The present longitudinal study is aimed at analyzing how
adolescents change their dysfunctional attitudes towards their
body and eating behaviors in relation to personality
characteristics across a six-month time span. Via multiple
regression analyses we investigated whether MMPI-A
Obsessiveness, Low Self-Esteem, Depression, Family
Problems and Concern for health are temporal antecedents of
EDI-2 eating disorders, and vice versa. Our main findings
revealed a bidirectional relationship between eating attitudes
and personality. In fact, Obsessiveness, Low self-esteem,
Depression, and Family problems significantly predicted
changes in different dysfunctional eating attitudes, but also
EDI-Interpersonal distrust and Ineffectiveness predicted
changes in different MMPI-A scale scores. All together,
findings suggest that personality development in adolescence
is sensitive to attitudes towards eating and body appearance,
and vice versa.
