Deborah R. Glasofer

A Pilot Study of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Preventing Excess Weight Gain in Adolescent Girls At-risk for Obesity

OBJECTIVE Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is effective at reducing binge episodes and inducing weight stabilization in obese adults with binge eating disorder. METHOD We piloted the administration of IPT to girls at-risk for excess weight gain (BMI 75th-97th percentile; IPT-WG) with and without loss of control (LOC) eating. Thirty-eight girls (12-17 years) were randomized to IPT-WG or a standard-of-care health education group. RESULTS All 38 girls completed the programs and all follow-up visits through 6 months. Thirty-five of 38 returned for a complete assessment visit at 1 year. Among girls with baseline LOC (n = 20), those in IPT-WG experienced greater reductions in such episodes than girls in health education (p = .036). Regardless of LOC status, over 1 year girls in IPT-WG were less likely to increase their BMI as expected for their age and BMI percentile (p = .028). DISCUSSION IPT-WG is feasible and acceptable to adolescent girls at-risk for adult obesity and may prevent excess weight gain over 1 year.

Preventing Excessive Weight Gain in Adolescents: Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Binge Eating

The most prevalent disordered eating pattern described in overweight youth is loss of control (LOC) eating, during which individuals experience an inability to control the type or amount of food they consume. LOC eating is associated cross‐sectionally with greater adiposity in children and adolescents and seems to predispose youth to gain weight or body fat above that expected during normal growth, thus likely contributing to obesity in susceptible individuals. No prior studies have examined whether LOC eating can be decreased by interventions in children or adolescents without full‐syndrome eating disorders or whether programs reducing LOC eating prevent inappropriate weight gain attributable to LOC eating. Interpersonal psychotherapy, a form of therapy that was designed to treat depression and has been adapted for the treatment of eating disorders, has shown efficacy in reducing binge eating episodes and inducing weight stabilization among adults diagnosed with binge eating disorder. In this paper, we propose a theoretical model of excessive weight gain in adolescents at high risk for adult obesity who engage in LOC eating and associated overeating patterns. A rationale is provided for interpersonal psychotherapy as an intervention to slow the trajectory of weight gain in at‐risk youth, with the aim of preventing or ameliorating obesity in adulthood.

Rationale for the application of exposure and response prevention to the treatment of anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a life threatening and difficult to treat illness with a high relapse rate. Current treatments are inadequate and new approaches to treatment are needed. METHOD We review the data on anxiety in AN, the relationship between anxiety disorders and AN, and the use of Exposure and Response Prevention in treatment. RESULTS The overlap between AN and anxiety disorders suggest a model of AN in which baseline anxiety features yield eating related fears, avoidance behaviors, and ritualized safety behaviors that promote the underweight state and the perpetuation of the disorder. We propose an Exposure and Response Prevention treatment to prevent relapse in AN. DISCUSSION Overlap between AN and anxiety disorders suggests that Exposure and Response Prevention may be a new and beneficial approach to preventing relapse in individuals with AN.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a first-line psychotherapeutic treatment for bulimia nervosa (BN). This article outlines three specific interventions--introducing and using the CBT model of BN, self-monitoring of eating and related experiences, and psychoeducation regarding various aspects of BN--representative of CBT overall but unique in their application to individuals with BN. The theoretical basis and supporting research relevant to each technique are highlighted. Clinical vignettes are provided to illustrate how these interventions might be integrated into the psychotherapy.

Plasma Tryptophan During Weight Restoration in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa

BACKGROUND Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a mental disorder characterized by low weight and concerns about body shape and weight. Disturbance in serotonin function has been described as central to the psychobiology of this disorder. Plasma tryptophan (TRP), the essential amino acid needed for serotonin production, is known to be low following acute caloric restriction but has not been measured during the course of refeeding. METHODS Plasma TRP and other large neutral amino acids (LNAA) levels were measured in 26 female patients with AN and 15 control subjects. Patient levels were measured at admission for inpatient treatment, after 1 week of treatment, and upon weight restoration to weight > or =90% ideal body weight (IBW). For 17 patients, an additional assessment was made when weight reached 80% IBW. Plasma levels were obtained on one occasion from healthy control subjects. RESULTS Plasma TRP and TRP/LNAA ratio increased significantly during refeeding process. Plasma TRP in patients was 46.88 nmol/mL (SD = 19.59) on admission and 55.54 nmol/L/mL (SD = 8.1) at normal weight, p < .05. The ratio of TRP to LNAA was .11 (SD = .03) on admission and .13 (SD = .02) at normal weight, p < .05. Plasma TRP is significantly lower in low-weight patients than in healthy control subjects (TRP = 53.73 [SD = 8.21]), but there was no significant difference between control subjects and normal-weight patients. CONCLUSIONS Plasma TRP normalizes during the course of refeeding, supporting the hypothesis that serotonin function is disturbed in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Self‐efficacy beliefs and eating behavior in adolescent girls at‐risk for excess weight gain and binge eating disorder

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between self-related agency beliefs and observed eating behavior in adolescent girls with loss of control (LOC) eating. METHOD One-hundred eleven adolescent girls (14.5 ± 1.7 years; BMI: 27.1 ± 2.6 kg/m(2)) were administered the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire (WEL). Adolescents then participated in a laboratory test meal. RESULTS Greater general and eating self-efficacy were associated with fewer episodes of LOC eating. General self-efficacy was inversely related to total intake at the meal (p < .01). Only the WEL availability subscale score, but not the other WEL subscales, was inversely related to total energy, snack, and dessert intake (ps < 0.05). DISCUSSION General self-related agency beliefs may be important in relation to energy consumption. Among girls susceptible to disordered eating and obesity, the domain-specific belief in ones ability to refrain from eating when food is widely available may be especially salient in determining overeating in the current food environment. Further research is therefore needed to assess the predictive validity of these beliefs on eating and weight outcomes.

Overcoming fear of eating: A case study of a novel use of exposure and response prevention.

Even after successful weight restoration, many patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) continue to exhibit maladaptive eating including repetitive behaviors (i.e., food rituals) used to decrease anxiety about food, and to describe fears related to food content, including its effect on shape and weight. Although there are important differences between eating disorders and anxiety disorders, the shared clinical phenomena suggest potentially useful overlap in treatment strategies. This case study will describe treatment of a woman with AN using Exposure and Response Prevention for Anorexia Nervosa (AN-EXRP) as an adjunct to concurrent inpatient treatment. This is a novel use of a treatment approach with established efficacy in the treatment of anxiety disorders. AN-EXRP specifically targets eating-related anxiety with the intent to improve the restrictive eating patterns that persist after acute weight restoration. The case study described includes descriptions of (a) the treatment rationale and its phases of implementation, (b) illustrative sample dialogue between the patient and therapist, (c) pre- and posttreatment data on outcome measures of interest (e.g., food intake at a laboratory meal, self-report anxiety ratings, self-report eating-related rituals, and preoccupations), and (d) therapist considerations (e.g., maintaining alliance, adhering to treatment frame). (PsycINFO Database Record