Holy anorexia: Views of femininity as a potential mediator in the association between religiosity and disordered eating

Is being more religious a protective factor when it comes to eating disorders, or a risk factor? Past research has provided conflicting answers to this question, and thus, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether the variable association between religiosity and eating disorders can be explained through the mediating variable of views of femininity. Using a sample of 231 individuals, the current study demonstrated that the ways in which individuals view their femininity mediates the association between religiosity and disordered eating. More religious individuals were more likely to hold an essentialized (unexplored or unexamined) view of their own femininity, and this view was associated with an increased risk of disordered eating. However, more religious individuals were also less likely to feel excluded by others on the basis of how they enact their femininity, and that view was associated with a decreased risk of disordered eating. These two indirect effects effectively canceled each other out, leaving no significant overall association between religiosity and eating disorders. Future researchers are encouraged to explore further applications of considering femininity as a multifaceted concept when studying both religion and eating disorders.