In this randomized controlled trial, 108 women with binge-eating disorder (BED) recruited from the community were assigned to either an adapted motivational interviewing (AMI) group (1 individual AMI session + self-help handbook) or control group (handbook only). They were phoned 4, 8, and 16 weeks following the initial session to assess binge eating and associated symptoms (depression, self-esteem, quality of life). Postintervention, the AMI group participants were more confident than those in the control group in their ability to change binge eating. Although both groups reported improved binge eating, mood, self-esteem, and general quality of life 16 weeks following the intervention, the AMI group improved to a greater extent. A greater proportion of women in the AMI group abstained from binge eating (27.8% vs. 11.1%) and no longer met the binge frequency criterion of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) for BED (87.0% vs. 57.4%). AMI may constitute a brief, effective intervention for BED and associated symptoms.

The recently developed Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) and Swansea Muscularity Attitudes Questionnaire (SMAQ) were both designed to assess attitudes about muscularity and the motivation to become more muscular. The authors of the present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the DMS and the SMAQ in a university sample of 53 male and 51 female recreational weightlifters and non-weightlifters. Although the SMAQ demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and validity among male non-weightlifters, its psychometric properties were weaker among male weightlifters and women. In contrast, the internal consistency and validity of the DMS were acceptable among men and women regardless of weightlifting status. These analyses suggest the DMS may have particular utility as a brief measure of muscularity-related body image concerns among university men and women.

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BackgroundMany individuals with eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa (AN), engage in overexercise. Little is known about fitness professionals’ perceptions of their responsibilities when interacting with clients with possible AN. The purpose of the current study was to examine Alberta fitness professionals’ experiences with clients suspected of having AN, and their views on related ethical issues. Specifically, we aimed to examine (1) their experiences with fitness clients suspected of having AN; (2) their opinions about related ethical responsibilities of fitness professionals; and (3) their views on related training and ethical issues.MethodsWe administered a 21-item online survey to 143 Canadian fitness professionals about their experiences and perspectives on encountering individuals with possible AN in exercise classes and at their exercise facilities.ResultsSixty-two percent of respondents had encountered a client they believed had AN. Three-quarters had never received any training on managing clients with AN and felt inadequately prepared for such situations. Although most felt ethically obliged to intervene with such a client, more than two-thirds reported no relevant guidelines in their professional training.ConclusionsMany fitness professionals are faced with clients with possible AN, have the desire to help, feel ethically obligated to take action, but do not know what course of action to take, if any. Work is needed to clarify ethical issues and related training needs for certification programs for fitness professionals regarding AN.

The present study developed word lists describing three categories of body build--fat, thin, and muscular--for use in investigating cognitive risk factors for body dissatisfaction. Fifty-one men and 51 women rated the categorization, valence, and familiarity of 284 body-related adjectives in order to develop the final lists. The normative frequency of each of the 284 words was determined using an index of American English. The final 19- to 26-item word lists were constructed so that the average number of syllables, word length, word frequency, and mean percentage of categorization agreement were comparable. The availability of these word lists will facilitate future cognitive research into a key risk factor for eating disorders.