Question 1

Is the Body Project Collaborative helpful before an eating disorder has been diagnosed?

Eric Stice · Accepted Answer

The Body Project eating disorder prevention program has produced a 54% to 77% reduction in future onset of eating disorders among individuals who do not have an eating disorder at baseline, at least the 4 1-hour session version we created, and when it is implemented by peer educators or co-implemented by peer educators. So yes. The Body Project Collaborative is an LLC that I formed with Carolyn Becker to provide trainings in implementing the Body Project. I personally think prevention is a better solution than treatment, as treatment is very expensive and does not produce lasting symptom remission for most cases.

Question 2

Hello Dr. Stice, a negative body image can result from being teased about your appearance or through peer pressure from school friends. How effective is the Body Project Collaborative program while these pressures are ongoing?

Eric Stice · Accepted Answer

The Body Project body acceptance/eating disorder prevention program helps young women and men respond with more confidence and assertiveness to such pressures. Indeed, participants practice responding to pressure for thinness. Although it would be ideal if we could change our culture, we see value in helping inoculate young women and men against the pressure for a narrow beauty ideal.

Question 3

How can you reduce the risk of anorexia?

Eric Stice · Accepted Answer

I wish I knew the answer. So far, there have only been two studies to identify risk factors for future onset of anorexia nervosa. Low body weight during childhood and adolescence, negative affect, impaired social functioning, overvaluation of weight/shape, and fear of weight gain have all predicted future onset of anorexia nervosa. Next step is to design interventions that reduce these risk factors and see if it reduces future onset of anorexia nervosa. If I had a child that I was worried about I would make sure that they feel loved and accepted, help them learn how to get along well with people, and teach them that there are far more important things in life than their weight/shape. Sorry that the field has not produced a better answer to your question.

Question 4

Does anorexia have a genetic component?

Eric Stice · Accepted Answer

Scientists have argued that genetics explain about 50-60% of the variance in eating disorders. Unfortunately, we have not been able to identify specific genes that reliably and accurately predict who will develop an eating disorder and we have no gene therapy that we can use. Thus, the answer is almost certainly yes, but the field has not been able to get much further in answering that question. The good news is that with identified risk factors, we can predict who will develop anorexia nervosa with about an 80% accuracy (we just submitted that paper).

Question 5

Why is anorexia the deadliest of all psychological disorders?

Eric Stice · Accepted Answer

Malnutrition can cause immediate death or organ failure later in life. People with anorexia nervosa also have a high risk for suicide. Data suggest that about 10% of people with severe anorexia nervosa that requires hospitalization die prematurely. Milder forms of anorexia nervosa likely have a lower mortality rate.

Question 6

What is your opinion on the health at every size movement?

Eric Stice · Accepted Answer

I encourage body acceptance and appreciating beauty in many forms. Yet given that obesity is the second leading cause of death in western countries, I feel uncomfortable suggesting that obesity does not increase risk for morbidity and mortality. I think we should work to address both eating disorders and obesity because they are both important public health problems that adversely affect quality of life.

Question 7

I work with students in a school setting. Can I do the training to be a Body Project facilitator in Australia? Thank you

Eric Stice · Accepted Answer

Yes. You can download the intervention script that has instructions and watch videos of people implementing the Body Project. You can also request a virtual or in-person training. The Body Project Collaborative was set up to offer training and we had someone who should be able to provide training in Australia.

Question 8

Will we ever get rid of society and the media's 'thin ideal'?

Eric Stice · Accepted Answer

If we did, I strongly suspect we would feel better about our bodies and the incidence of eating disorders would be reduced. Unfortunately, I am dubious that we can get ride of that non-useful concept because so many people are attached to that appearance idea. But we should all still do our best to get rid of the narrow beauty ideal!

Question 9

Do you have an obesity prevention program for kids?

Eric Stice · Accepted Answer

We have developed two joint obesity and eating disorder prevention programs. Healthy Weight was the first, which reduced onset of overweight/obesity by about 50% and eating disorders by about 60%. We attempted to enhance it by adding activities designed to increase motivation for healthy lifestyle behaviors. It produced similar effects in a follow-up trail, and was superior to Healthy Weight for overweight/obesity prevention, but equally effective for eating disorder prevention. We have published trials in 2008, 2013, and 2018 on these interventions and the intervention script should be freely available at the Body Project Facilitators Support web page. Both are group-based prevention programs that range from 4-6 sessions.

Question 10

What is your opinion on intermittent fasting? Does it put people at risk for eating disorder symptoms such as binge eating etc?

Eric Stice · Accepted Answer

Although I have talked to people who say it works well for them, going long periods of caloric deprivation (fasting) does increase the reward value of food, particularly energy dense foods, and the likelihood of binge eating. I personally recommend eating regular healthy meals so that the reward value of unhealthy foods does not become too great.

Ask World-Leading Experts

Eating disorder prevention

SHARE TOPIC

Meet the expert answering questions

Discover other topics you may be interested in