Category: Eating Disorders
Kim, B. H., Ranzenhofer, L., Stadterman, J., Karvay, Y. G., & Burke, N. L. (2021). Food Insecurity and Eating Pathology in Adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(17), 9155. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179155
,Christensen, K. A., Forbush, K. T., Richson, B. N., Thomeczek, M. L., Perko, V. L., Bjorlie, K., Christian, K., Ayres, J., Wildes, J. E., & Mildrum Chana, S. (2021). Food insecurity associated with elevated eating disorder symptoms, impairment, and eating disorder diagnoses in an American University student sample before and during the beginning of the COVID ‐19 pandemic. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(7), 1213–1223. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23517
,Barry, M. R., Sonneville, K. R., & Leung, C. W. (2021). Students with Food Insecurity Are More Likely to Screen Positive for an Eating Disorder at a Large, Public University in the Midwest. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121(6), 1115–1124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.01.025
Cate Morales, M.A. (she/her/hers)
Clinical Psychology PhD Student
Hofstra University
Brooklyn, New York
Victoria Ciotti, M.A. (she/her/hers)
Hofstra University
Saint James, New York
Carolyn Becker, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Professor
Trinity University
San Antonio, Texas
Kara A. Christensen, PhD
Assistant Professor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Katie Loth, M.P.H., Ph.D., Other (she/her/hers)
Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
C. Blair Burnette, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Heather Davis, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Assistant Professor
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia
Yvette Karvay, M.A. (she/her/hers)
Clinical Psychology PhD Student
Fordham University
New York, New York
Food insecurity (FI) is defined as a lack of consistent access to affordable, nutritious food. In 2020, 13.8 million households in the U.S. classified as FI, with racial and ethnic minorities facing a disproportionate increase in FI rates. Many FI households have disrupted eating patterns due to systemic forces such as food-related public assistance benefits that result in more access to food at the beginning of the month and dwindling access by the month’s end. Robust findings have documented the cognitive and behavioral effects of alternating periods of food deprivation and access, informing the field of eating disorders (EDs). However, until recently these effects were not explored in FI populations. An accumulating body of research has discovered significant associations between increased FI and ED symptoms and behaviors, such as compensatory behaviors (i.e., self-induced vomiting) and binge eating, in adolescents, college students, and adult samples. These findings highlight the importance of updating current etiological models of and treatments for EDs to account for FI populations, whose experiences may differ from what current researchers and clinicians assume. For example, enhanced CBT requires establishing daily regular eating and addressing over-evaluation of shape and weight as key ingredients of treatment, which do not translate to individuals experiencing FI. The current symposium will provide attendees with data from five recent projects exploring factors underlying the connection between FI and ED symptomatology, and implications for ED assessment and treatment. Our goal is to raise awareness and open a conversation regarding treatment implications for a group that has slipped through the cracks of ED assessment and traditional CBT treatment. Our symposium chair, Cate Morales, will commence the symposium by introducing limitations of the ED field in assessing and treating EDs in FI populations. Our first presenter, Dr. Kara Christensen, will present findings examining how traditional ED assessment measures perform among individuals with FI. Our second presenter, Dr. Katie Loth, will present data examining how FI impacts the home environment and eating behaviors of young children and parents, as a path for the development of EDs. Dr. Blair Burnette will then present longitudinal data examining the associations among experiencing the incarceration of a parent during adolescence, FI, and disordered eating in emerging adulthood. Next, Dr. Heather Davis will present findings on the relationship between internalized weight stigma, FI, and purging behavior in college students. Finally, Yvette Karvay will present data comparing disordered eating behaviors and cognitions in college students both with and without FI. Dr. Carolyn Becker will conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for research and treatment efforts. Continued research examining the relationship between FI and ED symptoms is critical to inform evidence-based frameworks for treating individuals who are often overlooked by providers. This symposium will provide researchers and clinicians alike with rich empirical evidence that they can incorporate into ongoing investigation, clinical assessment, and treatment consideration.Learning Objectives:
At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
