Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40211424›Full record

ArticleJournal of eating disorders2025

'Do no harm' - the impact of an intervention for addictive eating on disordered eating behaviours in Australian adults: secondary analysis of the TRACE randomised controlled trial.

Janelle A Skinner, Mark Leary, Megan Whatnall, Phillipa J Hay, Susan J Paxton, Clare E Collins, Tracy L Burrows

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Article in Journal of eating disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Janelle A SkinnerSchool of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
Mark LearySchool of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
Megan WhatnallSchool of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
Phillipa J HayTranslational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, 2751, Australia.
Susan J PaxtonSchool of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.
Clare E CollinsSchool of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
Tracy L BurrowsSchool of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. tracy.burrows@newcastle.edu.au.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDesigning interventions to change addictive eating behaviours is a complex process and understanding the treatment effect on co-occurring disordered eating behaviours is of importance. This study aimed to explore treatment effects of the TRACE (Targeted Research for Addictive and Compulsive Eating) intervention for addictive eating on eating disorder psychopathology, binge eating, reward driven eating and grazing behaviours.

methodsThis study involved secondary analysis of data from a randomised control trial among 175 participants (18-85 yrs) endorsing ≥ 3 Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) symptoms who were randomly allocated to (1) active intervention, (2) passive intervention, or (3) control group. Change in YFAS, EDE-Q 6.0, Binge Eating Scale, RED-X5 and Short Inventory of Grazing scores were assessed at 3-months (immediate post-intervention) and 6-months (3-months post-intervention) follow-up.

resultsUsing Linear Mixed Models, from baseline to 3-months there was a significant reduction in eating disorder global scores in the active intervention [mean decrease - 0.6 (95% CI: -0.8, -0.4)], but not in the passive intervention [-0.2 (95% CI: -0.5, 0.1)] or control groups [-0.1 (95% CI: -0.3, 0.1)]. In the active and passive intervention groups there were significant reductions in reward driven eating [-3.8 (95% CI: -4.9, -2.7; -2.5 (95% CI: -3.9, -1.1), respectively], compulsive grazing (-1.8 (95% CI: -2.4, -1.3); -1.1 (95% CI: -1.7, -0.5), respectively] and non-compulsive grazing scores (-1.4 (95% CI: -1.9, -1.0); -1.1 (95% CI: -1.7, -0.4), respectively], but not in the control group. The reduction in binge eating scores over time was similar for all groups. The reduction in addictive eating symptoms from baseline to 3-months was positively associated with the reduction in eating disorder global scores, binge eating, reward driven eating and grazing behaviours (r

conclusionThe dietitian-led TRACE intervention which adopted a weight-neutral, harm reduction approach for the management of addictive eating in adults demonstrated positive effects on some co-occurring disordered eating behaviours. Importantly the intervention did not cause any adverse changes in the eating disorder pathologies measured.

trial registrationAustralia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12621001079831.

Indexed as

Addictive eatingDisordered eatingEating disordersFood addictionHarm reductionMental healthRandomised controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID40211424
PMCPMC11987355

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.