Body checking in the eating disorders: Associations between cognitions and behaviors

Objective: Body checking behaviours appear to be a manifestation of the cognitive distortions that are central to the maintenance of the eating disorders. However, there is little understanding of the cognitions that drive these behaviours. This study validates a novel measure of such cognitions (Body Checking Cognitions Scale; BCCS), and determines the relationship between checking cognitions, body checking behaviours and general eating pathology. Method: Forty-one eating-disordered women and 205 non-eating-disordered women each completed measures of body checking behaviours, body checking cognitions and eating pathology. Results: The BCCS was reliable and valid. Eating-disordered women were significantly more likely to experience body checking cognitions than healthy women. Those cognitions were related to eating pathology over and above the impact of checking behaviours. Discussion: This study provides evidence for a range of beliefs underlying body checking behaviour in eating-disordered women, necessitating interventions that address those beliefs.