Significance of Body Image and Eating Disturbances

Eating disorders are one of the most prevalent classes of psychiatric disorders for adolescent and young-adult females, affecting approximately 10% of young women. Approximately 40-50% of women experience body dissatisfaction, which is a key risk factor for eating disorders. Unfortunately, less than 50% of those with eating disorders receive treatment and treatment can be very expensive. Thus, developing and disseminating effective prevention programs has become a public healthy priority. Of the many eating disorder prevention programs that have been created, very few have significantly reduced eating disorder risk factors and symptoms in controlled trials, and only two (Body Project, Project Health) have significantly reduced the risk for future onset of eating disorders.