Occupational Therapy News OTnews February 2020 | Page 31

EATING DISORDERS FEATURE
© GettyImages/KarepaStock
series of paper self-reporting assessments and signed the group
contract.
Group and individual goals were identified by completing a goal
setting activity and, from this, a collaborative group programme was
establish and delivered over an eight-week block.
The group was closed to allow for participants’ progression.
Incorporation of snacks was essential, to ensure people
appropriately fuelled their bodies to compensate for energy
expenditure in the sessions.
Following each exercise session, a 15-minute de-brief took
place to allow people to give feedback. Educational sessions ran
alongside the physical programme, either face-to-face or through
paper homework tasks, which addressed factors such as health
benefits, healthy approaches, body awareness, recognising
problems and addressing concerns, enjoyment, personal identity,
avoiding exhaustion, and positive re-enforcement.
Yoga and daily walks are already part of the eating disorder
treatment embedded within the group programme. Adding in a gym
and/or swimming session each week supported the evidence for
including strength training into an exercise programme.
The target group included patients:
• with an interest in exercise, as identified by an occupational
therapy initial assessment and interest checklist;
• with a body mass index (BMI) of over 17 (with advice from the
Priory eating disorders physiotherapy guidelines); who were fully
engaging in a meal plan; and
• who had completed, or were in the process of completing
the Loughborough Eating-Disorder Activity Therapy (LEAP)
programme (Taranis et al 2011), if compulsive exercise was
identified as an issue.
Monitoring change and progress
Patients used their individual exercise plans to allow them to
record and monitor change over the duration of the eight-week
block.
The use of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (Hart, Leary
and Rejeski 1989) was used as an outcome measure to identify
change and progress made. Verbal and written feedback
from patients also allowed facilitators to identify strengths and
weaknesses in the programme, and to further develop the
programme where required.
Twice-weekly weight monitoring continued as part of the eating
disorders treatment plan, but also allowed the multidisciplinary
team to ensure participants were engaging in the programme
appropriately and that there was no detrimental impact to weight
restoration.
Exercise as meaningful activity
The programme appeared to have a positive influence on the
participants’ mood, and self-perception, while improving core
strength, and educating people that exercise is a meaningful
activity to engage in.
OTnews February 2020 31