Does this Tweet make me look fat? A content analysis of weight stigma on Twitter.

PURPOSE: Weight stigma involves stereotyping individuals based on body size. Individuals with obesity face weight stigma in many areas of their lives, and consequences can include impairment of mental and physical health, relationships, and academic performance. Weight-stigmatizing messages are pervasive in mass media, but the degree and characteristics of its presence within new-media social environments remain comparatively unknown. METHODS: This study examined weight stigma on Twitter by coding Tweet content that included the word "fat" within a 4-h timeframe (N = 4596). Coding marked demographic characteristics represented in content, messages about weight, and perceived intent of the message. RESULTS: Of all messages, 56.57 % were negative and 32.09 % were neutral. Of those containing weight-stigmatizing messages (n = 529), themes relating to fatness included: gluttonous (48.58 %), unattractive (25.14 %), not sexually desirable (2.65 %), sedentary (13.80 %), lazy (5.86 %), and stupid (4.16 %). CONCLUSIONS: Weight-stigmatizing messages are evident in the increasingly important arena of social media, and themes appear similar to those that emerge in other forms of media. Prevention and intervention body image programs should consider targeting social networks to help individuals manage societal messages.

Comparing online and face-to-face dissonance-based eating disorder prevention.

Disordered eating behavior is common in college women. Thus, it is important to develop programs to reduce eating disorder (ED) risk. Studies suggest that dissonance-based (DB) prevention programs successfully reduce ED risk factors; however, face-to-face DB groups lack anonymity and convenience. One way to address these barriers is to adapt DB programs for online use. Few studies have examined the feasibility of this delivery mode. This study compared the efficacy of an online DB program with a face-to-face DB program and an assessment-only condition. Undergraduate women (N = 333) recruited from a participant pool at a public university in the mid-Atlantic United States participated (n = 107 face-to-face DB, n = 112 online DB, n = 114 assessment-only). It was hypothesized that: (a) participants in the face-to-face and online DB conditions would report greater decreases in thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, and ED symptoms at post-testing relative to participants in the assessment-only control group, and (b) online and face-to-face programs would yield comparable results. Modified intent-to-treat analyses indicated that participants in both conditions manifested less body dissatisfaction at post-test compared with assessment-only participants; there were no significant differences in outcomes between the two modes of program delivery. These findings indicate that DB ED prevention programs can be successfully adapted for online use. Future studies should continue to refine online adaptations of such programs and examine their effects with samples that include older and younger women, and men.

The stress process and eating pathology among racially diverse adolescents seeking treatment for obesity.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the associations of weight-related teasing and daily hassles with eating pathology, as well as potential mediators of these relations, among a racially diverse sample of adolescents. METHODS: Participants were 92 primarily African American 11-17-year-olds seeking treatment for obesity. Data were collected at baseline. RESULTS: Both daily hassles and weight-related teasing were significantly correlated with eating pathology at r = .22 and r = .25, respectively. Feeling upset about teasing mediated the associations of daily hassles (PE = .0093, SE = .0054, 95% BCa bootstrap CI of .0001-.0217) and teasing (PE = .0476, SE = .0198, 95% BCa bootstrap CI of .0093-.0873) with eating pathology. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the importance of psychological interventions in the treatment of weight-loss among adolescents, as stressors may impact eating behaviors.

A Pilot Intervention Targeting Dietary Intake in School Cafeterias.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed fruit and vegetable (F&V) waste during school meals in two public elementary schools, and investigated the impact of a tasting intervention implemented in one of these schools. METHODS: F&V waste was evaluated before (baseline), immediately after (post-testing), and six weeks following (follow-up), the tasting intervention. RESULTS: The modal outcome at each assessment was that children ate all of the served F&Vs. During tastings, most children attempted and liked the offered F&Vs. No differences between schools in F&V waste were evident at post-testing; at follow-up, the intervention school had significantly less F&V waste than the control school. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, students were consuming the F&Vs served. Policy impact might be enhanced via a low-intensity tasting intervention.

Development and preliminary effectiveness of an innovative treatment for binge eating in racially diverse adolescent girls.

INTRODUCTION: Binge and loss of control (LOC) eating are significant concerns among many adolescents and are associated with poor physical, social, and psychological functioning. Black girls appear to be particularly vulnerable to binge and LOC eating. Yet, empirically validated, culturally sensitive treatments for these disordered eating behaviors are not well established. This investigation examined satisfaction, feasibility, and preliminary outcomes of a binge eating intervention for ethnically diverse adolescent girls. METHODS: Participants were 45 girls (age 13-17years; 44.4% white, 42.2% black) randomized into a dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)-based intervention (Linking Individuals Being Emotionally Real, LIBER8) or a weight management group (2BFit). Following each meeting, participants completed satisfaction measures, and therapists assessed intervention feasibility. Participants also completed assessments of eating behavior and related psychological constructs at baseline, immediately following the intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Descriptive statistics indicated that LIBER8 was feasible, and participants were highly satisfied with this intervention. Significant reductions in eating disorder cognitions, dietary restraint, and eating in response to negative affect were observed for participants in both groups, with no differences between LIBER8 and 2BFit. DISCUSSION: The acceptability and feasibility of LIBER8 and associated reductions in emotional eating show promise in ameliorating binge eating and provide insight into multiple options for treating this challenging eating concern.

Adolescent Girls and Their Mothers Talk About Experiences of Binge and Loss of Control Eating.

Evidence suggests that adolescents' experience of binge eating (BE) might differ in important ways from that of adults. Moreover, although BE appears more common in African American women than other disordered eating behaviors, little is known about the influence of cultural factors on this behavior in adolescents. The current investigation used qualitative methodology to examine the perceptions of White and African American adolescent girls and their mothers regarding experiences of binge and loss of control eating. Five focus groups were completed with 19 adolescent girls (aged 13-17, 58 % African American, 41 % White) who endorsed loss of control eating behaviors. Their mothers (N = 19) also completed separate, concurrent focus groups addressing food and eating behaviors. Responses to focus group questions were analyzed using thematic qualitative analysis. Adolescents' awareness of their eating behaviors varied greatly. Girls reported some awareness of how emotions influence their eating behaviors, and described using food to achieve autonomy. Mothers evidenced awareness of their daughters' problematic eating behaviors, the effects of emotions on eating for both their daughters and themselves, and sociocultural factors influencing diet. Data from these focus groups can inform the development of innovative interventions for adolescent girls engaging in loss of control eating.

LIBER8 design and methods: an integrative intervention for loss of control eating among African American and White adolescent girls.

Loss of control (LOC) eating affects a significant number of adolescents of all racial and ethnic backgrounds and is associated with numerous psychosocial problems, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and weight concerns. However, empirically validated, culturally sensitive treatments for adolescents with these disordered eating behaviors are not available. This pilot project involved designing a developmentally and culturally appropriate treatment for LOC eating for adolescent girls. We intend to conduct multiple focus groups with adolescent girls who engage in LOC eating, and their primary caregivers. Data from these groups will inform the subsequent creation of a manualized treatment protocol. We will then evaluate the efficacy of this intervention (LIBER8-Linking Individuals Being Emotionally Real) to reduce LOC eating. This intervention will integrate components of dialectical behavior therapy, such as mindfulness and distress tolerance skills training, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. We will also integrate text-messaging, a key adolescent communication strategy, as a means of self-monitoring. Participants meeting study criteria will be offered participation in this 12-week randomized controlled trial comparing LIBER8 to a weight management control condition (2BFit). We hypothesize that this intervention will serve to reduce LOC eating, as well as improve psychosocial functioning as evidenced by decreased depression, anxiety, eating disorder cognitions, emotional eating, impulsivity, and improved quality of life. The feasibility and acceptability of this intervention will be extensively evaluated with the explicit intent of informing a subsequent larger randomized controlled trial.