Self-Compassion as a Protective Factor Against Eating Pathology: Evidence from a Greek Community Sample

Background: Self-compassion has emerged as an important protective factor against eating pathology, yet evidence from community-based samples, particularly in Southern Europe, remains scarce. Methods: A total of 335 Greek adults (223 women, 112 men; aged 18–35 years, M = 26.2, SD = 5.1) completed validated measures of eating pathology (EAT-26), self-compassion (SCS), and affect (PANAS). Demographic variables (age, gender, education), BMI, and exercise frequency were also assessed. Correlational, group comparison, and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. Results: Higher levels of self-compassion were consistently associated with fewer disordered eating symptoms, even after controlling BMI, education, gender, exercise, and affect. Women reported higher levels of disordered eating than men, while no significant gender differences were observed in self-compassion. Age was positively associated with self-compassion, with older adults reporting higher levels compared to younger adults. Positive affect was strongly linked to greater self-compassion, whereas negative affect showed the opposite pattern. Conclusions: Self-compassion emerged as a robust protective factor against disordered eating, independent of demographic and affective variables. Women appeared more vulnerable to disordered eating than men. In contrast, although younger adults tended to report lower self-compassion, no significant gender differences emerged in self-compassion, underscoring its potential as a universal psychological resource for prevention and intervention.