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Article

The Appearance of Disordered Eating Behaviors in Adulthood Through Low Self-Esteem and Mental Health in Childhood

by
Anna Papadimitriou
* and
Eirini Karakasidou
Department of Psychology, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, 17671 Athens, Greece
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Future 2025, 3(3), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/future3030016
Submission received: 19 March 2025 / Revised: 6 August 2025 / Accepted: 8 August 2025 / Published: 13 August 2025
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress experienced during childhood may contribute to the development of disordered eating behaviors in adulthood. The existing literature indicates that disordered eating habits are positively associated with symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, and low self-esteem. However, most research focuses on the concurrent relationships among these variables rather than examining whether low self-esteem and poor mental health in childhood can influence the emergence of disordered eating behaviors later in life. An online quantitative survey was conducted using questionnaires completed by 135 participants aged between 30 and 70 years. The results revealed that low self-esteem and high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress during childhood were associated with increased disordered eating behaviors in adulthood. These findings suggest that negative self-perceptions and poor mental health in childhood have lasting effects that extend into adulthood. This knowledge can be valuable for psychologists, mental health professionals, parents, and schools in designing intervention programs aimed at enhancing children’s and adolescents’ self-esteem, promoting good mental health, and fostering healthy eating habits.

1. Introduction

Developing self-esteem and mental health in childhood is key to building well-being in adulthood [1]. Self-esteem reflects how much individuals value themselves, shaped by their thoughts and emotions [2]. Parenting styles, like democratic and warm style [3], emotional support, financial stability, and family values [4], boost self-esteem, while authoritarian and neglectful parenting-style approaches lower self-esteem [3]. Low self-esteem is linked to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, and risky behaviors [5]. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened these effects, especially in girls and teens [6]. Self-esteem typically increases into middle adulthood (peaking around 50–60) before declining due to aging and changing roles [7]. High self-esteem supports better relationships, job performance, and mental health, while lowering suicide risk [7,8]. In contrast, low self-esteem in childhood leads to stress, guilt [9], poor academic outcomes [10,11,12], reduced self-efficacy [10], and long-term mental health challenges, like the onset mechanisms of eating disorders [5].
According to DSM-5, childhood depression includes symptoms like low mood, anhedonia, low energy, irritability, feelings of worthlessness, and disruptions in thinking, memory, sleep, eating, and even suicidal thoughts [13], affecting daily functioning [13,14]. Diagnosis can be challenging, as it often presents as irritability or low self-esteem with poor motivation and assertiveness [9]. Depression affects 2%–10% of children and adolescents [15], though rates may be rising due to changing biological and environmental factors [16]. Children often face high stress and anxiety, harming their quality of life [17]. Key stressors include parental conflict, financial issues [18], and parenting style [3,18]. Early-life stress is linked to psychological and physical health problems, including autoimmune diseases [19]. Stress, depression, and disordered eating are closely connected, affecting both childhood weight and long-term adult health [20].
Food is often used as a maladaptive coping tool for stress, with warning signs like irritability, behavior changes, and low self-esteem indicating the need for early support [21]. Anxiety, a response to stress [22], involves how situations are perceived and the body’s reaction to anticipated threats [23]. Childhood anxiety is linked to disordered eating [24], with girls more at risk [25], though boys are also affected [26]. Many overweight or obese individuals try to manage weight, often using unhealthy methods [27,28]. When these fail, it can lead to depression [29] and reinforce a cycle of disordered eating [30].
Disordered eating behaviors include binge eating, bulimia, and food restriction [31], which can develop into clinical eating disorders. These disorders involve restrictive eating, binge episodes, and compensatory behaviors like vomiting, laxative misuse, or excessive exercise [32]. Causes are multifactorial, including biological factors [33] and internalized beauty ideals [34], which contribute to low self-esteem, anxiety, stress, and depression [35]. Women are generally more at risk than men, as shown by various studies [31,36,37,38,39,40].
Low self-esteem is closely linked to disordered eating, especially in overweight children, female adolescents, and girls [41,42,43,44]. One study of 2051 teens found it predicted both overeating and restriction [45], while another (N = 806 adolescents) showed it mediates the link between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating [46]. Stress is also a key factor, often triggering cravings and unhealthy eating [47,48]. Among adolescents, stress can lead to binge eating [49], and academic stress in young Greek women was linked to low self-confidence and disordered eating [50].
Around 65% of people with eating disorders also have anxiety disorders, such as GAD, social anxiety, OCD, and PTSD [51]. A study of 243 female athletes (ages 15–25) found 17% had disordered eating and higher anxiety levels [52]. Similar links were found in students aged 10–14 [53] and other adolescent groups [54,55]. Overall, girls tend to have higher anxiety and are more prone to disordered eating than boys, though gender differences lessen during adolescence [55].
Depression often coexists with disordered eating, influencing both its onset and persistence [56]. Studies in high schoolers [57], adolescents [58], and women [59] show a strong link between depressive symptoms and disordered eating. Depression is especially tied to binge eating in women and is also associated with stress-related eating behaviors [59,60,61]. While body dissatisfaction may more directly trigger disordered eating [62], depression can reinforce these behaviors [63]. These findings highlight the need for integrated prevention and treatment approaches.
Research shows that depression and low self-esteem contribute to disordered eating [60,64], while some studies highlight stress as equally influential [65]. A study of 584 students found positive correlations between anxiety, stress, depression, and EAT-26 scores [35]—a tool used to assess disordered eating in this study. Recent studies consistently link low self-esteem, anxiety, stress, and depression to disordered eating. While eating may temporarily relieve negative emotions, it often leads to guilt and reinforces unhealthy habits [21,30,66]. People with low self-esteem feel negative emotions more intensely and are more likely to cope through emotional overeating, increasing the risk of eating disorders.
The current study aims to examine whether childhood anxiety, stress, depression, and low self-esteem contribute to disordered eating behaviors in later life, since this relationship remains under-explored. We hypothesize (H1) that low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress during childhood contribute to the manifestation of disordered eating behaviors in adulthood.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Design

This study employed a quantitative methodology with adult participants. The choice of this approach was made to explore the potential causal relationship between childhood self-esteem and mental health, and the development of disordered eating behaviors in adulthood. Key advantages of the quantitative method—such as the ability to examine causal relationships, maintain objectivity, and test hypotheses [67] in collaboration with the advantages of online data collecting, like accessibility to a population from various places [68]—made it a suitable and beneficial choice for this research. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire along with three standardized instruments: the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES-10), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). The independent variables in the study were self-esteem, anxiety, stress, and depression, while the dependent variable was disordered eating behaviors. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the hypothesis. The variables were analyzed collectively rather than as isolated factors.

2.2. Participants

The study included 135 participants—55 men and 80 women—aged between 30 and 70 years (M = 46.23, SD = 4.16). A minimum age requirement of 30 was set to ensure a sufficient time gap from childhood and to maintain sample homogeneity. Participants’ heights ranged from 1.50 to 1.86 m, and their weights ranged from 52 to 112 kg. The majority of participants had completed a master’s degree, were either married or in a relationship, engaged in physical exercise regularly, had no diagnosed or suspected eating disorders, and had not sought help from health professionals or psychologists.
The only exclusion criterion was the age threshold of 30 years or older. Data were collected using convenience sampling, a method commonly used in online research, where individuals who meet the study’s criteria can participate simply by accessing the survey link. Convenience sampling via the Internet offers several advantages, including the ability to gather a large, multicultural sample quickly. The diversity of the sample enhances the representativeness of the data and increases statistical power. Recruitment was conducted through an online call for participation posted on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Participants accessed the questionnaires, hosted on Google Forms, by clicking the provided link. Participation was entirely voluntary. Detailed demographic characteristics of the sample are presented in Table 1.

2.3. Materials

Initially, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) [69] was administered and was adapted into Greek [70]. This questionnaire includes some demographic questions, such as gender, age, education, weight, and height. It consists of 26 questions, which are divided into three subscales (dieting α = 0.63, bulimia and food preoccupation α = 0.66, oral control α = 0.71). The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient for the total scale is α = 0.73. Responses are provided on a Likert scale, with scores corresponding to Always = 3, Usually = 2, Often = 1, Sometimes = 0, Rarely = 0, Never = 0. Question 26 has reverse coding.
The second questionnaire is the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale/RSES-10 [71], which was administered in its Greek version [72]. It consists of 10 questions, which are answered on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly agree and 4 = Strongly disagree). The reliability index is α = 0.82. Since the questionnaire concerned childhood, for the purposes of this study, the questions were adapted to the past tense, and participants were instructed to recall what happened during their childhood.
The final questionnaire was the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale/DASS-21 [73], which was administered in Greek [74]. It consists of 21 questions, which refer to 3 subscales (depression, anxiety, stress). The questions are answered on a 4-point Likert scale (0 = Did not apply to me at all to 3 = Applied to me very much, or most of the time). The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient for depression was α = 0.83, for anxiety α = 0.81, and for stress α = 0.89. In the present study, the questions were adapted to the past tense as they concerned the participants’ childhood.

2.4. Procedure

Participants took part in an online survey and completed questionnaires via Google Forms after responding to a social media post on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The survey took place between November 2024 and January 2025, during which all of the participants completed the demographic questionnaire at the beginning of the online survey. The initial page of the survey featured an informational consent form outlining the research topic, inclusion criteria (e.g., adult individuals with a good understanding of the Greek language), exclusion criteria (e.g., individuals under the age of 30), the nature of the study, and the overall procedure. Participants were required to provide informed consent before proceeding with the questionnaire. Those who did not consent were not allowed to participate. Completing the questionnaires took approximately 10–12 min. The study followed ethical guidelines in accordance with the principles of the British Psychological Society [75]. The consent form assured participants of the anonymity and confidentiality of their responses. It also made clear that participation was voluntary and that participants had the right to withdraw from the study within two weeks of completing the questionnaire. To do so, they could contact the researcher and provide the unique code they had entered during participation, allowing their data to be identified and removed. Finally, participants were informed of their right to request a summary of the study’s aggregated results. They were also advised of their right to report the study to the university’s ethics committee if they believed it did not adhere to ethical standards. In order to control the data quality, participants answered validated and reliable questionnaires via Google Forms, a tool that is widely used in online surveys. Through the settings of Google Forms, no participant was able to complete the survey more than once, thus preventing duplicate responses. Finally, questionnaires with incomplete answers were excluded from the statistical analyses. Another problem that the current survey had to deal with was the retrospective bias, since the participants completed questionnaires regarding their childhood experience as adults. The participants completed reliable and validated questionnaires, which were previously adapted, and they were all informed about the purpose of the study before starting to complete the questionnaires, and they were asked to give careful, authentic, and honest answers.

3. Results

A multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the extent to which disordered eating behaviors in 135 adult participants could be predicted based on childhood self-esteem and mental health. The predictor variables were self-esteem and mental health indicators (anxiety, stress, and depression), while the criterion variable was disordered eating behaviors, which were assessed as a single, overall construct rather than as separate components. Initially, a normality test was performed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk criteria. The results confirmed that all variables met the assumption of normal distribution (p > 0.05). Next, the mean, standard deviation, and internal consistency (reliability) of each variable were examined. Participants demonstrated relatively high scores on the disordered eating behaviors scale (M = 43.0, SD = 12.5), anxiety (M = 13.0, SD = 4.2), stress (M = 11.0, SD = 3.7), and depression (M = 12.0, SD = 4.0). In contrast, self-esteem scores were relatively low (M = 23.0, SD = 5.0). The reliability of all measures was found to be acceptable: EAT-26: α = 0.87; Anxiety: α = 0.77; Stress: α = 0.79; Depression: α = 0.72; Self-Esteem: α = 0.73. Descriptive statistics are presented in Table 2.
The initial analysis examined the relationship between disordered eating behaviors and the other variables. Results indicated that disordered eating behaviors were negatively correlated with self-esteem (r = −0.43, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with depression (r = 0.58, p < 0.001), anxiety (r = 0.46, p < 0.001), and stress (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). Following this, a multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine whether childhood self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress could predict disordered eating behaviors in adulthood. The model revealed that the predictor variables collectively explained 36% of the variance in disordered eating behaviors, F (1, 133) = 16.20, p < 0.001, t = 11.47. Overall, the results were statistically significant for all variables: for self-esteem t (133) = −2.57, p < 0.001, b = −1.36; for depression t (133) = 3.49, p < 0.001, b = 1.41; for anxiety t (133) = 2.36, p < 0.001, b = 1.28; and for stress t (133) = 1.89, p < 0.001, b = 0.98. The results are summarized in Table 3.

4. Discussion

The aim of this study was to investigate whether self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress experienced during childhood can contribute to the development of disordered eating behaviors in adulthood. To assess this, participants completed three questionnaires, with the self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress scales adapted to reflect past experiences. Participants were asked to recall the extent to which the items applied to them during their childhood. The results showed relatively high levels of disordered eating behaviors, depression, anxiety, and stress, while self-esteem levels were notably low. These findings suggest that participants experienced low self-esteem and elevated levels of anxiety, stress, and depression in childhood, which were associated with higher levels of disordered eating behaviors in adulthood.
The main hypothesis—that low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress in childhood correlates to disordered eating behaviors in adulthood—was supported by the findings. The regression model confirmed that all four predictor variables contributed significantly to the development of disordered eating behaviors. Among these, self-esteem emerged as the most influential factor: lower levels of self-esteem were strongly associated with an increase in disordered eating behaviors. Depression, anxiety, and stress also demonstrated predictive value; as their levels increased in childhood, so did the likelihood of disordered eating behaviors in adulthood. In conclusion, the study found that low self-esteem and high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress during childhood are significant predictors of disordered eating behaviors later in life. These findings underscore the importance of early psychological support and intervention to promote healthy emotional development and prevent long-term negative outcomes.
The results of this study align with the existing literature on the relationship between self-esteem, depression, anxiety, stress, and disordered eating behaviors. Previous research has consistently shown that low self-esteem in childhood is a key contributing factor to the development of disordered eating behaviors in adulthood [42,43,44,45,46]. Notably, this relationship appears to be stronger in women than in men, likely due to the greater emphasis placed on physical appearance in shaping women’s self-worth and self-esteem [43,44]. Women are also more frequently exposed to societal pressures and idealized body images through social media and other cultural influences, which promote unrealistic standards of beauty [36]. When they are unable to meet these expectations, their self-esteem is often negatively affected. This can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food and the emergence of disordered eating behaviors. A vicious cycle may then develop, in which low self-esteem contributes to disordered eating behaviors, which in turn further diminish self-esteem—perpetuating the issue over time.
Furthermore, poor mental health—characterized by elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress—is strongly associated with disordered eating behaviors. Research shows that stress and depression experienced during childhood can influence a child’s weight; however, this relationship extends beyond childhood and continues to affect individuals later in life [20]. Stress, in particular, is often linked to the development of unhealthy eating habits and food addictions as a coping mechanism for emotional distress [48], which can lead to the emergence of disordered eating behaviors [47,49,50]. Similarly, anxiety has been associated with disordered eating behaviors in children [24], with evidence suggesting that this link is stronger among girls [25], though boys are not immune to these effects [26]. Additionally, nearly 7 in 10 individuals with eating disorders are diagnosed with comorbid anxiety disorders [51], a relationship that has been observed in children [53], adolescents [55], and college students. Previous research also supports a strong link between depression and disordered eating behaviors, both in adolescent populations [57,58] and in adult women [59,60,61]. Studies that have examined these predictive variables collectively show that depression and stress are significant contributors to disordered eating behaviors [63]. Moreover, anxiety, stress, and depression are consistently found to be associated with disordered eating patterns [35], while combinations such as low self-esteem and depression [60,64], as well as low self-esteem and stress [65], have also been identified as contributing factors.
There are certainly additional variables and conditions that contribute to the development of disordered eating behaviors, including body dissatisfaction, negative body image, and perfectionism. While the variables examined in this study—self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress—are associated with disordered eating behaviors, their influence can vary in nature and strength. For instance, depression may not always have a direct causal link to disordered eating but appears to reinforce such behaviors once they are present [63]. Similarly, low self-esteem is not only a potential contributing factor to the onset of disordered eating behaviors but also plays a significant role in the adoption of compensatory behaviors—such as excessive exercising, purging, or restrictive eating—that further perpetuate these patterns [60].
One possible explanation for the link between disordered eating and elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress is the increased likelihood that individuals under psychological distress will adopt dysfunctional coping mechanisms. Emotional coping strategies, including a disordered relationship with food, are common in such cases [21]. Moreover, contemporary lifestyle factors—such as sedentary behavior, the widespread availability and marketing of high-calorie foods, and a lack of physical activity—contribute to rising obesity rates [27]. In response, individuals often attempt to lose weight using ineffective or extreme methods [28], which can trigger negative emotional states such as depression [29], thereby creating a vicious cycle that increases the risk of developing disordered eating behaviors [30].
The relationship between low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress and the development of disordered eating behaviors has been well established in the majority of studies. However, a key research gap that this study aimed to address was whether low self-esteem and the presence of depression, anxiety, and stress during childhood have a lasting impact on adulthood—specifically, in relation to the emergence of disordered eating behaviors. Childhood and adolescence are critical developmental stages that significantly influence the formation of adult personality and behavior. Although disordered eating behaviors tend to decline with age [76,77]—as the frequency of dieting and the desire for weight loss typically decrease and individuals become more accepting of their bodies—the habits and patterns established during childhood can continue to affect individuals well into adulthood.
It is essential to examine the factors that contribute to low self-esteem and poor mental health in children and adolescents. One significant factor, particularly within the school environment, is bullying. Bullying has been frequently linked to high BMI, as children with higher BMI are often targets of bullying, which can in turn increase levels of depression, anxiety, and stress [41]. The findings of this study—that disordered eating behaviors in adulthood may originate from poor mental health and low self-esteem during childhood-highlight the need for targeted psychoeducational programs in schools. Such programs should aim to strengthen children’s self-esteem and reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. The school environment plays a vital role not only in academic education but also in laying the foundation for a child’s overall personality development. Therefore, schools must prioritize students’ mental health and promote healthy, functional habits such as regular physical activity [78], positive social interactions [79], academic engagement [80], improved school performance, and the creation of meaningful, positive experiences [81]. Equally important is the collaboration between schools and parents. Parents serve as role models, and any challenges or conflicts within the home can be a source of stress for children [82]. A strong school–home partnership is essential to creating a supportive environment. Thus, schools play a critical role in promoting awareness and prevention through health education, physical activity, and proper nutrition. They should also provide education on the early warning signs of eating disorders so that children, parents, and educators can identify and address issues promptly. Early intervention can make a significant difference in preventing long-term negative outcomes.

Limitations—Future Research

This study presents several limitations that should be acknowledged. First, convenience sampling was used to recruit participants, which limits the generalizability of the findings to the broader population. Additionally, the sample was not fully representative, as certain demographic characteristics—such as a high proportion of women, highly educated individuals, and the absence of diagnosed eating disorders—were overrepresented. Another notable limitation concerns the age range of participants, who were between 30 and 70 years old. It is likely that older individuals may have experienced different stressors that contributed to the development of disordered eating behaviors in adulthood. Furthermore, especially for the older participants, accurate recollection of childhood emotional experiences may be compromised. Memory distortions—such as idealizing or demonizing the past—can affect the reliability of retrospective reporting. It is difficult to isolate the exact factors contributing to disordered eating behaviors, but the study suggests a link between low self-esteem and poor mental health in childhood and the later development of disordered eating habits. The broad age range also introduces potential confounding variables, as generational differences in childhood environments could shape psychological development in distinct ways, impacting the consistency of the findings. Despite these concerns, the study remains valuable, as childhood is a critical developmental period with lasting effects on adult life. It is important to note that the study relied on self-reported questionnaires, which were adapted to assess past experiences. This method introduces challenges related to the accuracy and stability of the findings. Participants’ recollections of their psychological states during childhood may be influenced by current emotional conditions—such as depression—leading to recall bias and reducing the robustness of the conclusions. Moreover, the study did not examine several key factors known to contribute to the development of disordered eating behaviors. These include experiences of abuse, family disruption, and other forms of childhood adversity, as well as sociocultural influences like media-driven body image ideals. The omission of these well-established risk factors limits the scope and depth of the findings. Finally, only 15.56% of the sample reported a diagnosed eating disorder. Eating disorders typically emerge during adolescence or early adulthood, yet this study focused on individuals aged 30 and older who largely did not have such diagnoses. As a result, the study may have excluded a population that could have provided more representative and relevant data regarding the developmental trajectory of eating disorders. From a statistical perspective, the study treated disordered eating behaviors as a single construct and did not explore differences among the subscales of the EAT-26. This limits the ability to understand the specific dimensions of disordered eating and how each may be uniquely associated with childhood psychological factors.
Future research could build upon and replicate the present study to further explore this important topic. As noted, the investigation of how low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress during childhood may contribute to the development of disordered eating behaviors in adulthood is relatively novel. Therefore, the current findings should be interpreted with caution, and validation through future studies is essential. Subsequent research could refine the age range of participants to ensure a consistent and meaningful time gap between childhood and adulthood. Longitudinal studies would be particularly valuable, allowing researchers to track the progression of self-esteem, depression, anxiety, stress, and disordered eating behaviors over time, and to better understand how these variables interact at different developmental stages. Given that disordered eating behaviors are influenced by a broader range of factors than those examined in this study, future research should consider additional variables relevant to childhood, such as perfectionism, body image, attachment styles, and self-compassion. Investigating these factors could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the pathways that connect to disordered eating in adulthood.
Demographic variables also play a crucial role. For example, gender has consistently been shown to be associated with disordered eating behaviors, with girls and women typically reporting higher rates. Identifying and analyzing potential risk factors such as gender, age, and educational background can help target interventions toward individuals in more vulnerable groups. Future research should also address the limitations of this study by including underrepresented groups—such as participants under the age of 30 and individuals with diagnosed eating disorders—to improve the generalizability and robustness of the findings. Additionally, previously omitted variables such as childhood abuse and the influence of social media on body image should be incorporated into future study designs. Genetic and personality traits should also be considered, as they may influence both childhood psychological states and adult behaviors. From a methodological standpoint, future research would benefit from a more detailed statistical analysis, particularly regarding the subdimensions of the EAT-26 scale. Exploring these subscales could offer more nuanced insights into how specific aspects of disordered eating relate to early psychological experiences. Moreover, the isolated examination of anxiety, stress, and depression in relation to disordered eating behaviors may yield clearer insights into the distinct roles each variable plays. Based on the current findings, depression appears to be the most significant predictor of disordered eating behaviors. Therefore, future studies should investigate in greater depth the impact of childhood depressive symptoms on the later development of disordered eating. Future research could also include a larger sample size. While the sample size of the current study was modest, it was sufficient for exploratory analysis, but a larger sample is needed to confirm the findings. Lastly, implementing intervention programs in school settings is critical. Schools are uniquely positioned to promote positive mental health, foster self-esteem, and prevent the development of disordered eating behaviors. Early, school-based interventions can play a vital role in equipping children with the emotional and psychological tools they need to build healthy relationships with themselves and with food.

5. Conclusions

The findings underscore the importance of fostering positive self-esteem and safeguarding mental health during childhood. Participants in the study reported relatively high levels of disordered eating behaviors in adulthood, which were linked to low self-esteem and elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Low self-esteem and poor mental health represent significant risk factors for the development of disordered eating behaviors. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize education, psychoeducation, therapy, and prevention efforts. Schools can play a pivotal role in promoting positive behaviors and encouraging the experience of positive emotions, thereby strengthening children’s self-esteem and mental health and protecting them from developing eating disorders later in life. Interventions should also consider the various childhood factors that contribute to disordered eating behaviors in adulthood, such as poor mental health, lack of a supportive environment, negative perceptions of weight and body image, critical comments, and family-wide dietary habits, to design more effective prevention strategies [83]. Finally, schools can serve as crucial platforms for identifying risks and threats to children’s self-esteem and mental health. This highlights the importance of collaboration between schools, parents, and professional experts, as well as the implementation of targeted interventions within the school community.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, A.P.; methodology, A.P., E.K.; software, A.P.; validation, E.K.; formal analysis, A.P.; investigation, A.P.; resources, A.P.; data curation, A.P.; writing—original draft preparation, A.P.; writing—review and editing, E.K.; visualization, E.K.; supervision, E.K.; project administration, E.K.; funding acquisition, A.P. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. Ethical approval was not required for this study, as it involved minimal risk, no sensitive personal data and was conducted in compliance with GDPR. All the participants completed the consent form.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Data is unavailable due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Table 1. Demographic characteristics of participants (N = 135).
Table 1. Demographic characteristics of participants (N = 135).
Demographic FeaturesCategoriesn (%)M (SD)
GenderMan55 (40.74%)
Woman80 (59.26%)
EducationSenior High School11 (8.15%)
Bachelor degree30 (22.22%)
Master degree82 (60.74%)
PhD degree12 (8.89%)
Marital statusSingle20 (14.81%)
In a relationship43 (31.85%)
Married 42 (31.11%)
Divorced 27 (20%)
Widow3 (2.22%)
Engagement in Physical ExerciseIntensively26 (19.26%)
Often47 (34.81%)
Rarely39 (28.89%)
Never23 (17.04%)
Diagnosis of Eating DisorderYes21 (15.56%)
No114 (84.44%)
Suspected Eating DisorderYes42 (31.11%)
No93 (68.89%)
Visit to a Doctor/Psychologist Due to Eating DisorderYes17 (12.59%)
No118 (87.41%)
Age 46.23 (4.16)
Weight 78.19 (4.83)
Height 1.64 (3.48)
Table 2. Descriptive statistics (N = 135).
Table 2. Descriptive statistics (N = 135).
VariablesMSDCronbach’s AlphaKolmogorov–Smirnov/
Shapiro–Wilk
EAT-2643.012.50.87p > 0.05
Anxiety13.04.20.77~
Stress11.03.70.79~
Depression12.04.00.72~
Self-esteem23.05.00.73~
Table 3. The prediction of disordered eating behaviors by the predictor variables (N = 135).
Table 3. The prediction of disordered eating behaviors by the predictor variables (N = 135).
Predictor VariablesBSEtpF
Model 1159.5413.9111.47<0.00116.20
Self-esteem−1.360.53−2.57<0.001
Depression1.410.413.49<0.001
Anxiety 1.280.482.36<0.001
Stress0.980.441.89<0.001
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Papadimitriou, A.; Karakasidou, E. The Appearance of Disordered Eating Behaviors in Adulthood Through Low Self-Esteem and Mental Health in Childhood. Future 2025, 3, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/future3030016

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Papadimitriou A, Karakasidou E. The Appearance of Disordered Eating Behaviors in Adulthood Through Low Self-Esteem and Mental Health in Childhood. Future. 2025; 3(3):16. https://doi.org/10.3390/future3030016

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Papadimitriou, Anna, and Eirini Karakasidou. 2025. "The Appearance of Disordered Eating Behaviors in Adulthood Through Low Self-Esteem and Mental Health in Childhood" Future 3, no. 3: 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/future3030016

APA Style

Papadimitriou, A., & Karakasidou, E. (2025). The Appearance of Disordered Eating Behaviors in Adulthood Through Low Self-Esteem and Mental Health in Childhood. Future, 3(3), 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/future3030016

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