Eating disorders affect all populations from race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender and disabilities. These populations often remain undetected. Multicultural eating disorders studies also demonstrate that contributing eating disorder factors for multicultural populations may be unique to their race/ethnicity/sexual orientation/gender (Harris and Kuba, 1997; Harris, Kuba & O'Toole, 2012). Often these contributing factors involve cultural dynamics, racism, oppression, assimilation to dominant culture standards and identity confusion (Harris and Kuba, 1997; Harris, Kuba & O'Toole, 2012). The levels of impairment reported by multicultural populations with eating disorders coupled with their low levels of treatment utilization have serious consequences (Marques, et.al., 2010; Alegria, et.al., 2007). Review current research and screening models for multicultural populations in this workshop. You are asked to bring your curiosity and share your experiences. Discuss areas for further research and clinical care in a collaborative fashion with the instructor and your fellow students.
Learner Outcomes
- Document the increasing incidence of eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction in women of color and queer women and explain some of the cultural and psychosocial dynamics that contribute to these recent trends
- Explore media influences on women of color and queer women with eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction
- Explore how issues of poverty, substance use, trauma and weight bias affect eating disorders and body image for women of color and queer women
- Explore treatment options using case examples
- Propose strategies to augment research, diagnosis and treatment for women of color and queer women with eating disorders