Interpersonal difficulties in body image and eating disorders. Thoughts on designing and piloting a new school-based intervention

Difficulties with body image and disordered eating behaviors, like chronic dieting, fasting and purging behaviours, during adolescence are increasingly being recognized as a major public health concern. Not only are these key risk factors for eating disorders, but they are also associated with a range of other problems, like depressive symptoms, self-harm, risky sexual behaviours and obesity. Body image and disordered eating behaviours are strikingly ‘interpersonal’ in nature – they cluster in friendship groups and are known to be linked to difficulties in interactions and relationships with peers and families. In this seminar we explore the evidence for these interpersonal risk factors and discuss our recent efforts to translate this work into a theoretically-oriented school-based intervention for young people with body image difficulties.

Dr Helen Sharpe, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh

Dr Fiona Duffy, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh

For any queries on this event please contact a.mourad@ed.ac.uk