Internalized weight bias mediates the relationship between depressive symptoms and disordered eating behavior among women who think they are overweight

•Women who believe feel they are overweight risk are subject to internalization of weight bias (IWB).•Depressive symptoms (DEP-SX) depression and disordered eating are associated with IWB.•DEP-SX Depressive symptoms depression may set the stage for IWB, even among those who are not overweight.•IWB mediates the relationship between DEP-SX depressive symptoms depression and disordered eating.

ObjectiveThis study tested the potential mediating role of Internalized Weight Bias (IWB) in the relationship between depressive symptoms (DEP-SX) and disordered eating behavior. In particular, we hypothesized that IWB may be an intervening variable in the well documented association between depression and disordered eating. Method: College women (N = 172) who were taking undergraduate psychology courses and who endorsed thinking they were overweight completed the Patient Health Questionnaire depression screener (PHQ-9), the Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS), and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Bootstrapping mediation analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between these variables.ResultsIWB was significantly correlated with eating disorder symptoms and DEP-SX, but not Body Mass Index. Mediation analyses supported a model in which IWB mediated the relationship between DEP-SX and disordered eating behavior.DiscussionResults indicate that individuals with elevated DEP-SX may be likely to internalize weight bias, which may in turn lead to maladaptive approaches to eating and weight control, regardless of one's actual weight status.