New Study Tests Group Program to Help Young Women With Type 1 Diabetes Prevent Eating Disorders

Eating disorders and Type 1 diabetes can occur at the same time, and when they do, the combination poses serious health risks. People managing both conditions may experience worsening blood sugar control, reduced quality of life, microvascular complications, diabetic ketoacidosis, and a shortened lifespan. Despite how common this overlap is in young women with Type 1 diabetes, there are few proven prevention programs designed for this specific group.

The Australian Diabetes Body Project (ADBP) aims to fill this gap by testing whether a specialized group intervention can reduce eating disorder risk factors and symptoms in this population.

The ADBP is a cognitive dissonance-based group intervention—a therapeutic approach that helps people examine conflicting beliefs and reduce eating disorder risk. The program will be delivered online over six weeks and will be led by both a clinician and a peer who also has Type 1 diabetes.

This design combines professional expertise with lived experience, aiming to make the intervention more relatable and effective for young women managing Type 1 diabetes.

Researchers are recruiting 80 young women aged 15 to 30 years with Type 1 diabetes. Half will participate in the ADBP program, while the other half will receive educational videos as a comparison condition.

Participants will complete questionnaires at three time points—before the program starts, right after it ends, and three months later—measuring body dissatisfaction, eating behaviors, quality of life, and diabetes distress. Researchers will also review medical records to track changes in blood sugar control.

ADBP participants will be asked to share feedback about whether the program was helpful and acceptable to them.

This is a protocol paper, meaning it describes the plan for the study rather than results. The trial is designed to fill an important gap: it will be the first clinic-based randomized controlled trial examining whether a virtual cognitive dissonance-based intervention can reduce eating disorder risk in young women with Type 1 diabetes.

If effective, findings from this research could guide clinical practice both in Australia and globally, offering a much-needed prevention tool for a high-risk population.

Source: Diabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association. 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.