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Key research themes
1. What are the established and emerging risk factors associated with the development of eating disorders, and how can these inform prevention strategies?
This research theme focuses on identifying, classifying, and grading the evidence for various risk factors linked to eating disorders (EDs). Understanding these factors is critical to developing precise, targeted, and evidence-based prevention and early intervention programs. The investigations address diverse categories of risk including biological, psychological, social, and environmental contributors, and utilize longitudinal and meta-analytic approaches to discern causality and specificity.
Key finding: This paper rigorously applies a recent risk factor classification framework (Kraemer et al., 1997) to over 30 putative ED risk factors, organizing them temporally and by disorder specificity. It clarifies inconsistencies in... Read more
Key finding: This recent rapid review synthesizes high-level evidence to characterize a multifactorial constellation of ED risk factors spanning sociocultural, biological/genetic, and psychological domains. The findings underscore the... Read more
Key finding: Utilizing an umbrella review method, this study evaluated 50 putative risk factors across nine meta-analyses, involving nearly 30,000 ED cases. It found highly suggestive evidence, with moderate quality, for early... Read more
2. What is the current evidence on the effectiveness of prevention and early intervention programs for eating disorders, especially in high-risk populations such as adolescents and university students?
This theme covers evaluation and synthesis of empirical evidence on the efficacy of eating disorder prevention and early intervention programs. It includes school-based universal, selective, and indicated programs as well as university-targeted interventions, examining psychological approaches like cognitive dissonance, media literacy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. The goal is to assess which program designs and methodologies are most effective at reducing risk factors, symptoms, and new onset of EDs, with considerations of longer-term outcomes and implementation challenges.
Key finding: This review synthesizes evidence indicating that selective and indicated prevention programs focusing on modifiable risk factors (e.g., thin-ideal internalization, dietary restraint) show promising effects, particularly... Read more
Key finding: This meta-analysis of 22 randomized trials targeting university students demonstrates that psychological preventive interventions, chiefly dissonance-based, media literacy, and CBT programs, can reduce incidence of... Read more
Key finding: This review of controlled trials in school-based programs highlights that targeted interventions for high-risk adolescents yield positive effects on psychological risk factors and eating disorder symptoms, particularly when... Read more
3. Can integrated prevention approaches effectively address both eating disorders and high body mass index (BMI), considering shared risk factors and potential unintended consequences?
Growing research recognizes the overlapping risk factors and comorbidity between eating disorders and obesity/high BMI, prompting exploration of integrated prevention interventions. This theme investigates whether combined programs can simultaneously prevent disordered eating behaviors and unhealthy weight gain, minimizing adverse outcomes (e.g., exacerbating body dissatisfaction or promoting harmful weight control behaviors). It evaluates evidence for mutual risk factors, intervention successes, barriers, and considerations for integrated health promotion.
Key finding: Analyzing 54 randomized controlled trials, this meta-analysis finds that preventive interventions targeting either EDs or high BMI can yield beneficial outcomes on both domains. Evidence supports the presence of shared... Read more
Key finding: This clinical report emphasizes the epidemiological links between adolescent obesity and eating disorders, underscoring concerns that obesity interventions can sometimes inadvertently promote disordered eating. It recommends... Read more