Researchers who study eating disorders sometimes call them the silent epidemic.

Estimates vary, but as many as 30 million Americans may suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime.

And despite the stereotype that eating disorders afflict only young white women,

the truth is that they can occur among people of all ages,

genders, ethnicities, and races.

Psychologists are working to learn more about the causes of eating disorders and how to treat them.

Researchers are using new tools and technologies to come up with more effective, personalized

treatments and expand access to care.

So how common are eating disorders among adults, teens, and children?

What do researchers know about the causes of eating disorders, both genetic and environmental?

What role does our diet-obsessed culture play in spurring eating disorders? What treatments are available now and how effective are they?

What barriers to treatment do patients face and how my technology help make treatments more available and effective?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association that examines

the links between psychological science and everyday life. I'm Kim Mills.

My guest today is Dr. Sherry Levinson, an associate professor in the Department of Psychological

and Brain Sciences at the University of Louisville, where she directs the eating anxiety treatment lab.

Her research focuses on building new interventions for eating disorders, particularly using analytical methods and new technologies such as wearable sensors as part of personalized treatments.

Dr. Levinson is also the founder and clinical director of the Louisville

Center for Eating Disorders, where she treats adults, adolescents, and children with eating disorders.

She is also vice chair of the Kentucky Eating Disorder Council, a state-sponsored council charged

with improving eating disorder treatment in Kentucky. Thank you for joining me today, Dr. Levinson.

Thanks for having me.

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