Effect of mood and food cues on body image in women with bulimia and controls

Objective The present study evaluated body image assessment and cue reactivity in women with bulimia and controls in response to neutral, mood, and food cues in isolation, and mood and food cues in combination. Method: Subjects were 7 women with bulimia nervosa and 8 control women. Food cues were individualized high-risk/favorite foods. Low mood was elicited using the Musical Mood Induction Procedure. Order of cue presentation was random across subjects. Body image and cue reactivity were assessed using a computer version of the silhouette method and self-report ratings, respectively. Results: Women with bulimia consistently rated their current body as being larger and their body image satisfaction as being lower than control women. In addition, women with bulimia differentially rated their current body and a picture of a healthy weight woman as being larger following exposure to food and/or mood cues. Ratings of ideal body were differentially affected by mood cues for control women. Ratings of body satisfaction were not affected by cue presentation. Mere presentation of high-risk foods in the absence of eating was sufficient to elicit urges to binge in women with bulimia. Discussion: Body size estimation is not only affected by enduring characteristics (i.e., bulimia nervosa), but also more transient factors such as short-term exposure to salient food and mood cues. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.