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Preventing Eating Disorder Pathology: Common and Unique Features of Successful Eating Disorders Prevention Programs

  • Eating Disorders (AS Kaplan, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Over the past two decades, the field of eating disorders has made remarkable strides in identifying, evaluating, and disseminating successful prevention programs. The current review identifies and discusses nine distinct eating disorders prevention programs that reduce existing eating disorder pathology or prevent the onset of future pathology. Each program was evaluated in one or more controlled trial with a follow-up period of at least six months. We review the evidence base for these nine successful programs and discuss their common and unique features. Based on authors’ descriptions of their programs in published trials, we found that all programs were theory-driven, targeted one or more eating disorder risk factor (e.g., body dissatisfaction), were delivered across multiple group sessions, and included at least some interactive content. Most programs included content related to healthy eating/nutrition, media literacy/sociocultural pressures, and body acceptance/body satisfaction. Notably, there was wide variation in some participant features (e.g., participant age, sex, risk status) and intervention features (e.g., setting and format, length and dose, providers), suggesting that a variety of programs are beneficial in impacting eating disorder pathology. Implications and directions for future research are discussed, including an increased focus on universal and indicated prevention programs, expanding programs to a wider age range and a broader spectrum of weight-related problems, and rigorous evaluation of programs through efficacy, effectiveness, and implementation research.

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Conflict of Interest

Anna C. Ciao declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Katie Loth declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Dianne Neumark-Sztainer declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave, MC 3077, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Anna C. Ciao

  2. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Katie Loth & Dianne Neumark-Sztainer

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  1. Anna C. Ciao
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  2. Katie Loth
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  3. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
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Correspondence to Anna C. Ciao.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Eating Disorders

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Ciao, A.C., Loth, K. & Neumark-Sztainer, D. Preventing Eating Disorder Pathology: Common and Unique Features of Successful Eating Disorders Prevention Programs. Curr Psychiatry Rep 16, 453 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-014-0453-0

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