Eating-related factors appear to be most strongly associated with LOC severity, while environmental factors were most associated with overeating severity. Interventions targeting maladaptive eating in youth with overweight/obesity may benefit from helping youth incorporate palatable foods and satisfy cravings in a planned and controlled manner, and enhancing awareness of social-contextual effects on eating.

Objective: No study to date has investigated an intervention program for male athletes that targets eating disorder risk factors. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of the Male Athlete Body Project (MABP), an adaptation of the Female Athlete Body Project on body dissatisfaction, drive for muscularity, body-ideal internalization, and muscle dysmorphia.Method: Participants were 79 male collegiate athletes who were randomized to the MABP (n = 39) or an assessment-only control condition (n = 40). All participants completed psychometrically validated measures at three time points: baseline, posttreatment (3 weeks after baseline for the control condition), and 1-month follow-up.Results: Hierarchical Linear Modeling assessed differences between conditions across time. Interaction effects revealed that participation in the MABP improved satisfaction with specific body parts and reduced drive for muscularity and body-ideal internalization at post-treatment compared to a control group. Athletes in the MABP also reported increased body areas satisfaction and reductions in drive for muscularity at 1-month follow-up. Reductions in supplement use were observed at 1-month follow-up only.Discussion: This study provides preliminary evidence of the efficacy of the MABP in reducing some eating disorder risk factors up to 1 month after the intervention; follow-up study considerations are discussed. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04077177Public Significance: This study highlights the importance of eating disorder and body image intervention efforts for male athletes. Findings suggest that male college athletes who attended a 3-session group intervention based on a well-established program for college women experienced an increase in satisfaction with specific body areas and a reduction in some eating disorder risk factors (e.g., drive for muscularity, supplement use, and body-ideal internalization) compared to a control group.

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Body dissatisfaction is associated with marked distress and often precipitates disordered eating symptomology. Literature on body dissatisfaction in athletes appears to be mixed, perhaps because athletes vary along several key characteristics related to how they experience their bodies. This study sought to investigate group differences in body dissatisfaction between sex (men vs. women), sport type (lean-promoting vs. non-lean-promoting), and division level (Division I vs. Division III). Collegiate athletes (N = 191) completed a self-report measure of body dissatisfaction, demographics, and sport characteristics. A factorial ANOVA revealed that women reported greater body dissatisfaction compared to men regardless of division level and sport type. There was an interaction between sex and sport type such that men in lean-promoting sports reported greater body dissatisfaction than men in non-lean-promoting sports. Findings suggest that some athletes participating in lean-promoting sports may be at risk of developing significant body dissatisfaction. Research on body dissatisfaction in collegiate athletes can be used to develop clinical interventions that aim to reduce body dissatisfaction and the potential of developing disordered eating and related psychopathology.