ABSTRACT
Objective
Accumulating evidence suggests that people with eating disorders experience mainly negative impacts of out-of-home calorie labelling. This study explored eating disorder clinician perspectives on how such labels affect individuals with eating disorders, and their views on implementation of this policy.
Method
Semi-structured 1:1 interviews were conducted with 20 eating disorder clinicians from different professional disciplines across adolescent and adult services. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse interview transcripts.
Results
Four themes and nine subthemes were generated. Themes were: (1) Reinforcing disordered eating; (2) ‘Informed choice’; (3) Managing exposure; (4) Policy recommendations. Clinicians mainly identified negative impacts of calorie labelling, such as facilitating dietary restriction, although they also recognised some positives, such as reassurance. Within treatment, clinicians either shielded their patients from out-of-home calorie labels or facilitated exposure to such labels. Clinicians supported implementation options which promote individual autonomy about whether to view calorie information in out-of-home settings.
Conclusion
Eating disorder clinicians predominantly describe negative impacts of out-of-home calorie labelling on their patients but also identify positives for some individuals. Findings highlight the importance of clinicians tailoring strategies to individuals’ needs based on factors including developmental and recovery stage.