Preventing Obesity By 55%*

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Preventing obesity with greater success

*Researchers at Oregon Research Institute have developed a new obesity prevention program that is highly successful.

Working with young women, this program has prevented the development of obesity by 55% and the development of eating disorders by 61%.

Not only that, but the effects have been maintained three years after the program concluded.

One key factor seems to be emphasizing a healthy lifestyle based on calories in and calories out, rather than just a diet.

Researchers tested 481 adolescent girls for body image and then divided them into four groups: a dissonance-based thin-ideal internalization reduction group, a healthy weight lifestyle group, an expressive writing group, and an assessment only control group.

The dissonance group showed 60% reduction of eating disorders, but only the healthy lifestyle group showed both 61% reduction of eating disorders and 55% reduction of obesity (Stice E, Dissonance and healthy weight eating disorder prevention programs: long-term effects from a randomized efficacy trial, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, April 2008).

Dr. Stice is continuing his work in Eugene, Oregon with college-age women.