Hunger games: Associations between core eating disorder symptoms and responses to rejection by peers during competition.

Findings suggest that individuals with dietary restriction may rely on a maladaptive defensive strategy aimed at pre-empting rejection, or alternatively, have difficulty shifting from habitual self-isolating behavior that results from over-involvement with restricting symptoms. Interventions targeting hypersensitivity to social threat or interpersonal flexibility may help reduce interpersonal stress and mitigate its impact on restricting symptoms.