Dysfunctional eating behaviors in adolescents: a SDT perspective

Background: This paper contains four research contributions made by psychology students within the theoretical framework of Self-Determination Theory. Method: The aim was to investigate the relation between dysfunctional eating behaviors and some related variables, such as basic psychological needs, psychological control, alcohol abuse, body selfesteem, relation anxiety, emotional dysregulation, restrained and emotional eating in 322 adolescents. For each of the variables to be investigated, specific self-report scales were administered. Results: The studies show how satisfaction/frustration of basic psychological needs and emotional dysregulation affect the eating behavior of adolescents. Relationship anxiety, lower satisfaction of basic needs, along with changes in body image, lead to alcohol abuse and emotional eating, especially in females who report higher scores in emotional eating than male adolescents. Conclusions: Further implications of these results for understanding the dysfunctional eating behaviors in adolescents are discussed in the conclusions section of this paper.