Maritime Eating & Appearance Lab

Our Research

 

Research Focus 1

Understanding

Basic research deepens our understanding of disordered eating and body image disturbances, ensuring we conceptualize these concerns in a valid way, and helping to create a safer, kinder, and more accepting world for all people.

Research Focus 2

Prevention

Disordered eating and body image concerns are a drain on human potential, with serious consequences for health and quality of life. We are invested in exploring how we can prevent such concerns from ever arising.

Research Focus 3

Treatment

Overcoming an eating disorder or body image concerns can be extremely difficult. Using a variety of methodologies, our research investigates how treatment and outcomes can be improved.

 

Recent & Ongoing Research

 
Lab Log
Experiences and perspectives of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Indigenous adults living in Manitoba
Experiences and perspectives of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Indigenous adults living in Manitoba

This qualitative study published in Appetite explored perspectives and experiences with addictive-like consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among Indigenous adults. In collaboration with three Indigenous-led organizations as well as researchers Natalie Riediger and Anne Waugh at the University of Manitoba, interviews were conducted with residents of three communities: Island Lake Anisininew First Nation, Flin Flon, and Winnipeg’s North End.

Overcoming Barriers in Eating Disorder Care
Overcoming Barriers in Eating Disorder Care

Hot off the press: our recently-published article in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism! This paper highlights the importance of understanding how systemic factors such as racism, weight stigma, and COVID-19 affect the assessment and treatment of eating disorders, and proposed strategies for addressing these inequities. We provide actionable recommendations for clinicians working with individuals with eating disorders; professional development, cultural competence, and equitable assessment and treatment practices are discussed.

Nutritional considerations for gender-diverse people: A qualitative mini review
Nutritional considerations for gender-diverse people: A qualitative mini review

This article summarizes qualitative literature on nutritional considerations for gender-diverse people. We discuss the need for increased trans literacy among clinicians, the creation of safe spaces for gender-diverse people with eating disorders, and the importance of dual competencies in eating disorders treatment and gender-affirming care. Read it in Frontiers in Nutrition!

Health service use among clients with eating disorders in New Brunswick
Health service use among clients with eating disorders in New Brunswick

By examining administrative health data, we hope to gauge how often eating disorders appear in NB health records, the populations who access care for eating disorders, and the costs of seeking care. Hopefully, this information will inform efforts to build treatment capacity in NB!

Use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in eating disorder populations
Use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in eating disorder populations

Despite glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1As; e.g., semaglutide) increasingly being the topic of clinical and public discourse, little is known about their potential impact on ED symptoms. Read more about it in our article in IJED!

Research Advisory Council
Research Advisory Council

Join our Research Advisory Council!

Recruiting participants!
Recruiting participants!

We are recruiting participants for a study on lived experiences of eating disorders and substance use!

Normative body image development: A longitudinal meta-analysis of mean-level change
Normative body image development: A longitudinal meta-analysis of mean-level change

Check out this recent publication in the Body Image!

Peer-reviewed Articles:

  1. Keshen, A. R., Trappenberg, N., Bartel, S., Harris, A., Taylor, V., Whitney, J., Gamberg, S., Price, C., & Trottier, K. (2025). Concurrent delivery of written exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder treatment in an intensive eating disorder program: a case series. Eating Disorders, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2025.2453258

  2. Cuijpers, P., Harrer, M., Miguel, C., Keshen, A., Karyotaki, E., & Linardon, J. (2024). Absolute and relative outcomes of cognitive behavior therapy for eating disorders in adults: a meta-analysis. Eating Disorders, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2024.2421057

  3. Lacroix, E., Fatur, K., Hay, P., Touyz, S. & Keshen, A. (2024). Psychedelics and the treatment of eating disorders: Considerations for future research and practice. Journal of Eating Disorders, 12(165). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-024-01125-6

  4. Kuijper, L., Lacroix, E., Singh, G., Champagne, M., Beardy, B., Duboiz, R., Wood, L., Harper, M. J., Beck, K., Kisselgoff, M., Mann, K., Waugh, A. K. A., Thériault, C., Tait, M., Bombak, A. & Riediger, N. (2024). Experiences and perspectives of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Indigenous adults living in Manitoba. Appetite, 202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107637

  5. Mittertreiner, E. J. E., Couturier, J., Simone, M., Small, C., Courtney-Martin, G., Moisey, L., ... & Lacroix, E. (2024). Overcoming Barriers in Eating Disorder Care: Advances, Gaps, and Recommendations for Equitable Assessment and Treatment. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2024-0088

  6. Magel, C. A., Lacroix, E., Wilson, S., Iacono, W. G., & von Ranson, K. M. (2024). Shifting goalposts: Widening discrepancies between girls’ actual and ideal bodies predict disordered eating from preadolescence to adulthood. Development and Psychopathology. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579424000907

  7. Rudy, L. & Lacroix, E. (2024). Substance use disorders in hospice palliative care (HPC): A narrative review of challenges and a case for physician intervention. Palliative & Supportive Care, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951523001402

  8. Mittertreiner, E., Hunter, A. & Lacroix, E. (2024). Nutritional considerations for gender-diverse people: A qualitative mini-review. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1332953

  9. Bartel, S., McElroy, S. L., Levangie, D., & Keshen, A. (2023). Use of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists in eating disorder populations. International Journal of Eating Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24109

  10. Miller, M., Boulos, L., Bartel, S., Hunter, A., & Lacroix, E. (2023). Integrated treatment for comorbid eating disorders and substance use disorders: A scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis. https://doi.org/10.11124/JBIES-23-00052

  11. Lacroix, E., Wilson, S., McGue, M., Iacono, W. G., & von Ranson, K. M. (2023). Trajectories and personality predictors of eating pathology development in girls from preadolescence to adulthood. Clinical Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026231192271

  12. Dixon, L., Bartel, S., Brown, V., Ali, S., Gamberg, S., Murphy, A., Brewer, K.L., McElroy, S.L., Kaplan, A., Nunes, A., & Keshen, A. (2023). Secondary outcomes and qualitative findings of an open-label feasibility trial of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate for adults with bulimia nervosa. Journal of Eating Disorders. 11, 81. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00796-x

  13. Lacroix, E., Smith, A.J., Husain, I.A., Orth, U., von Ranson, K.M. (2023). Normative body image development: A longitudinal meta-analysis of mean-level change. Body Image, 45, 238-264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.03.003

  14. Keshen, A. R., Hilbert, A., Taylor, V., Harris, A. L., Trappenberg, N., Sadek, J., ... & Murray, S. B. (2022). Effect of stimulant medication on loss of control eating in youth with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A prospective, observational case series study protocol. Journal of Eating Disorders. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1914738/v1

  15. Keshen, A., Kaplan, A. S., Masson, P., Ivanova, I., Simon, B., Ward, R., ... & Carter, J. C. (2022). Binge eating disorder: Updated overview for primary care practitioners. Canadian Family Physician, 68(6), 416. https://doi.org/10.46747/cfp.6806416

  16. Keshen, A., Bartel, S., Frank, G. K., Svedlund, N. E., Nunes, A., Dixon, L., ... & McElroy, S. L. (2022). The potential role of stimulants in treating eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 55(3), 318-331. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23650

  17. Lacroix, E. & von Ranson, K. M. (2021). Body image disturbance partially explains eating-related psychosocial impairment in food addiction. Eating Behaviors, 41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2021.101512

  18. Ali, S. I., Bodnar, E., Gamberg, S., Bartel, S. J., Waller, G., Nunes, A., Dixon, L., & Keshen, A. (2021). The costs and benefits of intensive day treatment programs and outpatient treatments for eating disorders: An idea worth researching. International Journal of Eating Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23514

  19. Keshen, A. R., Dixon, L., Ali, S. I., Helson, T., Nunes, A., Milliken, H., Gamberg, S., Sadek, J., Kaplan, A., McElroy, S. L. (2021). A feasibility study evaluating lisdexamfetamine dimesylate for the treatment of adults with bulimia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23480

  20. Ali, S. I., Dixon, L., Boudreau, C., Davis, C., Gamberg, S., Bartel, S. J., Matheson, K., Farrell, N. R., & Keshen, A. (2021). Understanding the effects of reductionist biological views of eating disorder etiology on patient attitudes and behavior. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(4), 488– 491. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23464

  21. Lacroix, E. & von Ranson, K. M. (2020). Lived experience and defining addictive-like eating: A synthesis of qualitative research. Current Addiction Reports, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-020-00343-7

  22. Oliveira, E., Kim, H. S., Lacroix, E., de Fatima Vasques, M., Durante, C. R., Periera, D., Cabral, J. R., Bernstein, P. S., Garcia, X., Ritchie, E. V., & Tavares, H. (2020). The clinical utility of food addiction: Characteristics and psychosocial impairments in a treatment-seeking sample. Nutrients, 12(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113388

  23. Oliveira, E., Lacroix, E., Stravogiannis, A. L. C., de Fátima Vasques, M., Durante, C. R., Duran, É. P., Pereira, D., Cabral, J. R., & Tavares, H. (2020). Treatment of food addiction: Preliminary results. Archives of Clinical Psychiatry, 47(5). https://doi.org/10.1590/0101-60830000000256

  24. Lacroix, E. & von Ranson, K. M. (2020). Prevalence of social, cognitive, and emotional impairment among individuals with food addiction. Eating and Weight Disorders, 26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-01014-2

  25. Lacroix, E., Atkinson, M., Garbett, K. M., & Diedrichs, P. (2020). One size does not fit all: Trajectories of body esteem development and their predictors in early adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420000917

  26. Keshen, A., Helson, T., Ali, S., Dixon, L., Tregarthen, J., & Town, J. (2020). Efficacy and acceptability of self‐monitoring via a smartphone application versus traditional paper records in an intensive outpatient eating disorder treatment setting. European Eating Disorders Review, 28, 473-479. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2727

  27. Paterson, C., Lacroix, E., & von Ranson, K. M. (2019). Conceptualizing addictive-like eating: A qualitative analysis. Appetite, 141, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2019.104326

  28. Lacroix, E., Oliveira, E., Saldanha de Castro, J., Cabral, J. R., Tavares, H., & von Ranson, K. M. (2019). “There is no way to avoid the first bite”: A qualitative investigation of addictive-like eating in treatment-seeking Brazilian women and men. Appetite, 137, 35–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2019.02.008

  29. Tobin, L., Lacroix, E., & von Ranson, K. M. (2019). Evaluating an abbreviated three-factor structure of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire in three samples. Eating Behaviors, 32, 18–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2018.11.003

  30. Keshen, A., Helson, T., Ali, S., Dixon, L., Ivanova, I., Masson, P. C., Treasure, J., Warren, K., Scattolon, Y., Aubie, C., & Town, J. (2019). A self-help carer intervention as an adjunct to adult outpatient eating disorder treatment. Eating Behaviors, 36, 101359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2019.101359

  31. Lacroix, E., Tavares, H., & von Ranson, K. M. (2018). Moving beyond the ‘eating addiction’ versus ‘food addiction’ debate: Comment on Schulte et al. (2017). Appetite, 130, 286–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.06.025

  32. Nicoli de Mattos, C., Kim, H. S., Lacroix, E., Filomensky, T. Z., Hodgins, D. C., & Tavares, H. (2018). The need to consume: Hoarding as a shared psychological feature of compulsive buying and binge eating. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 85, 67–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2018.06.010

  33. Nunes, A., Helson, T. J., Dixon, L. M., Trappenberg, T., & Keshen, A. R. (2018). Characteristic impairments of goal-directed and habitual control in bulimia nervosa. bioRxiv, 348250. https://doi.org/10.1101/348250

  34. Toivonen, K. I., Lacroix, E., Flynn, M. J., Ronksley, P., Oinonen, K. A., Metcalfe, A., & Campbell, T. S. (2018). Folic acid supplementation during the preconception period: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine, 114, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.05.023

  35. Lacroix, E., Dobson, K., & von Ranson, K. M. (2017). Scope and ethics of psychologists’ use of client testimonials on professional websites. Canadian Psychology, 59(3), 232–238. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000123

  36. Lacroix, E., Alberga, A., Mayhew, S., McLaren, L., & von Ranson, K. M. (2017). Weight bias: A systematic review of characteristics and psychometric properties of self-report questionnaires. Obesity Facts, 10(3), 223–237. https://doi.org/10.1159/000475716

  37. Keshen, A., & Helson, T. (2017). Preliminary Evidence for the Off‐Label Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa With Psychostimulants: Six Case Reports. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 57(7), 818-822. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.868

  38. Keshen, A., Helson, T., Town, J., & Warren, K. (2017). Self-efficacy as a predictor of treatment outcome in an outpatient eating disorder program. Eating Disorders, 25(5), 406-419. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2017.1324073

Dr. Lacroix’s articles can be accessed for free on the UNB Scholar Repository.

Want to learn more about the people who developed these works?

They’re a pretty cool bunch.