---
_id: '13615'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Autistic traits, such as sensory sensitivities and rigid routines, have been
    linked to body dissatisfaction (BD) and eating disorders (EDs). However, the interplay
    between autistic traits, fat- and muscularity-related BD, and disordered eating
    remains underexplored. This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between
    autistic traits, BD, and disordered eating in 298 women. Correlations and mediation
    analyses, alongside bootstrapping techniques, were used to evaluate relationships
    between variables. Autistic traits were positively associated with "traditional"
    disordered eating symptoms including food avoidance and selective eating as well
    as appearance-related aspects of muscle dysmorphia. Autistic traits were positively
    associated with avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) symptoms. BD
    was elevated with increasing autistic traits, only in relation to body fat, not
    muscularity. Only body fat-related BD (BD-F), but not muscularity-related BD (BD-M)
    mediated the effect of autistic traits on disordered eating symptoms, predicting
    increases in both ED and body dysmorphic symptoms, as well as reductions in ARFID
    symptoms. Our findings suggest that women with autistic traits may be more susceptible
    to internalizing socially perpetuated body ideals or to social feedback towards
    their appearance, as only stereotypically "female-typed" BD-F, but not "male-typed"
    dissatisfaction with muscularity (BD-M) mediated the link between autistic traits
    and disordered eating. Implications are discussed.
author:
- first_name: Nora M.
  full_name: Laskowski, Nora M.
  last_name: Laskowski
- first_name: Vanessa C.
  full_name: Jürgensen, Vanessa C.
  last_name: Jürgensen
- first_name: Martin S.
  full_name: Lehe, Martin S.
  last_name: Lehe
- first_name: Georg
  full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
  id: '85780'
  last_name: Halbeisen
  orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Georgios
  full_name: Paslakis, Georgios
  last_name: Paslakis
citation:
  ama: 'Laskowski NM, Jürgensen VC, Lehe MS, Halbeisen G, Paslakis G. Converging paths:
    Autistic traits, body image concerns, and disordered eating symptoms in women.
    <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i>. 2025;183:204-211. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018">10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018</a>'
  apa: 'Laskowski, N. M., Jürgensen, V. C., Lehe, M. S., Halbeisen, G., &#38; Paslakis,
    G. (2025). Converging paths: Autistic traits, body image concerns, and disordered
    eating symptoms in women. <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i>, <i>183</i>,
    204–211. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018</a>'
  bjps: '<b>Laskowski NM <i>et al.</i></b> (2025) Converging Paths: Autistic Traits,
    Body Image Concerns, and Disordered Eating Symptoms in Women. <i>Journal of Psychiatric
    Research</i> <b>183</b>, 204–211.'
  chicago: 'Laskowski, Nora M., Vanessa C. Jürgensen, Martin S. Lehe, Georg Halbeisen,
    and Georgios Paslakis. “Converging Paths: Autistic Traits, Body Image Concerns,
    and Disordered Eating Symptoms in Women.” <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i>
    183 (2025): 204–11. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018</a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Laskowski, Nora M., Vanessa C. Jürgensen, Martin S. Lehe, Georg Halbeisen
    und Georgios Paslakis. 2025. Converging paths: Autistic traits, body image concerns,
    and disordered eating symptoms in women. <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i>
    183: 204–211. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018">10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018</a>,
    .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Laskowski, Nora M.</span> ;
    <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Jürgensen, Vanessa C.</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Lehe,
    Martin S.</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Halbeisen, Georg</span>
    ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Paslakis, Georgios</span>: Converging
    paths: Autistic traits, body image concerns, and disordered eating symptoms in
    women. In: <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i> Bd. 183, Elsevier BV (2025),
    S. 204–211'
  havard: 'N.M. Laskowski, V.C. Jürgensen, M.S. Lehe, G. Halbeisen, G. Paslakis, Converging
    paths: Autistic traits, body image concerns, and disordered eating symptoms in
    women, Journal of Psychiatric Research. 183 (2025) 204–211.'
  ieee: 'N. M. Laskowski, V. C. Jürgensen, M. S. Lehe, G. Halbeisen, and G. Paslakis,
    “Converging paths: Autistic traits, body image concerns, and disordered eating
    symptoms in women,” <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i>, vol. 183, pp. 204–211,
    2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018">10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018</a>.'
  mla: 'Laskowski, Nora M., et al. “Converging Paths: Autistic Traits, Body Image
    Concerns, and Disordered Eating Symptoms in Women.” <i>Journal of Psychiatric
    Research</i>, vol. 183, 2025, pp. 204–11, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018</a>.'
  short: N.M. Laskowski, V.C. Jürgensen, M.S. Lehe, G. Halbeisen, G. Paslakis, Journal
    of Psychiatric Research 183 (2025) 204–211.
  ufg: '<b>Laskowski, Nora M. u. a.</b>: Converging paths: Autistic traits, body image
    concerns, and disordered eating symptoms in women, in: <i>Journal of Psychiatric
    Research</i> 183 (2025),  S. 204–211.'
  van: 'Laskowski NM, Jürgensen VC, Lehe MS, Halbeisen G, Paslakis G. Converging paths:
    Autistic traits, body image concerns, and disordered eating symptoms in women.
    Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2025;183:204–11.'
date_created: 2026-03-25T13:55:53Z
date_updated: 2026-04-10T10:38:23Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.018
extern: '1'
external_id:
  isi:
  - '001431254700001'
  pmid:
  - '39983628'
intvolume: '       183'
isi: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
page: 204-211
pmid: '1'
publication: Journal of Psychiatric Research
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1879-1379
  issn:
  - 0022-3956
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier BV
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'Converging paths: Autistic traits, body image concerns, and disordered eating
  symptoms in women'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83778'
volume: 183
year: '2025'
...
---
_id: '13635'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Patients with binge eating disorder (BED) display recurring episodes of eating
    large amounts of food in a short period of time, especially during negative mood
    states. However, the psychological processes linking negative mood to binge eating
    behavior have not been sufficiently explored. This study investigated the effects
    of experimentally inducing a negative (sad) mood state upon reaction times in
    a computerized ApproachAvoidance-Task (AAT) using images of foods and compared
    to a neutral control procedure in which negative mood was not induced. Differences
    in reaction times between "pulling" and "pushing away" food cues in the AAT were
    considered surrogates for fast, automatic (i.e., implicit) preferences ("bias")
    for either the approach or avoidance of foods. Obese patients with BED (n = 40),
    weight-matched (obese) individuals (n = 40), and normweight controls (n = 29)
    were asked to approach ("pull") or avoid ("push") images of high- and low-calorie
    foods following the induction of a negative mood state vs. the neutral control
    procedure. Sample size was within the common range of previous investigations
    of the kind. Similar to previous findings, obese patients with BED exhibited an
    avoidance bias (i.e., faster reaction times in "pushing" compared to "pulling")
    during the neutral control condition. However, a contrast analysis revealed that
    negative mood was associated with decreased avoidance bias in obese patients with
    BED, but not in obese and norm-weight controls. Mood status exerted no effect
    on BED patients' self-reported (i.e., explicit) ratings of the urge to consume
    foods. These findings may help to advance current understanding of how negative
    (sad) mood states may affect binge eating behaviors. Implications of these findings
    for developing novel treatment approaches are discussed.
author:
- first_name: Johannes
  full_name: Krehbiel, Johannes
  last_name: Krehbiel
- first_name: Georg
  full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
  id: '85780'
  last_name: Halbeisen
  orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Simone
  full_name: Kühn, Simone
  last_name: Kühn
- first_name: Yesim
  full_name: Erim, Yesim
  last_name: Erim
- first_name: Georgios
  full_name: Paslakis, Georgios
  last_name: Paslakis
citation:
  ama: 'Krehbiel J, Halbeisen G, Kühn S, Erim Y, Paslakis G. Too hot to handle: Mood
    states moderate implicit approach vs. avoidance tendencies toward food cues in
    patients with obesity and active binge eating disorder. <i>Journal of Psychiatric
    Research</i>. 2021;143:302-308. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031">10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031</a>'
  apa: 'Krehbiel, J., Halbeisen, G., Kühn, S., Erim, Y., &#38; Paslakis, G. (2021).
    Too hot to handle: Mood states moderate implicit approach vs. avoidance tendencies
    toward food cues in patients with obesity and active binge eating disorder. <i>Journal
    of Psychiatric Research</i>, <i>143</i>, 302–308. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031</a>'
  bjps: '<b>Krehbiel J <i>et al.</i></b> (2021) Too Hot to Handle: Mood States Moderate
    Implicit Approach vs. Avoidance Tendencies toward Food Cues in Patients with Obesity
    and Active Binge Eating Disorder. <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i> <b>143</b>,
    302–308.'
  chicago: 'Krehbiel, Johannes, Georg Halbeisen, Simone Kühn, Yesim Erim, and Georgios
    Paslakis. “Too Hot to Handle: Mood States Moderate Implicit Approach vs. Avoidance
    Tendencies toward Food Cues in Patients with Obesity and Active Binge Eating Disorder.”
    <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i> 143 (2021): 302–8. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031</a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Krehbiel, Johannes, Georg Halbeisen, Simone Kühn, Yesim Erim und Georgios
    Paslakis. 2021. Too hot to handle: Mood states moderate implicit approach vs.
    avoidance tendencies toward food cues in patients with obesity and active binge
    eating disorder. <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i> 143: 302–308. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031">10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031</a>,
    .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Krehbiel, Johannes</span> ;
    <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Halbeisen, Georg</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Kühn,
    Simone</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Erim, Yesim</span> ; <span
    style="font-variant:small-caps;">Paslakis, Georgios</span>: Too hot to handle:
    Mood states moderate implicit approach vs. avoidance tendencies toward food cues
    in patients with obesity and active binge eating disorder. In: <i>Journal of Psychiatric
    Research</i> Bd. 143, Elsevier BV (2021), S. 302–308'
  havard: 'J. Krehbiel, G. Halbeisen, S. Kühn, Y. Erim, G. Paslakis, Too hot to handle:
    Mood states moderate implicit approach vs. avoidance tendencies toward food cues
    in patients with obesity and active binge eating disorder, Journal of Psychiatric
    Research. 143 (2021) 302–308.'
  ieee: 'J. Krehbiel, G. Halbeisen, S. Kühn, Y. Erim, and G. Paslakis, “Too hot to
    handle: Mood states moderate implicit approach vs. avoidance tendencies toward
    food cues in patients with obesity and active binge eating disorder,” <i>Journal
    of Psychiatric Research</i>, vol. 143, pp. 302–308, 2021, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031">10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031</a>.'
  mla: 'Krehbiel, Johannes, et al. “Too Hot to Handle: Mood States Moderate Implicit
    Approach vs. Avoidance Tendencies toward Food Cues in Patients with Obesity and
    Active Binge Eating Disorder.” <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i>, vol. 143,
    2021, pp. 302–08, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031</a>.'
  short: J. Krehbiel, G. Halbeisen, S. Kühn, Y. Erim, G. Paslakis, Journal of Psychiatric
    Research 143 (2021) 302–308.
  ufg: '<b>Krehbiel, Johannes u. a.</b>: Too hot to handle: Mood states moderate implicit
    approach vs. avoidance tendencies toward food cues in patients with obesity and
    active binge eating disorder, in: <i>Journal of Psychiatric Research</i> 143 (2021), 
    S. 302–308.'
  van: 'Krehbiel J, Halbeisen G, Kühn S, Erim Y, Paslakis G. Too hot to handle: Mood
    states moderate implicit approach vs. avoidance tendencies toward food cues in
    patients with obesity and active binge eating disorder. Journal of Psychiatric
    Research. 2021;143:302–8.'
date_created: 2026-03-27T10:12:18Z
date_updated: 2026-04-09T12:07:24Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.031
extern: '1'
external_id:
  isi:
  - '000701669500017'
  pmid:
  - '34530341'
intvolume: '       143'
isi: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
page: 302-308
pmid: '1'
publication: Journal of Psychiatric Research
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1879-1379
  issn:
  - 0022-3956
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier BV
status: public
title: 'Too hot to handle: Mood states moderate implicit approach vs. avoidance tendencies
  toward food cues in patients with obesity and active binge eating disorder'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83778'
volume: 143
year: '2021'
...