Michael Levine's Eating Disorders Prevention/Sociocultural Factors Newsletter
NO. 141: Positive BI/Embodiment (n = 3); (ii) Methodology: Body Image; (iii) Technology, Culture, and Gender; (iv) DE, Part 4 (n = 3); and (v) Nature/Correlates of EDs, Part 5 (n = 3)
Colleagues (N now = 1354 in 50 countries),
Please (a) continue to send me any and all announcements (e.g., conferences, awards, webinars, prevention resources, your recent publications); and (b) pass along the following to anyone who would like to join this free email list
REQUEST FOR RESEARCH PARTICIPATION BY AND/OR ASSISTANCE RECRUITING
Adolescents and Adults (a) who are living in the UK, (b) who are 16 years or older, AND (c) who have left treatment for Anorexia Nervosa in the past 3 months
from [our own] Ana Julia Rodrigues Ferreira (England) at the University of Bath
for a study ML (quoting) has entitled
Factors That May Predict Recovery or Relapse Following Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa
Received 5 May 2025 via an everything-is-advocacy email from our our Ana Julia Rodrigues Ferreira (England).
ML NOTE 1: Ana Julia, her Ph.D. advisors, and I would appreciate it if you would pass this request along to any and all who might be interested in participating in this project and qualified to do so. Questions should be directed to her at ajrf22@bath.ac.uk.
[Ana Julia writes:]
We are looking for UK based participants for a study on long term recovery from Anorexia looking at factors that may predict recovery or relapse following treatment. Please do share through your networks. We would love the help of any clinicians to share information about the research with patients who have recently been discharged or will be discharged soon. For those working in NHS services who would like to share, we have NHS research ethics committee approval, so please contact the researcher directly to discuss the R&D approvals required to share with NHS patients.
Eligibility: Aged 16 or older and has left treatment for Anorexia in the past 3 months.
Time commitment: 30-minute survey every 3 months, with optional 30 minute interviews at each point
Participants will be involved for a total of 12 months
To sign up or for more information, email Ana: ajrf22@bath.ac.uk”
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS/MANUSCRIPTS for a
Psychology of Popular Media Special Issue entitled
New Media and Body Image
co-edited by our own Dr. Megan Vendemia (USA) and Dr. Teresa Lynch (USA)
Extended abstracts due by August 1, 2025
Received 1 May 2025 via an email from our own Dr. Megan Vendemia (USA) on behalf of her colleague and co-editor Dr. Teresa Lynch (USA)
ML NOTE 2: Drs. Vendemia and Lynch, and I, would appreciate it if you would pass this opportunity along to any and all who might be interested in contributing or who supervise or otherwise work with those who might be interested.
[Dr. Vendemia writes:]
The American Psychological Association (APA) annually recognizes the most downloaded articles from its journals each year. Over the past five years (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), Psychology of Popular Media has consistently appeared in APA’s top 10 journal articles list, featuring scholarship centered on a common theme: new media and body image.
Body image involves perceptions of, feelings about, and behaviors toward one’s physical self. From selfies to avatars, algorithmic content curation to social media interventions, the role that new media technologies play in shaping body image continues to be a topic of widespread scholarly and public interest. This issue aims to curate research that explores the complex, multifaceted interplay between new media technologies and appearance perceptions across diverse populations and in emerging contexts.
For this special issue, we welcome theoretically-informed empirical research proposals that advance our understanding of contemporary media as they relate to body image. Topics could include (but are not limited to):
• Digital affordances that alter or augment communication processes (e.g., algorithmic content curation)
• Intersections of identity (e.g., gender, age, body size, race, culture) in digital spaces
• Impacts of online fitness and wellness culture on body satisfaction
• Developmental considerations with digital appearance-focused content
• Influence of digital realities (e.g., augmented reality, virtual reality) on embodiment and self-perception
• Media representations (e.g., social media, video games) that challenge sociocultural appearance ideals
• Novel methodological approaches to understand the relationship between media and body image
Submissions:
Psychology of Popular Media welcomes extended abstract submissions of up to 2,000 words (excluding title page and references) for preliminary review by the editorial team. We encourage submissions of in-progress projects, including those in the data collection phase. Extended abstracts are due by August 1, 2025, and can be uploaded here: https://wvu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3sKjVQCwYVY0Pxc.
Extended abstract submissions selected by the editors will be invited to submit full-length manuscripts to undergo external peer review, which will be used to determine inclusion in the special issue. Invited full-length manuscripts should adhere to the journal’s general submission guidelines and can be submitted through the submission portal (https://www.editorialmanager.com/ppm/default.aspx) by November 15, 2025. Invitation to submit a manuscript does not guarantee publication. To ensure rapid dissemination, this special issue will be published online. Accepted manuscripts will be made available as soon as they complete the article production process.
For questions related to the special issue, please contact the special issue editors, Dr. Megan Vendemia (megan.vendemia@mail.wvu.edu) and/or Dr. Teresa Lynch (lynch.659@osu.edu).
RESOURCES FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE WITH EATING DISORDERS + CAREGIVERS AND LOVED ONES
A. Reasons Eating Center is now offering a FREE VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUP FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING FAMILIES, Thursdays, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Pacific | 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM Eastern | 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM UTC
B. The [USA’s] National Eating Disorders Association has launched a Spanish Eating Disorder Online Screening Tool
Received via email 8 May 2025 and 12 May 2025 from Reasons Eating Disorder Center and The National Eating Disorders Association, respectively. Our own Dr. Nikki Rollo (USA) is Executive Director of Reasons, while our own Shivani Dutt (USA) is the Manager of Mission Initiatives for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
ML NOTE 3: Nikki, Shivani, and I would appreciate it if you would pass information about these resources to Spanish-speaking clients, their families, and people who work with and/or care about them [from Google translate: Nikki, Shivani y yo agradeceríamos que pasaran información sobre estos recursos a los clientes de habla hispana, sus familias y personas que trabajan con ellos y/o se preocupan por ellos]
ML NOTE 4: In regard to virtual support groups for caregivers, see also #6 below.
A. FREE VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUP FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING FAMILIES
Rooted in Support: Empowering Families on the Healing Journey
Reasons Eating Disorder Center is proud to introduce a new complimentary offering designed to meet the needs of our diverse community: our first-ever Virtual Family Support Group for Spanish-Speaking Families.
Thursdays| 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM PT | 9:00 PM - 10 PM ET | 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM UTC
Virtual
Sessions are held in Spanish
For those supporting a loved one with an eating disorder
Must be 18+ to participate
Participants may join at any time based on availability. *Space is limited, and once the group is full, a waitlist will be created. New participants will be invited to join as openings become available.
This 8-week group marks an important step in our commitment to inclusive, culturally responsive care. Created for adult family members and caregivers of individuals struggling with eating disorders, the group provides a space to gain education, emotional support, and connection—all entirely in Spanish.
Facilitated by therapist, Aurora Teposte, AMFT, this group offers a supportive, culturally attuned space for adult family members and care givers to:
Build understanding of eating disorders
Explore the family’s role in recovery
Reflect on cultural beliefs related to food, mental health, and body image
Each session blends education, emotional support, and guided discussion—empowering families to better support their loved one’s healing journey.
We’re honored to expand our support to Spanish-speaking families and invite our community partners to join us in spreading the word about this vital new resource. For more information or to sign up, please email: Christiana.Speciale@uhsinc.com.
B. NEDA has launched a Spanish Eating Disorder Online Screening Tool
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is committed to expanding resources to promote early detection and as a first step, we’ve launched a Spanish Eating Disorders Online Screening Tool. Hispanic and Latinx communities are deeply impacted by eating disorders, however, they’re less likely to seek help. Recognizing the signs of an eating disorder is critical as early intervention can improve recovery outcomes. This culturally relevant tool determines whether an individual is at risk for an eating disorder and connects them to Spanish speaking eating disorder treatment providers across the US.
If you’re a Spanish speaking eating disorder provider in the US and are interested in being listed through NEDA’s treatment directory, please contact Shivani Dutt: sdutt@nationaleatingdisorders.org.
Research Publication Categories in This Newsletter
(i) Positive BI/Embodiment (n =3); (ii) Methodology: Body Image; (iii) Technology, Culture, and Gender; (iv) Disordered Eating, Part 4 (n = 3); and (v) Nature, Course, and Correlates of Eating Disorders, Part 5 (n = 3)
CONGRATULATIONS to our own
Dr. Matthew Murray (USA) and Johanna Kandel (USA) and Drs. Joann Hendelman (USA) and Alissa Haedt-Matt (USA) and colleagues for publication of the Caregivers research article in #6.
Drs. Kelsie Forbush (USA), Angeline Bottera (USA), and Kara Christensen Pacella (USA) and colleagues for publication of the Disordered Eating research article in #8.
Dr. Tracey Wade (Australia) and colleagues for publication of the Disordered Eating research article in #9.
POSITIVE BODY IMAGE/EMBODIMENT
1. Jordan, A. K., & Musher-Eizenman, D. R. (2025). Positive body talk in mother-daughter dyads. Body Image, 53. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101887
Email address for correspondence: amy.jordan@louisville.edu
ABSTRACT. Speaking disparagingly about one’s body (negative body talk) is frequently associated with deleterious psychological outcomes. Less is known about the occurrence and correlates of positive body talk, including potentially adaptive attitudes and behaviors. As this kind of body talk often occurs in the context of family relationships, such as mother-daughter dyads, understanding the interplay between individuals is especially important.
The present study examined how mothers’ and daughters’ body talk is related to body image and eating behavior in both themselves and each other. College women and their mothers (N = 130 dyads) reported about their family body talk as well as eating pathology, intuitive eating, and body appreciation. Actor-partner interdependence models (APIM) were used to test the hypotheses that 1) engaging in negative body talk is associated with poorer outcomes (e.g., less body appreciation) in oneself and the opposite dyad member, and 2) engaging in positive body talk is associated with adaptive outcomes (e.g., greater body appreciation) in oneself and the opposite dyad member. Mothers’ age and mothers’ and daughters’ BMI were included as covariates.
Hypotheses were only partially supported. Negative body talk was associated with poorer outcomes in oneself, but mothers’ negative body talk was not associated with daughters’ eating pathology or body appreciation. Similarly, positive body talk was related to both greater intuitive eating and body appreciation in oneself but was not related to eating pathology in either dyad member.
2. Moelle, E. C., & Papps, F. A. (2025). Mental freedom and body acceptance by others as correlates of embodied well-being in women with polycystic ovary syndrome in Australia. Body Image, 53. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101894
Email address for correspondence: 267107@my.acap.edu.au
ABSTRACT. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) [ML NOTE 5: see, e.g., https://womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/polycystic-ovary-syndrome] is a common reproductive-endocrinological-metabolic condition in women, causing bodies to diverge from cis-heteronormative feminine expectations. Greater body image concerns have been identified among women with PCOS, but further research is needed to identify drivers and mitigating factors. The ability to inhabit the body positively may be one such mitigating factor, and the developmental theory of embodiment is a novel framework allowing exploration of an integrated range of protective (and risk) sociocultural factors that may contribute to embodied well-being.
This cross-sectional survey study therefore examined relationships among embodied well-being, severity of PCOS symptoms, body mass index (BMI), mental freedom (exposure to a social environment that facilitates an internalised critical stance towards oppressive social discourses, including femininity discourses on appearance and comportment), and perceived body acceptance by others in a sample of 140 women with PCOS, 18 years and over, living in Australia.
Results of hierarchical multiple regression demonstrated that BMI and PCOS severity were negatively related to embodied well-being, but that when mental freedom and perceived body acceptance by others were added to the model, only PCOS severity, mental freedom, and body acceptance by others were significantly related to embodied well-being. Neither mental freedom nor body acceptance by others moderated the relationship between PCOS severity and BMI and embodied well-being. Results support BMI and PCOS severity as drivers of, and mental freedom and body acceptance by others as protective factors for, embodied well-being in women with PCOS, and have implications for interventions to support embodied well-being.
3. Riboli, G, Daminato, L., Nese, M., Cassola, M., Caselli, G., Brighetti, G., & Borlimi, R. (2025). A comprehensive model of embodiment in late pubertal female-at-birth adolescents: The role of body awareness and mental health. Adolescents, 5, 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5020014
Full text available for download at: https://tinyurl.com/3s52556b
ABSTRACT. Body awareness consists of aesthetic body image, functional body image, and interoception. Previous studies indicated a link between these components of body awareness and mental health. This study aims to clarify the relationship among these variables during the period of pubertal body changes. As puberty progresses, individuals’ perceptions of their bodies shift, which has been associated with a decline in mental health, according to the existing literature.
To investigate this issue, a sample of 294 post-pubertal adolescents assigned female at birth completed assessments related to body awareness, mental health, psychosomatic symptoms, gender congruence, and eating disorders. A network analysis was conducted to illustrate the intricate interactions among the observed variables, and a mediation model was utilised to explore how body image influences overall health, with interoception and functional body image acting as mediators.
The study identifies three key variables—body image, mental health, and interoception—as central within the network. Additionally, functional body image was significantly associated with other variables in the study. Ultimately, both direct and indirect effects of body image on mental health were found, mediated through interoception and functional body image. The clinical implications emphasise the importance of enhancing awareness of bodily sensations and functions to support psychological well-being, particularly during a developmental stage characterised by challenges related to body image due to rapid changes in puberty.
METHODOLOGY: BODY IMAGE
4. Ridley, B. J., Hamamoto, Y., Cornelissen, P. L., Kramer, R. S. S., McCarty, K., & Tovée, M. J. (2025). Perceptual body image tasks require ethnically appropriate stimuli. Body Image, 53. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101899
Full text available for download at: https://tinyurl.com/yc55764b
ABSTRACT. Current body ideals and perceived weight status are often assessed with tests that include images which depict BMI dependent morphological changes in body shape. These images are almost exclusively based on White European (WE) bodies. However, East Asian (EA) and South Asian (SA) people have a different body composition and pattern of adipose deposition for a given BMI. As such, matching someone’s body from an EA or SA background to a WE body may lead to errors in estimation, as there are no equivalent bodies to match against.
Therefore, we 3D scanned EA, SA and WE female volunteers and constructed computer-generated imagery (CGI) bodies based on a statistical analysis of the size and shape variation specific to each ethnic identity. We then asked participants to make judgements between pairs of bodies of the same or different ethnic identity as themselves. When presented with ethnically different stimuli, EA and SA participants significantly over-estimate body size and WE participants significantly under-estimate. Additionally, ethnically mismatched stimuli lead to significantly greater uncertainty about body size judgements. For the first time, we show that ethnically appropriate stimuli need to be used to assess body judgements and should be developed as a matter of urgency.
TECHNOLOGY, CULTURE, AND GENDER
5. De la Torre-Sierra, A. M., & Guichot-Reina, V. (2024). Women in video games: An analysis of the biased representation of female characters in current video games. Sexuality & Culture, 29, 532-560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10286-0
Full text available for download at: https://tinyurl.com/mua5ecxm
ABSTRACT. Video games have become the largest sector of the global entertainment industry, making their cultural influence significant. This study examines gender representation in mainstream videogames in Spain across PlayStation, XBOX, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms. Using content analysis, we analyze 313 female and male characters presented in video games.
The results show a problematic representation of women in terms of quantity and quality. Women are significantly underrepresented, starring in only 17.78% of game covers and 35.29% of in-game audiovisual content, limiting their visibility and relatability for players. Furthermore, female characters are frequently relegated to secondary roles, depicted with submissive attitudes, unrealistic body types, and subjected to various forms of violence. Despite some games promoting inclusion, a tendency to masculinize female figures persists.
The research underscores the impact of these patterns on children and young players’ identity formation, urging reflection on gender values in popular videogames and proposing practical solutions for educators and the video game industry to foster more equitable and diverse portrayals of women in media.
CAREGIVERS
6. Murray, M. F., Kandel, J. S., Rifkin, R., Hendelman, J., Tsen, J., & Haedt-Matt, A. A. (2025). Initial examination of virtual support groups as a resource for caregivers of individuals with eating disorders. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2025.2489864
Full text available for download at: https://tinyurl.com/4bp3uhw2
ABSTRACT. Eating disorder (ED) caregivers endorse substantial caregiver strain and psychological distress, and without adequate support may struggle to help their loves ones in adaptive ways. Caregiver interventions can be time-intensive and costly, potentially compounding strain, and thus there is need to examine alternative resources such as support groups. Data from 181 participants who attended virtual, clinician-moderated ED caregiver support groups were used to examine associations between past-month group attendance and participation frequency, psychological distress, caregiver strain, and caregiving skill.
Adjusting for duration of support group attendance, Pearson partial correlations indicated that attendance frequency was positively related to several aspects of adaptive caregiving while verbal and chat participation frequency were positively related to within-group emotional support, social companionship (i.e. social cohesion), and informational support. Findings suggest that ED caregiver support groups have potential to support caregiver efficacy and provide access to social support, which could mitigate caregiver strain and thus also improve the wellbeing of people with EDs.
However, results are preliminary and not an indication that ED caregiver support groups produce changes in wellbeing. Rather, results provide important foundational information that should be used to inform prospective examination of caregiver distress and skill outcomes with support group utilization.
DISORDERED EATING, Part 4 of 4
7. Azevedo, A. R., Coimbra, M., Feio, M. L., & Ferreira, C. (2025). Feeding the inner critic: Self-criticism and shame in the association of affiliative memories with emotional and disordered eating in women. Appetite, 211. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.108011
Full text available for download at: https://tinyurl.com/5n7mwc6h
ABSTRACT. Emotional eating, defined as overeating in response to intense negative emotions, is considered part of a disordered eating continuum, as a milder form of binge eating. It is linked to high emotional dysregulation and risk factors like negative traumatic childhood memories, which have been associated with several negative psychopathological outcomes. Recent research has started to also highlight the negative impact of the lack of early positive memories on psychopathological outcomes, including eating-related disorders.
This study explores the role of early affiliative memories on emotional eating, specifically examining whether self-criticism, a strategy to mitigate feelings of shame, is linked to women's tendencies towards emotional and disordered eating attitudes. The study involved 427 female participants.
Results show that fluctuations in self-criticism levels are linked to differences in emotional and disordered eating, with higher self-criticism corresponding to more severe emotional and disordered eating. The path analysis showed that a lack of early affiliative memories was associated to emotional and disordered eating, through the mediating roles of internal shame and self-criticism. The model explained 44 % of disordered eating variance, showing an excellent model fit.
These findings suggest that internal shame and self-criticism are defensive mechanisms tied to the absence of early affiliative experiences. Self-criticism strategies seem to amplify self-monitoring and negative self-evaluations, leading to emotional eating as a coping mechanism. Clinically, our study incites the development of compassion-focused interventions to address shame and self-criticism, and promote adaptive emotional regulation strategies, preventing emotional eating attitudes and reducing the risk for further disordered eating behaviours.
8. Ayres, J., Chen, Y., Forbush, K. T., Bottera, A. R., & Christensen Pacella, K. A. (2025). Ecological momentary assessment of between- and within-person sleep quality as a predictor of disordered eating behaviors among young women with disordered eating. Appetite. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.108052
Email address for correspondence: kara.christensen@unlv.edu
ABSTRACT. Although disordered eating and sleep problems often co-occur, there has been limited research on mechanisms underlying their association. Previous studies using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to evaluate links between sleep quality and disordered eating behaviors (e.g., loss-of-control eating, restricting, purging, excessive exercise) have largely not found statistically significant temporal associations; however, studies with larger samples are warranted.
We used EMA to evaluate sleep quality and next-day engagement in disordered eating behaviors. Participants were 137 women aged 18-25 (M = 20.22, SD = 1.78) with current disordered eating behaviors (DEBs). Participants completed seven days of EMA, in which they reported the past night’s sleep quality and answered six surveys daily about engagement in DEBs. DEBs were aggregated at the day level and dichotomized as present or absent (n = 438 days). We conducted four multilevel logistic regressions, nesting days within subjects. We predicted loss-of-control eating, purging, restricting, and excessive exercise using past night’s sleep quality and survey day as fixed effects with random intercepts by subjects.
Results indicated that neither between- nor within-person sleep quality predicted engagement in loss-of-control eating, purging, and restricting (all ps > .10). Findings replicated past studies that found no or few prospective associations between sleep quality and engagement in DEBs. It is possible that other sleep metrics (e.g., variability in sleep and wake timing) may predict DEBs or associations may vary by gender. Future studies should examine subjective and objective sleep indices across genders to better understand potential links between sleep and DEBs.
9. Georgiou, N., Thompson, M., Bridgland, V., Wade, T., & Balzan, R. (2025). People at-risk of an eating disorder are more likely to endorse dietary misinformation claims and hold rigid beliefs. Journal of Health Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053251324695
Full text available for download at: https://tinyurl.com/47svrsnf
ABSTRACT. People are exposed to misinformation about dieting practices every day on social media which can influence their health and wellbeing. While misinformation research has largely focused on general vulnerabilities to misinformation and strategies to counteract its spread, limited work has examined how specific harmful content, such as dietary misinformation, influences vulnerable groups, particularly those at risk of eating disorders (EDs).
This study investigated whether individuals at risk of an ED were more likely to endorse Dietary Misinformation. After completing measures of dietary intentions, health conscientiousness and weight concern, 215 participants completed a behavioural measure of belief rigidity (i.e. Bias Against Disconfirmatory Evidence; BADE), and measures of general and diet-specific misinformation susceptibility.
The findings suggest that participants who score highly on weight concern (ie, potentially at risk for an ED), were less likely to show belief flexibility and integrate new evidence and are more inclined to endorse diet-specific misinformation. This research highlights the broader importance of drawing attention to how particular misinformation online can affect the wellbeing of those potentially in vulnerable groups, in this case those at ED risk.
NATURE, COURSE, AND CORRELATES OF EATING DISORDERS, Part 5 of 6
10. Bernardoni, F., King, J. A., Schoemann, M., Seidel, M., Keusch, L., Mehlhase, E., Roessner, V., Scherbaum, S., & Ehrlich, S. (2025). Reduced contextual influence on decision conflict during delay discounting persists after weight-restoration in anorexia nervosa. Appetite, 209, 107934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.107934
Full text available for download at: https://tinyurl.com/2cxerd9e
ABSTRACT. Prior research has investigated whether the capacity of individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) to forgo food rewards in their pursuit of thinness may manifest as more delayed gratification in delay discounting tasks, but results have been mixed. In a previous study examining mouse-cursor movement trajectories during a delay discounting task, underweight patients with AN made similar decisions relative to healthy controls, but displayed more stable levels of decision-making conflict.
Here, we employed the exact same methods to test whether these changes persist after long-term weight restoration. We recorded mouse-cursor trajectories during a delay discounting task in 45 female adolescents and young women weight-restored from AN (wrAN) and 90 female healthy controls (HC). We examined group differences in deviations from a direct choice path as a measure of decision-making conflict strength and moderation effects of associated predictors (e.g., choice difficulty).
No group differences were detected in either delay discounting parameters or mouse cursor trajectories, and the effect of the aforementioned predictors on deviations was reduced in wrAN relative to HC. Persisting reduced variability of conflict strength across decisions might reflect a cognitive-behavioral trait marker of AN. This may enable individuals with AN to pursue long-term (body-weight) goals, because particularly conflicting choices may not be experienced as such.
11. Christian, C., Hudson, C. M., Bell, V. E., & Goldschmidt, A. B. (2025). Implicit approach-avoidance bias for body and food-related stimuli among individuals with anorexia nervosa in partial remission. Eating Behaviors, 57. Advance online publication.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2025.101962
Full text available for download at: https://tinyurl.com/4tn5xbuv
ABSTRACT. Objective: Partial remission from anorexia nervosa (AN) is an understudied stage of illness, during which individuals experience improvements in behavioral/physical symptoms, but continue to experience cognitive/affective symptoms. Studying factors that may be related to recovery vs. relapse during partial remission is important given the relatively low rates of full remission in AN. Fear and avoidance of eating disorder-related stimuli are important maintaining factors in AN and require evaluation during this stage of remission. Method: The current exploratory study (N = 35 individuals with AN in partial remission) investigates implicit approach-avoidance bias for food and body stimuli using a computer-based, behavioral tasks.
Results: Participants on average had an avoidance bias for larger bodies, an approach bias for smaller bodies, and an avoidance bias for lower calorie foods. Discussion: These findings suggest that implicit avoidance bias for larger bodies, but not higher-calorie foods, may be present during partial remission from AN. These results are consistent with current treatment models of AN, which prioritize behavioral and nutritional rehabilitation first, and persistent body image preoccupations later in treatment. Pending future research, step-down care and relapse prevention for AN during partial remission may benefit from targeting these body-related fear and avoidance biases.