Article

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the feasibility of Basic Body Awareness Therapy in people
with eating disorders. DESIGN:
A randomized controlled trial; the assessors were
not blinded to the group allocation. SETTING:
The eating disorders department
within a hospital setting. SUBJECTS: Twenty-eight outpatients with eating
disorders for less than five years. Intervention: All patients received standard
outpatient treatment. The intervention group (n = 14) also received Basic Body
Awareness Therapy for seven weeks. MAIN MEASURES: Eating Disorder Inventory,
Eating Attitude Test, Body Attitude Test and Quality of Life Scale SF-36.
RESULTS: Analysing the differences between both groups, significant differences
were found in Eating Disorder Inventory (mean difference: 26.3; P = 0.015) and in
its subscales 'drive to thinness' (P = 0.003), 'body dissatisfaction' (P = 0.025)
and 'ineffectiveness' (P = 0.014). Also in Body Attitude Test (mean difference:
33.0; P = 0.012), Eating Attitude Test-40 (mean difference: 17.7;
P = 0.039) and
SF-36 in the section 'mental health' (mean difference: 13.0; P = 0.002).
CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown some effectiveness of Basic Body Awareness
Therapy in improving some symptoms in outpatients with eating disorders. Further
studies should include larger samples, double-blinded and placebo methodologies,
and should focus on questions such as which eating disorder diagnoses benefit
most from physical therapy.

Langue : ANGLAIS