From uncertainty to body image concerns: a conservation of resources perspective on coping during national security crises

Periods of war and prolonged national crisis constitute heightened psychological stressors, generating increased emotional dysregulation and uncertainty. Guided by Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the current study examined whether emotional eating mediates the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and body image, and whether fear of weight gain moderates these associations among Israeli civilians during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. A cross-sectional design was employed with 529 Hebrew-speaking Israeli adults who completed validated measures assessing intolerance of uncertainty, emotional eating, fear of weight gain, and body image. A moderated mediation model was tested using Model 59 of the PROCESS macro v4.2 for SPSS (Hayes, 2022). Results revealed that emotional eating fully mediated the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and body image. Moreover, fear of weight gain moderated the association between emotional eating and body image, with the negative effect most pronounced at higher levels of fear. No significant moderation effects were observed in the other model paths. These findings highlight the role of maladaptive coping and appearance-related fears in shaping body image during prolonged societal and existential stress and underscore the need for interventions targeting emotion regulation and body-related cognitive vulnerability. By fostering healthier coping strategies, mental health practitioners can better support those affected by crises, ultimately fostering improved body image and overall well-being.