher than the NED group on SOP only. SEM resulted in two models with good f its. Discussion: Further research is needed on the roles of SPP and SOP in BED and on weight and shape overconcern in BED maintenance models. (C) 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.