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Transdiagnostic views on eating disorders and obesity and new approaches for treatment

Project description

Novel behavioural interventions to address eating disorders

Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, along with overweight/obesity, are widespread. They cause tremendous suffering, elevated suicide rates, and multiple organic effects that increase all-cause mortality. In this context, the European Research Council-funded NewEat project plans to develop an integrated theoretical framework by studying psychological factors that contribute to non-homeostatic eating across the full spectrum of eating-related disorders. The proposed model will be reviewed using psychometric testing, smartphone-based ambulatory assessment and neurocognitive laboratory measurement. This will help in the design of novel behavioural interventions such as smartphone-based stimulus control and cognitive inhibition training. The findings will have implications for theoretical models of eating and weight disorders as well as for neuroaffective models of appetite regulation.

Objective

Eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN), Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and overweight/obesity are highly prevalent in the EU and worldwide. They cause tremendous suffering, elevate suicide rates, and account for multiple organic effects that increase all-cause mortality. Etiological and maintenance factors are not well understood and transdiagnostic theoretical models across eating and weight disorders are largely missing. The present project aims to develop an integrated theoretical framework by studying psychological factors that contribute to non-homeostatic eating across the full spectrum of eating-related disorders. It is proposed that high levels on psychological traits such as restraint eating (i.e. chronic dieting behaviour), emotional eating (i.e. eating in response to negative emotional events rather than hunger), craving/food addiction (i.e. intense and chronic urge to consume palatable foods), impulsivity (i.e. inadequate food consumption planning and low self-control), and low self-esteem influence neural systems that balance appetitive (mostly bottom-up) with regulatory (mostly top-down) processes. This model is tested in the four patient groups and healthy controls utilizing an integrated set of assessment methods, involving psychometric testing, smartphone based ambulatory assessment, and neurocognitive laboratory measurement. Derived from this model, novel behavioural interventions such as smartphone based stimulus control and cognitive inhibition training will be developed.
Results will have implications for theoretical models of eating and weight disorders as well as for neuroaffective models of appetite regulation. Smartphone technology might usefully complement current interventions in supporting an effective transfer to daily life and help alleviate the burden for patients with eating-related mental and physical diseases.

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Topic(s)

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ERC-STG - Starting Grant

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2014-STG

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Host institution

PARIS-LODRON-UNIVERSITAT SALZBURG
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 327 016,25
Address
KAPITELGASSE 4-6
5020 SALZBURG
Austria

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Region
Westösterreich Salzburg Salzburg und Umgebung
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 327 016,25

Beneficiaries (1)

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