Chatbots Show Potential to Prevent Eating Disorders

In a recent study led by researchers from Palo Alto University and Washington University in St. Louis, a chatbot—a computer program that simulates human conversation—was found to potentially reduce the likelihood of an individual developing an eating disorder.

The findings, which were published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, suggest that a chatbot could be a cost-effective and easily disseminated intervention for eating disorders.

Female participants for the study were recruited through advertisements on various platforms, as well as the National Eating Disorder Association online eating disorder test. Women who did not have an active eating disorder, but exhibited risk factors for one, such as negative body image or excessive weight concern, were assigned to 2 groups: those who engaged with a chatbot and those who sat on a waitlist. The chatbot provided 8 conversation topics regarding body image and healthy eating. Chatbot users were encouraged to have 2 conversations with the platform per week.

After 3 and 6 months, women who engaged with the chatbot had larger drops in concerns expressed in a survey about weight and body image vs those who were placed in the waitlist group.

“Chatbots are widely used in industry and have begun to be used in medical settings although few studies have examined their effectiveness for mental health issues and none address eating disorders or eating disorder prevention,” Palo Alto’s C. Barr Taylor, MD, the study’s co-author, said in a news release.

References

A new study finds a chatbot effective for preventing eating disorders. News release; Palo Alto University. February 2, 2022. Accessed February 7, 2022.

Fitzsimmons‐Craft EE, Chan WW, Smith AC, et al. Effectiveness of a chatbot for eating disorders prevention: a randomized clinical trial. Int J Eat Disord. Published online December 28, 2021. doi:10.1002/eat.23662