
Deborah Lynn Reas
- Senior Researcher/Psychologist; PhD
- +47 23 01 63 23
Deborah Lynn Reas, PhD is Associate Professor of Health Psychology II at the Institute of Psychology, University of Oslo and a Senior Scientist at the Regional Department of Eating Disorders (RASP). Dr. Reas completed her undergraduate education at Indiana University (1995) and received her PhD in clinical psychology from the Louisiana State University (2001). Following an internship at the University of Texas Medical School and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine, she held research positions at Scandinavia’s largest independent research institute, Sintef (Unimed) and the Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo prior to joining the RASP research team in 2006. Her primary research interests include the assessment, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders, obesity, and manifestations of disordered eating.
Ongoing Research
Weight-Related Stigma and Effects on Bariatric Surgery Outcome: Stigma associated with obesity is rarely challenged and its detrimental effects on health are largely ignored. Weight-related stigma has negative consequences for both physiological and psychological health and may interfere with weight-related behaviors via multiple pathways. The proposed studywill investigate weight-based stigma experiences and internalized weight stigma at pre- and 12-months post-treatment in adults with clinically severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. The main aims are to 1) assess the nature and frequency of weight-related stigmatizing experiences and internalized weight stigma, 2) identify the associations between weight-related stigma and internalized weight stigma with weight loss, cardiometabolic health indicators, and weight-related behaviors (eating, physical activity), and 3) assess whether changes occur following bariatric surgery.
Smokeless Tobacco (snus) and Disordered Eating:Although cigarette smoking is commonly used as a weight control or “compensatory” method to suppress appetite or food intake, we know little about the use of smokeless forms of tobacco and its associations with unhealthy eating behaviors and weight dissatisfaction. However, the use of snus has increased dramatically, surpassing smoking among young people in Nordic countries.The aim of this study is to investigate differences in meal skipping, associated eating pathology, and weight dissatisfaction among never, occasional, and daily adolescent snus user with a national online health survey (Ungdata) of adolescent health and well-being.
Early Weight Trajectories in Anorexia Nervosa from Birth to 8 years: By linking data from theNorwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and the Norwegian National Patient Register (NPR), we will investigate the premorbid growth trajectories of kids who later develop anorexia nervosa. This study is highly novel and has important implications for our understanding of the etiology, metabolic and biological risk, and the early identification of AN.
Trends in Incidence for Healthcare-Detected Eating Disorders: This study will investigate time trends in the age- and sex-specific incidence of healthcare-detected anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) from 2010 to 2016 using data from the National Patient Register.
Professional and Public Knowledge and Attitudes toward Eating Disorders:Individuals with eating disorders are sometimes stereotyped as blameworthy, or as having a trivial, self-imposed problem, and viewed by professionals as vain, manipulative, or difficult. There are also longstanding views that EDs only affect “thin, affluent, young, white women”, which means that eating problems among higher-weight individuals, older women, males, and minorities may go unrecognized, misinterpreted, or dismissed. Fears of stigma, shame, and self-blame are consistently recognized as obstacles to help-seeking and this limits our ability to identify and effectively treat all who could benefit. This line of research is aimed to bring attention to professionals and layperson knowledge and attitudes toward eating disorders to combat stigma.
Assessment of Eating and Weight Disorders: Various studies involving the development, translation, and psychometric properties of assessment measures.
Publications 2022
Co-occurrence of nonsuicidal self-injury and eating disorder pathology in adolescents
Int J Eat Disord, 56 (2), 439-445
DOI 10.1002/eat.23826, PubMed 36524669
Publications 2021
Exploring the experience of being viewed as "not sick enough": a qualitative study of women recovered from anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa
J Eat Disord, 9 (1), 142
DOI 10.1186/s40337-021-00495-5, PubMed 34717760
Clinicians as a critical link: Understanding health professionals' beliefs and attitudes toward anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder
Scand J Psychol, 62 (6), 775-779
DOI 10.1111/sjop.12777, PubMed 34569633
Publications 2020
Psychotherapy and Medications for Eating Disorders: Better Together?
Clin Ther, 43 (1), 17-39
DOI 10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.10.006, PubMed 33342555
Publications 2019
Intentional Exposure to Extreme Cold Temperature to Influence Shape and/or Weight and Its Association to Eating Disorder Pathology
Front Psychol, 10, 2539
DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02539, PubMed 31803101
Unhealthy eating and weight dissatisfaction in adolescents who never, occasionally, or regularly use smokeless tobacco (Swedish snus)
Int J Eat Disord, 52 (7), 846-854
DOI 10.1002/eat.23085, PubMed 31032987
Publications 2018
Confirmatory factor analysis and psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Repetitive Eating Questionnaire: Further evidence for two distinct subtypes of grazing behaviour
Eur Eat Disord Rev, 27 (2), 205-211
DOI 10.1002/erv.2631, PubMed 30073739
Time trends in healthcare-detected incidence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in the Norwegian National Patient Register (2010-2016)
Int J Eat Disord, 51 (10), 1144-1152
DOI 10.1002/eat.22949, PubMed 30265747
Publications 2017
Naturalistic Outcome of Family-Based Inpatient Treatment for Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa
Eur Eat Disord Rev, 26 (2), 141-145
DOI 10.1002/erv.2572, PubMed 29218761
Public and Healthcare Professionals' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Binge Eating Disorder: A Narrative Review
Nutrients, 9 (11)
DOI 10.3390/nu9111267, PubMed 29160843
Letter to the editor: health professionals' attitudes toward individuals with eating disorders: who do we think they are?
J Eat Disord, 5, 22
DOI 10.1186/s40337-017-0150-6, PubMed 28725425
Investigating the DSM-5 severity specifiers based on thinness for adults with anorexia nervosa
Int J Eat Disord, 50 (8), 990-994
DOI 10.1002/eat.22729, PubMed 28593630
Less symptomatic, but equally impaired: Clinical impairment in restricting versus binge-eating/purging subtype of anorexia nervosa
Eat Behav, 28, 32-37
DOI 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.12.004, PubMed 29310054
Eating patterns in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Associations with metabolic control, insulin omission, and eating disorder pathology
Appetite, 114, 226-231
DOI 10.1016/j.appet.2017.03.035, PubMed 28351671
Publications 2016
Functional brain alterations in anorexia nervosa: a scoping review
J Eat Disord, 4, 32
DOI 10.1186/s40337-016-0118-y, PubMed 27933159
Combining Pharmacological and Psychological Treatments for Binge Eating Disorder: Current Status, Limitations, and Future Directions
Curr Psychiatry Rep, 18 (6), 55
DOI 10.1007/s11920-016-0696-z, PubMed 27086316
Erratum to: Combining Pharmacological and Psychological Treatments for Binge Eating Disorder: Current Status, Limitations, and Future Directions
Curr Psychiatry Rep, 18 (9), 84
DOI 10.1007/s11920-016-0725-y, PubMed 27449025
Response to: "Speaking of That…"
Int J Eat Disord, 49 (9), 899
DOI 10.1002/eat.22581, PubMed 27436564
Impulsivity-related traits distinguish women with co-occurring bulimia nervosa in a psychiatric sample
Int J Eat Disord, 49 (12), 1093-1096
DOI 10.1002/eat.22606, PubMed 27567004
Impairment due to eating disorder pathology: Identifying the cut-off score on the Clinical Impairment Assessment in a clinical and community sample
Int J Eat Disord, 49 (6), 635-8
DOI 10.1002/eat.22517, PubMed 26968998
Publications 2015
Pharmacological treatment of binge eating disorder: update review and synthesis
Expert Opin Pharmacother, 16 (10), 1463-78
DOI 10.1517/14656566.2015.1053465, PubMed 26044518
Eating disorders in men aged midlife and beyond
Maturitas, 81 (2), 248-55
DOI 10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.03.004, PubMed 25869901
Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) in Norwegian Adults: Discrimination between Female Controls and Eating Disorder Patients
Eur Eat Disord Rev, 23 (5), 408-12
DOI 10.1002/erv.2372, PubMed 26094887
Publications 2014
The ethics of neuromodulation for anorexia nervosa: a focus on rTMS
J Eat Disord, 2 (1), 10
DOI 10.1186/2050-2974-2-10, PubMed 24690315
Factor structure and construct validity of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire in college students: further support for a modified brief version
Int J Eat Disord, 48 (3), 284-9
DOI 10.1002/eat.22358, PubMed 25346071
Current and emerging drug treatments for binge eating disorder
Expert Opin Emerg Drugs, 19 (1), 99-142
DOI 10.1517/14728214.2014.879291, PubMed 24460483
Self-harm and suicidal behavior in borderline personality disorder with and without bulimia nervosa
J Consult Clin Psychol, 83 (3), 643-8
DOI 10.1037/ccp0000014, PubMed 25495360
Is it an eating disorder or achalasia or both? A literature review and diagnostic challenges
Eur Eat Disord Rev, 22 (5), 321-30
DOI 10.1002/erv.2307, PubMed 25053457
Publications 2013
Core pathology of eating disorders as measured by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q): the predictive role of a nested general (g) and primary factors
Int J Methods Psychiatr Res, 22 (3), 195-203
DOI 10.1002/mpr.1389, PubMed 24038315
Eating disorders in a large clinical sample of men and women with personality disorders
Int J Eat Disord, 46 (8), 801-9
DOI 10.1002/eat.22176, PubMed 23983043
Publications 2012
Norms for the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) among high school and university men
Eat Disord, 20 (5), 437-43
DOI 10.1080/10640266.2012.715523, PubMed 22985240
The impact of age and BMI on impairment due to disordered eating in a large female community sample
Eat Behav, 13 (4), 342-6
DOI 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.05.010, PubMed 23121785
The impact of age and BMI on Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) scores in a community sample
Eat Behav, 13 (2), 158-61
DOI 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2011.12.001, PubMed 22365803
Publications 2011
Convergent validity of the eating disorder examination and the eating disorder examination-questionnaire among university women in Norway
Eur Eat Disord Rev, 19 (4), 357-61
DOI 10.1002/erv.1068, PubMed 21714040
Nibbling: frequency and relationship to BMI, pattern of eating, and shape, weight, and eating concerns among university women
Eat Behav, 13 (1), 65-6
DOI 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2011.10.005, PubMed 22177400
Publications 2010
Psychometric properties of the clinical impairment assessment: norms for young adult women
Int J Eat Disord, 43 (1), 72-6
DOI 10.1002/eat.20653, PubMed 19260038
Norms for the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire among female university students in Norway
Nord J Psychiatry, 64 (6), 428-32
DOI 10.3109/08039481003797235, PubMed 20429744
Publications 2009
Job demands, job control, and mental health in an 11-year follow-up study: Normal and reversed relationships
Work Stress, 23 (3), 284-296
DOI 10.1080/02678370903250953
Do quitters have anything to lose? Changes in body mass index for daily, never, and former smokers over an 11-year period (1990--2001)
Scand J Public Health, 37 (7), 774-7
DOI 10.1177/1403494809344654, PubMed 19666671
Publications 2008
Review and meta-analysis of pharmacotherapy for binge-eating disorder
Obesity (Silver Spring), 16 (9), 2024-38
DOI 10.1038/oby.2008.333, PubMed 19186327
Publications 2007
Timing and sequence of the onset of overweight, dieting, and binge eating in overweight patients with binge eating disorder
Int J Eat Disord, 40 (2), 165-70
DOI 10.1002/eat.20353, PubMed 17089414
Changes in body mass index by age, gender, and socio-economic status among a cohort of Norwegian men and women (1990-2001)
BMC Public Health, 7, 269
DOI 10.1186/1471-2458-7-269, PubMed 17903273
Urban-rural differences in BMI, overweight and obesity in Norway (1990 and 2001)
Scand J Public Health, 35 (5), 555-8
DOI 10.1080/14034940701349217, PubMed 17852987
Publications 2006
Reliability of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire in patients with binge eating disorder
Behav Res Ther, 44 (1), 43-51
DOI 10.1016/j.brat.2005.01.004, PubMed 16301013
Body Checking Questionnaire: psychometric properties and clinical correlates in obese men and women with binge eating disorder
Int J Eat Disord, 39 (4), 326-31
DOI 10.1002/eat.20236, PubMed 16528695
Publications 2005
Body checking and avoidance and the core features of eating disorders among obese men and women seeking bariatric surgery
Behav Res Ther, 43 (5), 629-37
DOI 10.1016/j.brat.2004.05.003, PubMed 15865917
Body checking and avoidance in overweight patients with binge eating disorder
Int J Eat Disord, 37 (4), 342-6
DOI 10.1002/eat.20092, PubMed 15856496
Characteristics of anorexia nervosa-related deaths in Norway (1992-2000): data from the National Patient Register and the Causes of Death Register
Int J Eat Disord, 37 (3), 181-7
DOI 10.1002/eat.20104, PubMed 15822079
Publications 2004
Is schizoaffective disorder a stable diagnostic category: a retrospective examination
Psychiatr Q, 75 (3), 215-27
DOI 10.1023/b:psaq.0000031792.70861.92, PubMed 15335225
Cognitive-behavioral assessment of body image disturbances
J Psychiatr Pract, 10 (5), 314-22
DOI 10.1097/00131746-200409000-00005, PubMed 15361746
Appearance vs. health reasons for seeking treatment among obese patients with binge eating disorder
Obes Res, 12 (5), 758-60
DOI 10.1038/oby.2004.91, PubMed 15166295
Publications 2003
Assessing worry in older adults: confirmatory factor analysis of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and psychometric properties of an abbreviated model
Psychol Assess, 15 (2), 173-83
DOI 10.1037/1040-3590.15.2.173, PubMed 12847777
Helsetjenester for tunge rusmiddelmisbrukere
In SINTEF rapport, Helsetjenesteforskning, Trondheim, STF78 A035003, 53 s.
BIBSYS 030689813, ISBN 82-14-02959-7
Distriktspsykiatriske sentre, tjenestetilbud og brukertilfredshet: status og variasjon 2002
In SINTEF rapport, Helsetjenesteforskning, Trondheim, STF78 A035008, 34, 19, [18] s.
BIBSYS 040673790, ISBN 82-14-02969-4
Publications 2002
Psychological adjustment in the children of mothers with a history of eating disorders
Eat Weight Disord, 7 (1), 32-8
DOI 10.1007/BF03354427, PubMed 11933911
Concurrent validity of the Wechsler abbreviated scale of intelligence and the Kaufman brief intelligence test among psychiatric inpatients
Psychol Rep, 90 (2), 355-9
DOI 10.2466/pr0.2002.90.2.355, PubMed 12061569
Development of the body checking questionnaire: a self-report measure of body checking behaviors
Int J Eat Disord, 31 (3), 324-33
DOI 10.1002/eat.10012, PubMed 11920995
Modeller for samordning av spesialiserte funksjoner innenpsykiatrien: rapport 2 til Helse Øst
In SINTEF rapport, Helsetjenesteforskning, Trondheim, STF78 A025010, 37 s.
BIBSYS 022033203, ISBN 82-14-02782-9
Day hospitalization programs for eating disorders: a systematic review of the literature
Int J Eat Disord, 31 (2), 105-17
DOI 10.1002/eat.10009, PubMed 11920973
Publications 2001
Long-term outcome of anorexia nervosa in a prospective 21-year follow-up study
Psychol Med, 31 (5), 881-90
DOI 10.1017/s003329170100407x, PubMed 11459385
Prognostic value of duration of illness and early intervention in bulimia nervosa: a systematic review of the outcome literature
Int J Eat Disord, 30 (1), 1-10
DOI 10.1002/eat.1049, PubMed 11439404
Publications 2000
Duration of illness predicts outcome for bulimia nervosa: a long-term follow-up study
Int J Eat Disord, 27 (4), 428-34
DOI 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(200005)27:4<428::aid-eat7>3.0.co;2-y, PubMed 10744849
Body image assessment for obesity (BIA-O): development of a new procedure
Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 24 (10), 1326-32
DOI 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801363, PubMed 11093295
Long-term prognosis in anorexia nervosa: lessons from a 21-year follow-up study
Lancet, 355 (9205), 721-2
DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(99)05363-5, PubMed 10703806
Publications 1999
Revelation without presentation: counterfeit study list yields robust revelation effect
Mem Cognit, 27 (2), 339-43
DOI 10.3758/bf03211417, PubMed 10226443
Cognitive bias in eating disorders: implications for theory and treatment
Behav Modif, 23 (4), 556-77
DOI 10.1177/0145445599234003, PubMed 10533440