Effectiveness of Group Therapy on Increasing Body Acceptance and Improving Eating Behaviors in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a complex, multifactorial eating disorder characterized by severe weight loss, excessive fear of gaining weight, and negative body image. This disorder often occurs in adolescents and young adults, especially women, and is associated with significant psychological and physical consequences. One of the main factors maintaining this disorder is body dissatisfaction and unhealthy eating behaviors. In recent years, group therapies have been proposed as an effective approach for enhancing body acceptance and modifying eating attitudes, as they facilitate change through social support, empathy, and observational learning. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group therapy on increasing body acceptance and improving eating behaviors in patients with anorexia nervosa. A quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, and control group was used. The population included patients with anorexia nervosa referred to psychotherapy centers in Tehran in ۲۰۲۵. The sample consisted of patients meeting DSM-۵ diagnostic criteria, randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received group therapy based on body acceptance and eating behavior modification in ten ۹۰-minute sessions, while the control group received standard treatment. Research instruments included the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS) and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-۲۶). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). It is expected that the results will show that group therapies lead to a significant increase in body acceptance and a reduction in unhealthy eating behaviors in patients with anorexia nervosa. The findings of this study can contribute to enriching psychotherapeutic interventions, improving patients’ quality of life, and developing preventive programs in mental health.

Keywords:

Anorexia Nervosa , Body Acceptance , Eating Behaviors , Group Therapy