Eating Disorders In weight-related Therapy

The EDIT Collaboration brings together clinicians, researchers and individuals with lived experience from around the world to improve treatment for people affected by obesity and eating disorders.

Weight management interventions are usually extensive and complex, encompassing multiple lifestyle behaviours, and using a range of different strategies. Currently, there is a lack of evidence synthesis regarding components of weight management interventions which may increase or decrease the risk of eating disorders, and individual characteristics that may impact on someone’s risk of an eating disorder during and after weight management. This study aims to address these gaps in knowledge.

  • Aim 1

    To identify individual characteristics of adolescents and adults with obesity that are associated with increased eating disorder risk during and after behavioural weight management

  • Aim 2

    To deconstruct behavioural weight management interventions into their delivery features and strategies to determine if specific components increase or decrease eating disorder risk

  • Aim 3

    To develop predictive models using individual characteristics and intervention components that determine risk of eating disorders during behavioural weight management

  • Aim 4

    To develop resources and recommendations informed by data, stakeholders and consumers to reduce eating disorder development during behavioural weight management

No individual trial alone can answer these questions, hence we are establishing the EDIT Collaboration to bring together planned, ongoing and completed trials from around the world.

Innovative methods

Study 1: Consultation

Through consultation we will identify individual participant characteristics and intervention strategies which may contribute to an increase or decrease in eating disorder risk during weight management interventions, to be included in analysis.

Studies 2 and 3: Individual participant data meta-analyses

Individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis is the gold standard for combining trial data, providing greater power for estimation of treatment effects of rarer outcomes. It also enables reliable subgroup analyses. IPD will be used to identify individual predictors of eating disorder risk during weight management.

Study 4: Intervention deconstruction

Interventions will be deconstructed into their components, including delivery features and intervention strategies.

Study 5: Predictive modelling

Data will be combined from Studies 2, 3 and 4 to identify any interactions between individual characteristics and intervention strategies which may increase or decrease risk of eating disorders during weight management.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Click below to join our community of practice and receive collaboration updates.