Is there a place for yoga in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours?

In the Spring of 2015, attendees of IAEDP in Phoenix were treated to a yoga workshop by Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, who joined Lisa Diers, E-RYT of The Emily Program. It was a beautiful demonstration illustrating the life changing potential of yoga in the ED population. Dianne has made considerable contributions to the field of ED Prevention and currently holds the position of Professor, Division Head, Epidemiology & Community Health at the University of Minnesota.

At the end of this article is the link to Dianne’s published paper about Yoga and Eating Disorders Prevention. Below are some excerpts:

“Given that the basic tenets of yoga seem to offer potential for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders, and yoga is being utilized within treatment programmes, it is worthwhile to explore its potential utility and consider necessary steps for future research”.

“…it is not the author’s opinion that yoga is the ‘be-all-and-end-all’ to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. It is, however, the author’s opinion that yoga provides another tool in the toolbox that may be suitable for some individuals. Given the popularity of yoga, its seemingly high level of acceptability among individuals at risk for disordered eating and eating disorders, and its potential for both benefits (if done correctly) and harm (if not), an exploration of its value in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders, disordered eating behaviours, and body dissatisfaction seems timely”.

Read full journal article at nih.gov