DClinPsy Portfolio Volume 1 of 3 - University of Hertfordshire ...

Some advocate that prevention should begin in primary schools (e.g. Stice, 2005),
whereas others suggest that women naturally tend to find alternative aspirations which
enable them to reduce this behaviour (e.g. Keel et al, 2007). The protective factors (e.g.
flexibility in emotional processing and ‘acceptance’ (in ACT terms) of body image
dissatisfaction as normative may play a crucial role in moderating a female’s risk of
developing an eating problem.
Sim et al (2004) suggested that girls may use dietary restriction, binge-eating and other
eating disorder behaviors as a way to manage negative affect that they cannot identify or
with which they cannot cope (which may include negative affect about one’s body).
Learning other ways to cope or ‘accept’ in ACT terms may be useful as a means of
prevention as well as treatment. There is already some research espousing the
effectiveness of ACT in the treatment of anorexia (e.g. Heffner, Sperry, Eifert, Detweiler,
2002).
In summary, ACT suggests that most psychopathology is due to inflexible emotional
processing. It suggests that if psychological flexibility is increased it may enable
individuals to develop an accepting posture towards body dissatisfaction and
consequently decrease the risk of disordered eating in adolescence.
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