Ep. 30: Food Insecurity and Eating Disorders: The Research with Dr. Carolyn Becker

In this episode Anna L. and Anna M. have a conversation with Carolyn Becker, PhD, a professor of psychology and licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in PTSD, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders. We highlight Dr. Becker’s research, which focuses on the link between food insecurity and eating disorders.

We discuss: 

• How Dr. Becker’s research shaped how people think about, talk about, and research eating disorders
• The power of the traditional eating disorder stereotype and how Dr. Becker’s research works to dismantle it
• The linear relationship between the level of food insecurity and eating disorder pathology, internalized weight stigma, and depression 
• Shifting how we look at and conceptualize the term ‘dietary restraint’
• How consciously restricting your intake when food is available may put you at higher risk for eating disorder pathology
• How to prevent eating disorders in people who experience food insecurities

Carolyn Black Becker, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology and licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of PTSD, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders. Trained at Rutgers University, she is board certified in behavioral and cognitive therapy, and specializes in the implementation of scientifically-supported interventions in clinical and real-world settings. Dr. Becker has published numerous peer-reviewed papers, and she also co-authored Exposure for Eating Disorders published by Oxford University Press and Cognitive Behavior Therapy for PTSD: A Case Formulation Approach by Guilford Press Dr. Becker is a fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and the Association for Psychological Science. She is past president of both the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology and the Academy for Eating Disorders. Dr. Becker has received numerous awards including the Lori Irving Award for Excellence in Eating Disorders Prevention and Awareness granted by the National Eating Disorders Association and the Academy for Eating Disorders Research-Practice Partnership Award. Dr. Becker’s work has been covered by a number of media outlets including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN and US News and World Report.

Links:

• Keesha Middlemass | Howard University People Profile
• They Starved So That Others Be Better Fed: Remembering Ancel Keys and the Minnesota Experiment
• Food Insecurity and Eating Disorder Pathology
• Lutz, Alexander & Associates Nutrition Therapy
• Pinney Davenport Nutrition