Attachment and eating: A meta-analytic review of the relevance of attachment for unhealthy and healthy eating behaviors in the general population

This meta-analysis investigates the impact of attachment relationships on eating behaviors in the general population, building on previous clinical studies that linked attachment insecurity to eating disorders. An analysis of data from 70 studies involving 19,470 participants revealed that higher levels of attachment insecurity (r = 0.266), anxiety (r = 0.271), avoidance (r = 0.119), and fearfulness (r = 0.184) are significantly correlated with unhealthy eating behaviors (p < 0.001). Conversely, greater attachment security was associated with lower instances of unhealthy eating (r = -0.184, p < 0.001). Notably, these findings were consistent across various unhealthy eating behaviors, including binge eating, bulimic symptoms, dieting, emotional eating, and unhealthy food consumption. However, the evidence regarding the relationship between healthy eating and attachment was inconclusive, with the exception that healthy eating correlated with lower attachment avoidance (r = -0.211, p < 0.001). The results suggest that insecure attachment is a common characteristic of individuals engaging in unhealthy eating behaviors, extending the implications beyond clinical populations. Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying the attachment-eating relationship, particularly in the context of healthy eating. [NPID: Attachment, insecure, eating disorders, avoidance, eating behaviors, relationships]

Year: 2018

Reference: Faber, A., Dubé, L., & Knäuper, B. (2018). Attachment and eating: A meta-analytic review of the relevance of attachment for unhealthy and healthy eating behaviors in the general population. Appetite, 123, 410–438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.10.043