Future directions in eating disorder prevention

As can be seen in other entries in this section (e.g., Levine entry on the Current Status), there is an emerging evidence base for three targeted prevention programs (i.e., The Body Project; Healthy Weight; and Student Bodies) and some promise for two universal prevention programs (i.e., Media Smart; and the Spanish program Eating, Aesthetic Feminine Models and the Media.). It must be said that this is a considerable improvement on the status of eating disorder prevention compared to the turn of the century (Austin 2000). It is also pleasing that we now have reliable evidence for features of programs that are likely to lead to more favorable outcomes (e.g., interactive rather than didactic, health professional as a presenter). This section provides suggestions for future directions for the field.