Loughborough University Researchers Take LEAP Forward In The Treatment Of Anorexia Nervosa

Main Category: Eating Disorders
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 27 Feb 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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Researchers at Loughborough University's Centre for Research into Eating Disorders (LUCRED) have developed a new treatment for Anorexia Nervosa aimed at tackling the reliance of excessive exercise by patients.

Under the supervision of Dr Caroline Meyer, LUCRED Director,the work of PhD student Lorin Taranis has led to a recent pilot trial of a new psychological treatment LEAP, which stands for Loughborough Eating disorders Activity theraPy. LEAP is currently the focus of a large Randomised Control Trial funding bid in collaboration with the University of Sydney and Leicester NHS Eating Disorders Service.

Dr Meyer said: "Current treatments for Anorexia Nervosa are limited in their effectiveness. Even the world's most eminent clinicians, delivering the current best practice treatments only achieve a good clinical outcome with approximately 50% of their patients.

One of the factors that predicts poor outcome is the reliance of excessive exercise as a means of controlling weight, shape and mood. Patients for whom exercise is a characteristic of their eating disorder are more likely to require hospitalisation, have a longer length of inpatient treatment and are more likely to have poor therapeutic outcome or relapse.

Previous research suggests that up to 80% of anorexic patients excessively exercise during the acute phase of their disorder. However, prior to LEAP there have been no focussed attempts at reducing an individual's use of exercise."

LUCREDis currently undertaking numerous research studies aimed at understanding exercise within the context of eating disorders and barriers to successful treatment. This includes a large scale study looking at the long-term predictors of pathological exercise cognition and behaviours among adolescents.

National Eating Disorders Week, which is running from February 22-28, is held every year to raise awareness to help prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment.

Jo Lumani
Senior Public Relations Officer
Loughborough University
http://www.lboro.ac.uk