A New Program Targets Eating Concerns in Teens with Type 1 Diabetes

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes experience disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders at higher rates than teens without diabetes. This is a serious concern because disordered eating can make blood sugar management much harder and increase the risk of diabetes-related complications and serious health outcomes.

Despite how common this problem is, there hasn't been much focus on eating disorder prevention programs designed specifically for this population. Most programs available today aren't tailored to the unique challenges that come with managing both an eating concern and type 1 diabetes.

The Diabetes Body Project (DBP) is a prevention program built on cognitive dissonance—a psychological approach that has shown promise in reducing disordered eating in other groups. Previous research showed the program was acceptable and feasible for young adults, and it appeared to reduce disordered eating behaviors.

Now researchers want to know whether this program works for younger adolescents and in real-world clinical settings, where most teens actually receive their diabetes care.

This Australian pilot study is recruiting 24 teenage girls with type 1 diabetes from John Hunter Children's Hospital in New South Wales. The program runs for 6 weeks and is delivered online in small groups of about 6 teens.

What makes this version different is the addition of parent and caregiver involvement. Two group sessions have been developed specifically for parents and caregivers to participate in alongside their teens, recognizing that family support can be important during prevention work.

Researchers will measure outcomes at the start of the program, right after it ends, and then again at 3 and 6 months later. They're looking at whether the program reduces disordered eating behaviors and whether it affects blood sugar control.

This pilot study is an important first step in testing whether a specialized eating disorder prevention program can work for younger teens with type 1 diabetes in routine clinical care. The inclusion of parents and caregivers reflects growing understanding that prevention and support work best when the whole family is involved.

Results from this study will help researchers understand whether the Diabetes Body Project could become a regular offering at diabetes clinics to help protect teens from disordered eating and its serious complications.

Source: Frontiers in endocrinology. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.