Until recently eating disorder prevention programs have not been shown
to be successful in actually preventing eating disordered behavior and related concerns. Traditional prevention programs
were designed to provide information about eating disorders and the dangers associated with them. Research indicated
that these programs succeeded in producing an increase in knowledge about eating disorders and in some cases the programs
produced an increase in eating disordered behavior. The new generation of prevention programs have shown tremendous promise in the research. Results
indicate that the new programs not only help to improve body image, but they have actually been shown to produce a decrease
in eating disordered behavior. Some studies have shown that these programs prevent new cases
of eating disorders.
The new generation of prevention programming is based on the theory of "cognitive dissonance."
This idea simply means that when we experience a contradiction between two ideas (usually related to our own beliefs or values)
we also experience discomfort. This discomfort causes us to act in order to get rid of the discomfort. The action
in this case is to change how one thinks and feels about one's self (or others), and how one acts in order to
reduce this discomfort. The result in the case of dissonance based prevention programs for eating disorders
is an improved body image and a decrease in problematic eating behaviors. The two programs that have been shown to be effective and that have been marketed for implementation
are: - The Body Project, by Eric Stice and Katherine Presnell
(this program is a professional-lead program)
- The Reflections
Program, by Carolyn Black Becker and Eric Stice (this program is a peer-lead program and is an adaptation of The Body
Project)
Dr. Christine Selby has received training on The Reflections Program from Dr. Carolyn Becker. As a result she is trained to implement both
The Body Project and The Reflections Program. Although these programs were designed for adolescents and young adults,
it may be possible to adapt The Body Project for a younger audience. |
