Consistent with the view that disgust might be involved in the persistence of eating disorders, it has been found that disgust proneness is related to a negative body image. Importantly, earlier research in non-clinical samples (von Spreckelsen et al. 2018) provided preliminary evidence that this relationship could be partly explained by high levels of self-disgust. The current study tested the robustness of this finding and examined if this pattern would also be evident when including individuals with clinically diagnosed anorexia nervosa. In addition, we tested whether the relationship between self-directed disgust and negative body image would be especially pronounced in individuals with high disgust sensitivity. Finally, we explored a possible mediating role of body checking and body avoidance in the relationship between self-disgust and negative body image. To test these hypotheses, female adolescents with (n = 64) and without (n = 62) AN completed questionnaires administered online. Results showed that self-disgust (fully) mediated the relationship between disgust propensity and negative body image; disgust sensitivity did not moderate the relationship between self-disgust and negative body image, and, the relationship between self-disgust and negative body image was partially mediated by body checking, but not by body avoidance. Together, these findings are consistent with the view that self-disgust is a central factor in the persistence of a negative body image in anorexia nervosa.

The main aim of this study was to test the robustness of the findings reported by von Spreckelsen et al. (2018), by also including individuals with anorexia nervosa. The current sample is entirely distinct from that of the earlier study.