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

Reas DL, Wisting L, Lindvall Dahlgren C (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

Eiring K, Wiig Hage T, Reas DL (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

Reas DL, Isomaa R, Solhaug Gulliksen K, Levallius J (2021)
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

Reas DL, Grilo CM (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

Reas DL, Dahlgren Lindvall C, Wonderlich J, Rø Ø (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

Reas DL, Wisting L, Stedal K, Dahlgren CL (2019)
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

Reas DL, Lindvall Dahlgren C, Wonderlich J, Syversen G, Lundin Kvalem I (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

Reas DL, Rø Ø (2018)
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

Halvorsen I, Reas DL, Nilsen JV, Rø Ø (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

Reas DL (2017)
Public and Healthcare Professionals' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Binge Eating Disorder: A Narrative Review
Nutrients, 9 (11)
DOI 10.3390/nu9111267, PubMed 29160843

Reas DL, Gulliksen KS, Levallius J, Isomaa R (2017)
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

Reas DL, Rø Ø (2017)
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

Reas DL, Rø Ø (2017)
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

Wisting L, Reas DL, Bang L, Skrivarhaug T, Dahl-Jørgensen K, Rø Ø (2017)
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

Fuglset TS, Landrø NI, Reas DL, Rø Ø (2016)
Functional brain alterations in anorexia nervosa: a scoping review
J Eat Disord, 4, 32
DOI 10.1186/s40337-016-0118-y, PubMed 27933159

Grilo CM, Reas DL, Mitchell JE (2016)
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

Grilo CM, Reas DL, Mitchell JE (2016)
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

Reas DL (2016)
Response to: "Speaking of That…"
Int J Eat Disord, 49 (9), 899
DOI 10.1002/eat.22581, PubMed 27436564

Reas DL, Pedersen G, Rø Ø (2016)
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

Reas DL, Stedal K, Lindvall Dahlgren C, Rø Ø (2016)
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

Reas DL, Grilo CM (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

Reas DL, Stedal K (2015)
Eating disorders in men aged midlife and beyond
Maturitas, 81 (2), 248-55
DOI 10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.03.004, PubMed 25869901

Rø Ø, Reas DL, Stedal K (2015)
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

Coman A, Skårderud F, Reas DL, Hofmann BM (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

Grilo CM, Reas DL, Hopwood CJ, Crosby RD (2014)
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

Reas DL, Grilo CM (2014)
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

Reas DL, Pedersen G, Karterud S, Rø Ø (2014)
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

Reas DL, Zipfel S, Rø Ø (2014)
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

Friborg O, Reas DL, Rosenvinge JH, Rø Ø (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

Reas DL, Rø Ø, Karterud S, Hummelen B, Pedersen G (2013)
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

Reas DL, Øverås M, Rø O (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

Rø Ø, Bang L, Reas DL, Rosenvinge JH (2012)
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

Rø Ø, Reas DL, Rosenvinge J (2012)
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

Reas DL, Wisting L, Kapstad H, Lask B (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

Reas DL, Wisting L, Kapstad H, Lask B (2011)
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

Reas DL, Rø O, Kapstad H, Lask B (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

Rø O, Reas DL, Lask B (2010)
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

Dalgard OS, Sorensen T, Sandanger I, Nygard JF, Svensson E, Reas DL (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

Reas DL, Nygård JF, Sørensen T (2009)
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

Reas DL, Grilo CM (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

Reas DL, Grilo CM (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

Reas DL, Nygård JF, Svensson E, Sørensen T, Sandanger I (2007)
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

Svensson E, Reas DL, Sandanger I, Nygård JF (2007)
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

Reas DL, Grilo CM, Masheb RM (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

Reas DL, White MA, Grilo CM (2006)
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

Grilo CM, Reas DL, Brody ML, Burke-Martindale CH, Rothschild BS, Masheb RM (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

Reas DL, Grilo CM, Masheb RM, Wilson GT (2005)
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

Reas DL, Kjelsås E, Heggestad T, Eriksen L, Nielsen S, Gjertsen F, Götestam KG (2005)
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

Averill PM, Reas DL, Shack A, Shah NN, Cowan K, Krajewski K, Kopecky C, Guynn RW (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

Reas DL, Grilo CM (2004)
Cognitive-behavioral assessment of body image disturbances
J Psychiatr Pract, 10 (5), 314-22
DOI 10.1097/00131746-200409000-00005, PubMed 15361746

Reas DL, Masheb RM, Grilo CM (2004)
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

Hopko DR, Stanley MA, Reas DL, Wetherell JL, Beck JG, Novy DM, Averill PM (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

Ruud T, Reas D (2003)
Helsetjenester for tunge rusmiddelmisbrukere
In SINTEF rapport, Helsetjenesteforskning, Trondheim, STF78 A035003, 53 s.
BIBSYS 030689813, ISBN 82-14-02959-7

Ruud T, Reas D (2003)
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

Barbin JM, Williamson DA, Stewart TM, Reas DL, Thaw JM, Guarda AS (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

Hays JR, Reas DL, Shaw JB (2002)
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

Reas DL, Whisenhunt BL, Netemeyer R, Williamson DA (2002)
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

Ruud T, Hatling T, Reas D (2002)
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

Zipfel S, Reas DL, Thornton C, Olmsted MP, Williamson DA, Gerlinghoff M, Herzog W, Beumont PJ (2002)
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

Löwe B, Zipfel S, Buchholz C, Dupont Y, Reas DL, Herzog W (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

Reas DL, Schoemaker C, Zipfel S, Williamson DA (2001)
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

Reas DL, Williamson DA, Martin CK, Zucker NL (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

Williamson DA, Womble LG, Zucker NL, Reas DL, White MA, Blouin DC, Greenway F (2000)
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

Zipfel S, Löwe B, Reas DL, Deter HC, Herzog W (2000)
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

Frigo LC, Reas DL, LeCompte D (1999)
Revelation without presentation: counterfeit study list yields robust revelation effect
Mem Cognit, 27 (2), 339-43
DOI 10.3758/bf03211417, PubMed 10226443

Williamson DA, Muller SL, Reas DL, Thaw JM (1999)
Cognitive bias in eating disorders: implications for theory and treatment
Behav Modif, 23 (4), 556-77
DOI 10.1177/0145445599234003, PubMed 10533440

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