Fig. 1

This network visualization compares two groups: individuals with eating disorders (ED) and a general population (GP) sample. Nodes represent variables, including the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), the Body Image-Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (BI-AAQ), age, and BMI. Edges show the partial correlations between these variables, with blue edges indicating positive correlations and orange edges indicating negative correlations. The thickness of the edges reflects the strength of these relationships. The ED network (right) exhibits a fragmented structure, with limited connections and very few bridges between domains. The relationships are primarily contained within individual questionnaires (e.g., between MAIA subscales or BI-AAQ subscales), suggesting a disconnection between broader interoceptive awareness and body image flexibility. In contrast, the GP network (left) displays a more cohesive structure, with stronger connections across different variables, indicating a more integrated relationship between interoceptive awareness, body image flexibility, and demographic factors such as age and BMI. This network comparison illustrates the disrupted interconnections in the ED group, where body image and interoceptive awareness are less integrated, while the GP group shows a more connected and adaptive network. CSM: compulsive self-monitoring; WP: weight phobia; BIC: body image concerns; D: detachment; A: avoidance; N: noticing; ND: not distracting; NW: not worrying; AR: attention regulation; EA: emotional awareness; SF: self-regulation; BL: body listening; T: trusting; BMI: body mass index; BUT: body uneasiness test; BI-AAQ: Body Image Acceptance and Action Questionnaire; MAIA: Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness