An interactive training programme to treat body image disturbance

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe mental health disorder characterized by a distorted body image, where individuals perceive themselves as larger than they are.
• This body size overestimation is a core feature of AN and significantly impacts treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the effectiveness of a novel cognitive bias training program designed to recalibrate body size perception.
• To investigate the program's impact on body image disturbance and eating disorder concerns in individuals with body size overestimation.

Main Methods:

• A cognitive bias modification program was adapted, involving participants judging female body sizes and receiving feedback over four daily sessions.
• Study 1: Young women with high body size concerns underwent a randomized controlled trial.
• Study 2: The program was applied to a case series of women with atypical AN.

Main Results:

• In Study 1, the training significantly improved body size judgments, body image, and eating concerns in participants compared to controls.
• In Study 2, the program successfully recalibrated body size judgments in women with atypical AN.
• Clinically meaningful reductions in body size overestimation and eating-disordered concerns were observed in both studies.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive bias training can effectively alter body size perception, suggesting that body overestimation in AN is a treatable target.
• This training demonstrates potential as a valuable adjunct to traditional talking therapies for anorexia nervosa.
• The findings highlight the central role of body overestimation in eating disorders and the efficacy of targeted behavioral interventions.