Positive body image, intuitive eating, and self‐compassion protect against the onset of the core symptoms of eating disorders: A prospective study

A growing number of interventions for body image and eating disorders now seek to build individuals’ capacities for self-compassion and other-compassion. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) helps self-critical individuals to relate to themselves and others from a more compassionate mindset and to grow more comfortable receiving compassion from others. Though more empirical research is needed, preliminary studies revealed that in women with eating disorders, body image preoccupation, or the presence of overweight or obesity, CFT-based interventions can reduce eating pathology, decrease shame, improve body image, increase capacities for self-compassion and other-compassion, and improve health. In addition, mindfulness meditations that focus on the cultivation of self-compassion and other-compassion have been found to improve body image-related experiences, including body appreciation. It will be important to extend the extant research by conducting larger scale studies of compassion-based interventions in mixed-gender samples with a greater focus on assessing positive body image outcomes.

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Mindfulness Training to Facilitate Positive Body Image and Embodiment

Handbook of Positive Body Image and Embodiment ◽

10.1093/med-psych/9780190841874.003.0030 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 312-324

Author(s):

Melissa J. Atkinson ◽

Tracey D. Wade

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Disordered Eating ◽

Theoretical Framework ◽

Mindfulness Training ◽

Intuitive Eating ◽

Present Moment ◽

Positive Body Image ◽

Intervention Content ◽

Negative Impacts

Mindfulness—the nonjudgmental awareness and acceptance of present moment experience—is cultivated through formal and informal experiential exercises and has received support as an effective intervention approach across multiple disorders. The efficacy of mindfulness for body image and disordered eating is less well researched. This chapter outlines a theoretical framework for the application of mindfulness in this context, provides examples of intervention content, and reviews existing evidence related to the use of mindfulness training to enhance body image and prevent eating disorders in both clinical and nonclinical samples. Overall, research indicates mindfulness is a worthwhile approach but should be carefully considered among those with clinical eating disorders due to the potential for negative impacts. Further research using rigorous methodology is required to establish stronger and broader support for intervention effects and to explore mindfulness with regard to additional aspects of positive body image, embodiment, and intuitive eating.

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Predictors and health-related outcomes of positive body image in adolescent girls: A prospective study.

Developmental Psychology ◽

10.1037/dev0000095 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 52 (3) ◽

pp. 463-474 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Rachel Andrew ◽

Marika Tiggemann ◽

Levina Clark

Keyword(s):

Body Image ◽

Prospective Study ◽

Adolescent Girls ◽

Positive Body Image ◽

Health Related ◽

A Prospective Study

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The 17‐year outcome of 62 adult patients with longstanding eating disorders—A prospective study

International Journal of Eating Disorders ◽

10.1002/eat.23495 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hanna Punsvik Eielsen ◽

KariAnne Vrabel ◽

Asle Hoffart ◽

Øyvind Rø ◽

Jan H. Rosenvinge

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Prospective Study ◽

Adult Patients ◽

A Prospective Study

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Self-compassion and intuitive eating in college women: Examining the contributions of distress tolerance and body image acceptance and action

Eating Behaviors ◽

10.1016/j.eatbeh.2013.09.001 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 493-496 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Suzanne J. Schoenefeld ◽

Jennifer B. Webb

Keyword(s):

Body Image ◽

College Women ◽

Distress Tolerance ◽

Intuitive Eating ◽

Self Compassion

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Intuitive Eating

Handbook of Positive Body Image and Embodiment ◽

10.1093/med-psych/9780190841874.003.0008 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 68-79

Author(s):

Elyse Resch ◽

Tracy L. Tylka

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Intuitive Eating ◽

Self Compassion ◽

Body Acceptance ◽

Supportive Environments ◽

Different Cultures ◽

Internal Body

Intuitive eating involves being connected to, trusting in, and responding to the body’s internal hunger and satiety cues. This chapter first details the 10 principles of intuitive eating. Next, the chapter reviews the original and revised Intuitive Eating Scale (the IES and IES-2, respectively), which have been shown to yield reliable and valid scores in samples across different cultures. The chapter then discusses research and interventions on intuitive eating, revealing that it is an adaptive way of eating and living. The chapter ends with seven insights gleaned from intuitive eating research that can be used to situate and guide future investigations. Specifically, intuitive eating is grounded in body acceptance, is dependent on trust in internal body cues, is sabotaged for some individuals, is nurtured in autonomy-supportive environments, is intricately connected to self-compassion, can be taught (even among those with eating disorders), and is not positively associated with overeating.

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