ABSTRACT
A s discussed in chapter 6, social cognitive and cognitive-behavioral models of prevention presume that in order to prevent eating disorders, one must identify specific risk and protective factors for those disorders and then intervene to block or disrupt the destructive pathways. This has led proponents to use cognitive social learning mechanisms (direct instruction, live and symbolic modeling, guided practice) to reduce weight concerns, body dissatisfaction, calorie-restrictive dieting, and negative emotions (see chapters 5 and 9). This approach is compelling because of its logical appeal and because it has been applied with some success in preventive medicine and in the prevention of cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse (see chapter 10). In addition, the diseasespecific perspective has helped to illuminate some specific risk factors for eating disorders and problems (Stice, 2001b, 2002; see chapter 5), and it has produced a few promising prevention programs (see chapters 6 and 9). However, it has also delayed progress in prevention because a number of influential experts in the field of eating disorders believe that “We’re just not ready to do good prevention work because we don’t know the specific developmental pathways to disordered eating.”
