---
_id: '13614'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: This study examined the role of muscularity concerns in eating disorder (ED)
symptoms among a sample of women. We expanded on previous research by exploring
a broader range of ED symptoms, including orthorexia (ON) and avoidant/restrictive
food intake disorder (ARFID). Using network analysis, we analysed data from 308
adult women (18 years or older) who completed muscularity, disordered eating,
and sociodemographic assessments. Our findings revealed five interconnected symptom
communities reflecting traditional ED symptoms, such as eating concerns and shape
and weight overvaluation. Notably, muscularity concerns emerged as a distinct
community, emphasising their relevance to ED symptoms in women. Additionally,
we identified selective eating tendencies and compulsive healthy eating. Highly
central symptoms were rumination about healthy eating, fear and guilt over unhealthy
eating, body‐related embarrassment, and muscularity concerns (wishing to be heavier,
wishing for heavier arms). These results suggest that muscularity concerns could
constitute a uniquely identifiable and central diagnostic target for body image
concerns and disordered eating in women.
author:
- first_name: Vanessa
full_name: Jürgensen, Vanessa
last_name: Jürgensen
- first_name: Georg
full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
id: '85780'
last_name: Halbeisen
orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Martin S.
full_name: Lehe, Martin S.
last_name: Lehe
- first_name: Georgios
full_name: Paslakis, Georgios
last_name: Paslakis
citation:
ama: 'Jürgensen V, Halbeisen G, Lehe MS, Paslakis G. Muscularity Concerns and Disordered
Eating Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network Analysis. European Eating Disorders
Review. 2025;33(5):864-878. doi:10.1002/erv.3192'
apa: 'Jürgensen, V., Halbeisen, G., Lehe, M. S., & Paslakis, G. (2025). Muscularity
Concerns and Disordered Eating Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network Analysis. European
Eating Disorders Review, 33(5), 864–878. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.3192'
bjps: 'Jürgensen V et al. (2025) Muscularity Concerns and Disordered
Eating Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network Analysis. European Eating Disorders
Review 33, 864–878.'
chicago: 'Jürgensen, Vanessa, Georg Halbeisen, Martin S. Lehe, and Georgios Paslakis.
“Muscularity Concerns and Disordered Eating Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network
Analysis.” European Eating Disorders Review 33, no. 5 (2025): 864–78. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.3192.'
chicago-de: 'Jürgensen, Vanessa, Georg Halbeisen, Martin S. Lehe und Georgios Paslakis.
2025. Muscularity Concerns and Disordered Eating Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network
Analysis. European Eating Disorders Review 33, Nr. 5: 864–878. doi:10.1002/erv.3192,
.'
din1505-2-1: 'Jürgensen, Vanessa ;
Halbeisen, Georg ; Lehe,
Martin S. ; Paslakis, Georgios:
Muscularity Concerns and Disordered Eating Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network
Analysis. In: European Eating Disorders Review Bd. 33. Chichester , Wiley
(2025), Nr. 5, S. 864–878'
havard: 'V. Jürgensen, G. Halbeisen, M.S. Lehe, G. Paslakis, Muscularity Concerns
and Disordered Eating Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network Analysis, European Eating
Disorders Review. 33 (2025) 864–878.'
ieee: 'V. Jürgensen, G. Halbeisen, M. S. Lehe, and G. Paslakis, “Muscularity Concerns
and Disordered Eating Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network Analysis,” European
Eating Disorders Review, vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 864–878, 2025, doi: 10.1002/erv.3192.'
mla: 'Jürgensen, Vanessa, et al. “Muscularity Concerns and Disordered Eating Symptoms
in Adult Women: A Network Analysis.” European Eating Disorders Review,
vol. 33, no. 5, 2025, pp. 864–78, https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.3192.'
short: V. Jürgensen, G. Halbeisen, M.S. Lehe, G. Paslakis, European Eating Disorders
Review 33 (2025) 864–878.
ufg: 'Jürgensen, Vanessa u. a.: Muscularity Concerns and Disordered Eating
Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network Analysis, in: European Eating Disorders
Review 33 (2025), H. 5, S. 864–878.'
van: 'Jürgensen V, Halbeisen G, Lehe MS, Paslakis G. Muscularity Concerns and Disordered
Eating Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network Analysis. European Eating Disorders
Review. 2025;33(5):864–78.'
date_created: 2026-03-25T13:49:01Z
date_updated: 2026-03-27T08:25:59Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.1002/erv.3192
intvolume: ' 33'
issue: '5'
keyword:
- body dysmorphia
- drive for muscularity
- eating disorders
- psychotherapy
- thinness ideal
language:
- iso: eng
page: 864-878
place: 'Chichester '
publication: European Eating Disorders Review
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1099-0968
issn:
- 1072-4133
publication_status: published
publisher: Wiley
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'Muscularity Concerns and Disordered Eating Symptoms in Adult Women: A Network
Analysis'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 33
year: '2025'
...
---
_id: '13619'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: "Objective\r\nEating disorders (EDs) increasingly emerge as a health risk
in men, but there is concern that men's symptoms go unnoticed due to stereotypical
perceptions and gender-related differences in symptom presentation. Novel assessments
focused particularly on attitudes and behaviours towards increasing muscle size
and definition. Using network analysis, this study aimed to corroborate and extend
previous findings on disordered eating presentation in men by examining the role
of muscularity concerns among an extended range of disordered eating symptoms.\r\nMethod\r\nN
= 294 adult men (18 years or older) completed muscularity-related and disordered
eating assessments, among which we included assessments for orthorexic eating
and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder for the first time. We selected
symptoms empirically, estimated a regularised network, identified symptom communities,
evaluated network loadings and bridge centrality estimates, and compared network
structures between different groups of participants.\r\nResults\r\nWe identified
five symptom communities related to muscularity-related concerns, features of
core ED psychopathology, and selective eating. Symptoms regarding ruminating about
healthy eating, guilt for unhealthy eating, weight overvaluation, concerns about
muscularity, and selective eating emerged as highly central.\r\nDiscussion\r\nThe
results largely corroborate previous observations but suggest that muscle-building
behaviours are part of a broader cluster of male body shaping and rule-based dieting
behaviours.\r\n"
author:
- first_name: R. Leopold
full_name: Eschrich, R. Leopold
last_name: Eschrich
- first_name: Georg
full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
id: '85780'
last_name: Halbeisen
orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Sabine
full_name: Steins‐Loeber, Sabine
last_name: Steins‐Loeber
- first_name: Nina
full_name: Timmesfeld, Nina
last_name: Timmesfeld
- first_name: Georgios
full_name: Paslakis, Georgios
last_name: Paslakis
citation:
ama: 'Eschrich RL, Halbeisen G, Steins‐Loeber S, Timmesfeld N, Paslakis G. Investigating
the structure of disordered eating symptoms in adult men: A network analysis.
European eating disorders review : the professional journal of the Eating
Disorders Association. 2024;33(1):80-94. doi:10.1002/erv.3131'
apa: 'Eschrich, R. L., Halbeisen, G., Steins‐Loeber, S., Timmesfeld, N., & Paslakis,
G. (2024). Investigating the structure of disordered eating symptoms in adult
men: A network analysis. European Eating Disorders Review : The Professional
Journal of the Eating Disorders Association, 33(1), 80–94. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.3131'
bjps: 'Eschrich RL et al. (2024) Investigating the Structure of Disordered
Eating Symptoms in Adult Men: A Network Analysis. European eating disorders
review : the professional journal of the Eating Disorders Association 33,
80–94.'
chicago: 'Eschrich, R. Leopold, Georg Halbeisen, Sabine Steins‐Loeber, Nina Timmesfeld,
and Georgios Paslakis. “Investigating the Structure of Disordered Eating Symptoms
in Adult Men: A Network Analysis.” European Eating Disorders Review : The
Professional Journal of the Eating Disorders Association 33, no. 1 (2024):
80–94. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.3131.'
chicago-de: 'Eschrich, R. Leopold, Georg Halbeisen, Sabine Steins‐Loeber, Nina Timmesfeld
und Georgios Paslakis. 2024. Investigating the structure of disordered eating
symptoms in adult men: A network analysis. European eating disorders review :
the professional journal of the Eating Disorders Association 33, Nr. 1: 80–94.
doi:10.1002/erv.3131, .'
din1505-2-1: 'Eschrich, R. Leopold
; Halbeisen, Georg ; Steins‐Loeber,
Sabine ; Timmesfeld, Nina
; Paslakis, Georgios: Investigating
the structure of disordered eating symptoms in adult men: A network analysis.
In: European eating disorders review : the professional journal of the Eating
Disorders Association Bd. 33. Chichester, Wiley (2024), Nr. 1, S. 80–94'
havard: 'R.L. Eschrich, G. Halbeisen, S. Steins‐Loeber, N. Timmesfeld, G. Paslakis,
Investigating the structure of disordered eating symptoms in adult men: A network
analysis, European Eating Disorders Review : The Professional Journal of the
Eating Disorders Association. 33 (2024) 80–94.'
ieee: 'R. L. Eschrich, G. Halbeisen, S. Steins‐Loeber, N. Timmesfeld, and G. Paslakis,
“Investigating the structure of disordered eating symptoms in adult men: A network
analysis,” European eating disorders review : the professional journal of
the Eating Disorders Association, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 80–94, 2024, doi: 10.1002/erv.3131.'
mla: 'Eschrich, R. Leopold, et al. “Investigating the Structure of Disordered Eating
Symptoms in Adult Men: A Network Analysis.” European Eating Disorders Review :
The Professional Journal of the Eating Disorders Association, vol. 33, no.
1, 2024, pp. 80–94, https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.3131.'
short: 'R.L. Eschrich, G. Halbeisen, S. Steins‐Loeber, N. Timmesfeld, G. Paslakis,
European Eating Disorders Review : The Professional Journal of the Eating Disorders
Association 33 (2024) 80–94.'
ufg: 'Eschrich, R. Leopold u. a.: Investigating the structure of disordered
eating symptoms in adult men: A network analysis, in: European eating disorders
review : the professional journal of the Eating Disorders Association 33 (2024),
H. 1, S. 80–94.'
van: 'Eschrich RL, Halbeisen G, Steins‐Loeber S, Timmesfeld N, Paslakis G. Investigating
the structure of disordered eating symptoms in adult men: A network analysis.
European eating disorders review : the professional journal of the Eating Disorders
Association. 2024;33(1):80–94.'
date_created: 2026-03-25T14:41:29Z
date_updated: 2026-03-25T15:13:01Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.1002/erv.3131
intvolume: ' 33'
issue: '1'
keyword:
- drive for muscularity
- eating disorders
- men
- psychotherapy
- thinness ideal
language:
- iso: eng
page: 80-94
place: Chichester
publication: ' European eating disorders review : the professional journal of the
Eating Disorders Association'
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1099-0968
issn:
- 1072-4133
- 1067-1633
publication_status: published
publisher: Wiley
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'Investigating the structure of disordered eating symptoms in adult men: A
network analysis'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 33
year: '2024'
...
---
_id: '13632'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: 'Objective: Phenotypical comparisons between individuals with obesity without
binge eating disorder (OB) and individuals with obesity and comorbid binge eating
disorder (OB + BED) are subject to ongoing investigations. At the same time, gender-related
differences have rarely been explored, raising the question whether men and women
with OB and OB + BED may require differently tailored treatments.Method: We retrospectively
compared pre- versus post-treatment data in a matched sample of n = 180 men and
n = 180 women with OB or OB + BED who received inpatient treatment.Results: We
found that men displayed higher weight loss than women independent of diagnostic
group. In addition, men with OB + BED showed higher weight loss than men with
OB after 7 weeks of treatment.Conclusions: The present findings add to an emerging
yet overall still sparse body of studies comparing phenotypical features and treatment
outcomes in men and women with OB and OB + BED; implications for further research
are discussed.Clinical Trial Registration: The study was prospectively registered
with the German Clinical Trial Register as part of application DRKS00028441.'
author:
- first_name: Gerrit
full_name: Brandt, Gerrit
last_name: Brandt
- first_name: Georg
full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
id: '85780'
last_name: Halbeisen
orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Karsten
full_name: Braks, Karsten
last_name: Braks
- first_name: Thomas J.
full_name: Huber, Thomas J.
last_name: Huber
- first_name: Georgios
full_name: Paslakis, Georgios
last_name: Paslakis
citation:
ama: 'Brandt G, Halbeisen G, Braks K, Huber TJ, Paslakis G. Gender differences in
individuals with obesity and binge eating disorder: A retrospective comparison
of phenotypical features and treatment outcomes. European Eating Disorders
Review. 2023;31(3):413-424. doi:10.1002/erv.2972'
apa: 'Brandt, G., Halbeisen, G., Braks, K., Huber, T. J., & Paslakis, G. (2023).
Gender differences in individuals with obesity and binge eating disorder: A retrospective
comparison of phenotypical features and treatment outcomes. European Eating
Disorders Review, 31(3), 413–424. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2972'
bjps: 'Brandt G et al. (2023) Gender Differences in Individuals with
Obesity and Binge Eating Disorder: A Retrospective Comparison of Phenotypical
Features and Treatment Outcomes. European Eating Disorders Review 31,
413–424.'
chicago: 'Brandt, Gerrit, Georg Halbeisen, Karsten Braks, Thomas J. Huber, and Georgios
Paslakis. “Gender Differences in Individuals with Obesity and Binge Eating Disorder:
A Retrospective Comparison of Phenotypical Features and Treatment Outcomes.” European
Eating Disorders Review 31, no. 3 (2023): 413–24. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2972.'
chicago-de: 'Brandt, Gerrit, Georg Halbeisen, Karsten Braks, Thomas J. Huber und
Georgios Paslakis. 2023. Gender differences in individuals with obesity and binge
eating disorder: A retrospective comparison of phenotypical features and treatment
outcomes. European Eating Disorders Review 31, Nr. 3: 413–424. doi:10.1002/erv.2972,
.'
din1505-2-1: 'Brandt, Gerrit ; Halbeisen, Georg ; Braks,
Karsten ; Huber, Thomas J.
; Paslakis, Georgios: Gender differences
in individuals with obesity and binge eating disorder: A retrospective comparison
of phenotypical features and treatment outcomes. In: European Eating Disorders
Review Bd. 31. Chichester, Wiley (2023), Nr. 3, S. 413–424'
havard: 'G. Brandt, G. Halbeisen, K. Braks, T.J. Huber, G. Paslakis, Gender differences
in individuals with obesity and binge eating disorder: A retrospective comparison
of phenotypical features and treatment outcomes, European Eating Disorders Review.
31 (2023) 413–424.'
ieee: 'G. Brandt, G. Halbeisen, K. Braks, T. J. Huber, and G. Paslakis, “Gender
differences in individuals with obesity and binge eating disorder: A retrospective
comparison of phenotypical features and treatment outcomes,” European Eating
Disorders Review, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 413–424, 2023, doi: 10.1002/erv.2972.'
mla: 'Brandt, Gerrit, et al. “Gender Differences in Individuals with Obesity and
Binge Eating Disorder: A Retrospective Comparison of Phenotypical Features and
Treatment Outcomes.” European Eating Disorders Review, vol. 31, no. 3,
2023, pp. 413–24, https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2972.'
short: G. Brandt, G. Halbeisen, K. Braks, T.J. Huber, G. Paslakis, European Eating
Disorders Review 31 (2023) 413–424.
ufg: 'Brandt, Gerrit u. a.: Gender differences in individuals with obesity
and binge eating disorder: A retrospective comparison of phenotypical features
and treatment outcomes, in: European Eating Disorders Review 31 (2023),
H. 3, S. 413–424.'
van: 'Brandt G, Halbeisen G, Braks K, Huber TJ, Paslakis G. Gender differences in
individuals with obesity and binge eating disorder: A retrospective comparison
of phenotypical features and treatment outcomes. European Eating Disorders Review.
2023;31(3):413–24.'
date_created: 2026-03-27T09:52:07Z
date_updated: 2026-03-27T14:33:18Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.1002/erv.2972
external_id:
isi:
- '000936206700001'
pmid:
- '36802088'
intvolume: ' 31'
isi: '1'
issue: '3'
keyword:
- binge eating disorder
- diversity
- gender
- obesity
- psychotherapy
language:
- iso: eng
page: 413-424
place: Chichester
pmid: '1'
publication: European Eating Disorders Review
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1099-0968
issn:
- 1072-4133
publication_status: published
publisher: Wiley
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'Gender differences in individuals with obesity and binge eating disorder:
A retrospective comparison of phenotypical features and treatment outcomes'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 31
year: '2023'
...