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Advanced Research in Body Image, Eating Disorders, and Mental Health

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (16 May 2023) | Viewed by 10937

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristiana Duarte

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Guest Editor

School of Education, Language and Psychology, York St John University, York YO31 7EX, UK
Interests: psychology of eating behaviour and weight management; eating disorders; body image problems; psychological determinants of appetite and weight management; body image shame and weight stigma; psychological interventions for eating psychopathology and weight management

Dr. Stanley R. Steindl

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Guest Editor

School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Interests: compassion and compassion-based interventions; the role of motivation in cultivating compassion and self-compassion in the context of trauma; shame; self-criticism and clinical disorders; as well as promoting psychological wellbeing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Nicola Buckland

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Guest Editor

Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Cathedral Court, 1 Vicar Lane, Sheffield S1 2LT, UK
Interests: pychology of eating behaviour and weight management; dietary and psychological strategies for appetite control; weight loss and weight loss maintenance; obesity stigma; food perceptions; environmentally sustainable diets and individual variability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Eating disorders are serious health conditions that involve persistent difficulties related to eating behaviour, and inappropriate behaviours for the control of body weight and shape. Body image problems are a central feature of eating disorders, and a risk factor for both the development and relapse in eating disorders. Eating disorders and body image-related difficulties have a complex aetiology, are thought to occur in a continuum, and negatively impact physical health and psychosocial functioning. Although cognitive behaviour therapy is the treatment of choice for eating disorders, the high levels of relapse and dropout, and the low rates of remission, call for the investigation of new therapeutic approaches. Third-wave behaviour therapies are being increasingly used for the treatment of eating disorders and body image difficulties, but evidence for their efficacy is still limited. Advances in the understanding and development of prevention and treatment modalities for body image problems and eating disorders have included ecological momentary assessment approaches, adaptive interventions, and technology-based interventions, which experienced exponential growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research on the assessment and understanding of the development of body image and eating behaviour problems, comorbidity issues, as well as therapeutic processes and treatment outcome trajectories, is required to develop effective interventions.

This Special Issue invites the most recent research on assessment of risk factors for body image problems and eating disorders, their impact on mental health, and advances in their prevention and management.

While COVID-19 work is of interest, only high-quality work directly relevant to body image, eating disorders, and mental health will be considered. Research outside of these topics will not be considered.

Dr. Cristiana Duarte
Dr. Stanley R. Steindl
Dr. Nicola Buckland
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

eating disorders
eating behaviour
appetite
body image
mental health
measurement
assessment
behavioural interventions
ICT-based interventions
adaptive interventions

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 347 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Social Media in Internalizing Body Knowledge—A Cross-Sectional Study among Women with Different Food Preferences

by Karolina Krupa-Kotara, Mateusz Grajek, Mateusz Rozmiarek, Ewa Malchrowicz-Mośko, Wiktoria Staśkiewicz, Patxi León-Guereño, Aitor Martínez Aguirre-Betolaza and Arkaitz Castañeda-Babarro

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2069; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032069 - 23 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2233

Abstract

Virtual spaces, such as social media, give people a platform to exchange their opinions, experiences, and knowledge. Social media’s ubiquitous usefulness has led to people relying, in whole or in part, on the information they learn online. As a result, a person’s perception of his or her own body and their self-worth has started to be influenced by what other people think of them and by the information found on social media. Modern people’s lifestyle, particularly their eating habits and exercise habits, exhibits a similar tendency. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships occurring between factors related to the use and internalization of body image knowledge contained in social media and the factors shaping self-assessment and self-esteem in women following a vegetarian diet. An authority-validated questionnaire was used to determine the level of use and attitudes of respondents toward social media, e.g., SATAQ and BES. Associations about the potential negative impacts of the knowledge provided by social media on the development of body image and self-esteem were shown. It is interesting to observe that women who practice vegetarianism have less pressure on their appearance. This may be because vegetarianism is a lifestyle that is currently actively promoted online. Education is required on the connection between the use and internalization of social media knowledge and the development of healthy self-esteem and body evaluation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research in Body Image, Eating Disorders, and Mental Health)

11 pages, 586 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of an Intuitive Eating Intervention on Disordered Eating Risk Factors in Female-Identifying Undergraduates: A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial

by Julia A. Katcher, Richard R. Suminski and Carly R. Pacanowski

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12049; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912049 - 23 Sep 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3314

Abstract

Dietary restraint and low body appreciation are common among female-identifying undergraduates and are related to the development of disordered eating, which female-identifying undergraduates engage in throughout college. Training students in intuitive eating, an approach that promotes eating by internal cues, may be a way to ameliorate dietary restraint and low body appreciation, ultimately decreasing disordered eating. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a five-week intuitive eating intervention on dietary restraint, body appreciation, and intuitive eating in female-identifying undergraduates. A five-week intuitive eating intervention (NCT0394700) was facilitated by two Registered Dietitians. One treatment group (TG) (n = 7) and one waitlist control group (WLCG) (n = 7) participated in the trial. From baseline to post-intervention, there was a significant decrease in dietary restraint, t(12) = −2.88, p = 0.01, and a significant increase in intuitive eating, t(12) = 4.03, p = 0.002, in the TG compared to the WLCG. The intervention had replicable effects on all outcome variables. Measurements at the five-week follow-up suggested the impact was sustained. This study provides preliminary data suggesting an intuitive eating intervention may help improve disordered eating risk factors by decreasing dietary restraint and increasing intuitive eating in female-identifying undergraduates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research in Body Image, Eating Disorders, and Mental Health)

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15 pages, 2784 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Body Dissatisfaction, Distorted Body Image and Disordered Eating Behaviors in University Students: An Analysis from 2017–2022

by Karime Jiménez-Limas, Verónica Anayansi Miranda-Barrera, Karla Fernanda Muñoz-Díaz, Samantha Ruth Novales-Huidobro and Gabriela Chico-Barba

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11482; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811482 - 13 Sep 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4059

Abstract

University students, as young adults, are at risk for Body Dissatisfaction (BD) and Distorted Body Image (DBI), which are related to Disordered Eating Behaviors (DEBs). This study aimed to assess changes in the prevalence of these three conditions over six years; and the associations between them. Data was collected through an annual online survey from 2017 to 2022 at a private university in Mexico City. Students between 18–30 years old were invited to participate. Body image-related variables were assessed by the Stunkard’s Silhouettes and Body Mass Index, by self-reported height and weight. Disordered Eating Behaviors were measured by the Brief Disordered Eating Behaviors Questionnaire. A median of 250 students participated per year, with a median age of 21 years old. The prevalence was 63.5–71.7% for BD, 40.4–49.1% for DBI, and 25–38.3% for DEBs. DEBs and BD showed associations during the whole period (OR from 3.6 to 15.9, p ≤ 0.001); as well as DBI with DEBs (OR from 1.9 to 3.3, p < 0.05). Alterations in Body Image and eating behaviors are common conditions, mainly in women and in the young population. Therefore, it is important to promote screening for these conditions, as they usually remain undiagnosed, their prevalence is increasing worldwide, and their impact on physical and mental health has already been acknowledged. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research in Body Image, Eating Disorders, and Mental Health)

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