Predicting interest in liposuction among women with eating problems: A population-based study

The purpose of this paper was to examine predictors of an interest in liposuction among women with eating problems. A questionnaire was sent to 3500 women aged 18–35 years, whereof 378 of 1861 responders screened positively on eating problems. Assessments included sociodemographic status, social network, physical exercise, attitudes towards cosmetic surgery, teasing history, body dysmorphic disorder-like symptoms, body image, self-esteem, personality, interpersonal attachment and emotional distress. Fifty-two percent reported an interest in liposuction, which was independently predicted by appearance orientation, appearance evaluation, being critical/quarrelsome, teasing history, wish for a better relationship with father, low education and being unmarried. Predictors differed somewhat from those previously found in the general population. Considering that our sample consisted of women with self-reported eating problems, the association between liposuction and eating behaviors should be further examined in a sample of patients with a formal eating disorder diagnosis.

► 378 of 1861 women who responded to a survey screened positively on eating problems.
► 52% of the women with eating problems reported an interest in liposuction.
► An interest in liposuction was predicted by certain psychological and social factors.