Body comparisons are bidirectionally linked with body dissatisfaction but not disordered eating urges

We assessed the bidirectional relationship between body comparisons (BC) with body dissatisfaction (BD) and disordered eating (DE) urges in daily life. A secondary aim was to assess whether these effects were moderated by BC context (e.g., in person, social media, traditional media) and gender. Undergraduate men and women (n = 521, 76.0 % female-identifying) completed baseline measures and a 7-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) reporting BC (frequency, direction and context), BD levels, and DE urges including food restriction, exercising and overeating. Data (collected 2020 - 2022) were statistically controlled for potential COVID lockdown effects. Multilevel analyses revealed a bidirectional relationship between upward BC and BD, suggesting a reinforcing cycle. Downward BC predicted a decrease in BD, but during moments of heightened state BD, individuals were less likely to engage in downward BC. Urge to engage in compensatory exercise significantly predicted subsequent engagement in upward BC, but none of the remaining relationships between BC and DE urges were significant, suggesting other factors may play a more central role in these relationships. The effect of upward BC on BD were more pronounced in person and via other contexts than on social media, potentially due to increased awareness of digital image manipulation. Gender did not moderate these relationships, highlighting shared psychological processes across men and women. These findings underscore the context-dependent nature of BC in body image concerns. Future research could investigate whether strategies developed to promote media literacy on social media can be adapted to help individuals manage in-person or other real-world comparisons.