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Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a life‐threatening eating disorder, characterised by persistent pathological weight loss behaviours and an intense fear of weight gain and food consumption. Although there is an abundance of scientific theories on the neurobiological, psychological and sociocultural factors thought to be involved in the maintenance of AN, there is little experimental research testing these ideas. The need for theory firmly grounded in empirical evidence becomes strikingly clear when we consider that current treatments for patients with AN are limited in their effectiveness, and relapse after treatment is common.

Objectives Cognitive-behavioural models of eating disorders state that body checking arises in response to negative emotions in order to reduce the aversive emotional state and is therefore negatively reinforced. This study empirically tests this assumption. Methods For a seven-day period, women with eating disorders (n = 26) and healthy controls (n = 29) were provided with a handheld computer for assessing occurring body checking strategies as well as negative and positive emotions. Serving as control condition, randomized computer-emitted acoustic signals prompted reports on body checking and emotions. Results There was no difference in the intensity of negative emotions before body checking and in control situations across groups. However, from pre- to post-body checking, an increase in negative emotions was found. This effect was more pronounced in women with eating disorders compared with healthy controls. Discussion Results are contradictory to the assumptions of the cognitive-behavioural model, as body checking does not seem to reduce negative emotions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

This study examines putative non-sport-specific and sport-specific risk factors for eating disorders (ED) among groups of professional female athletes versus non-athletes. In detail, societal pressure to be thin, its internalisation, body dissatisfaction, sports pressure and early specialisation were investigated. The cross-sectional study included 46 aesthetic and 62 ball game sports athletes, and 108 age-matched non-athletes. Study methods comprised a clinical interview to detect ED and questionnaires. More athletes from aesthetic (17%) than from ball game sports (3%) and non-athletes (2%) suffered from ED. Aesthetic sports athletes did not differ from non-athletes in non-sport-specific factors but obtained higher levels than ball game sports athletes in sport-specific variables (p

Cognitive processes seem to play a vital role in eating disorders and body image. The current study, therefore, examines the impact and change of dysfunctional cognitions during a body image group therapy, which included 41 patients with an eating disorder. Dysfunctional cognitions were assessed with the 'Eating Disorder Cognition Questionnaire' both before and after treatment. Eating disorder psychopathology was also assessed. Results indicate a significant reduction of dysfunctional cognitions relating to 'body and self-esteem', 'dietary restraint', 'eating and loss of control', as well as 'internalisation and social comparison'. Furthermore, the changes in dysfunctional cognitions were associated with a reduction in eating disorder psychopathology. Body image therapy is a worthy complementation to standardised eating disorder treatment programmes as it reduces negative eating related thoughts and changes attitudes towards the body.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by frequent binge eating without compensatory behaviour and is thus often associated with obesity. Whereas for the eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, one of the main diagnostic features is a negative body image, the research criteria for BED do not include body image disturbance. Although several studies have been conducted on the occurrence of body image disturbance in BED, no review has yet summarized and integrated these findings. Therefore, the present paper reviews studies on the cognitive-affective, perceptual and behavioural components of body image. Many of the reviewed studies reveal that individuals with BED display a higher degree of weight and shape concerns than obese persons without BED. Concerning the perceptual component, no evidence exists to date that persons with and without BED differ in terms of the perception of their own body size. While many studies have examined the cognitive-affective body image component, research on the behavioural manifestations of body image disturbance is generally lacking. However, there is first evidence that persons with BED display an enhanced degree of body checking and avoidance. The results of this review indicate that body image disturbance seems to be a symptom of BED but which still requires further exploration.

The study examined whether the extent of negative body-related thoughts and emotions evoked by looking in a mirror can be changed by cognitive-behavioural body image therapy (BIT) and whether any remaining cognitive and affective responses dropped faster after the treatment. Females with eating disorders (n = 17) looked in a mirror for 40 minutes under standardised conditions before and after BIT. A control group (CG) (n = 24) was also exposed to their own bodies twice. Cognitive and affective reactions were assessed four times during the session. Hierarchical Linear Modelling revealed that among eating-disordered patients, the entrance levels of negative thoughts and feelings were lower at post compared to pre-BIT, whereas they remained stable in the CG. The extent of reduction of the remaining body image distress was not changed after the treatment. BIT seems to be a potent treatment of negative emotions and cognitions in an in vivo situation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.