Eating Disorders in the News 
Comfort eating? Perceptions of fat are altered by mood and state of mind, finds study
People with mild depression or anxiety may have modified perceptions of how fat, sweet and bitter flavours which could result in higher consumption levels of unhealthy foods, researchers suggest. This study was done by the University of Wurzburg, Germany, and led by Dr. Petra Platte.
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Sexual Assault Victims Best Treated By Cognitive Therapy, Regardless Of Country's Economy
A new study indicates that sexual assault victims in low-income and illiterate countries successfully use therapy proven to work in high-income countries.
In first world countries, criminals are often reprimanded as soon as they commit their crime. Their victim reports them, and they are almost immediately caught and appropriated by cops. In cases of rape, this process can speed recovery of victims, as they can know that their assailant can no longer harm them as they articulate their worries to a therapist.
Victims of sexual violence face immediate and long-term psychological consequences. They may become fearful, anxious, and mistrusting, develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), become depressed, and attempt suicide. In high-income countries, effective treatments for the psychological effects of rape are useful; the victim can easily articulate his or her feelings and fears to a therapist, either alone or in a group setting.
In a new study, 402 female survivors of sexual violence across 16 villages in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were evaluated. They were first tested for the psychological effects of rape and were then given one of two treatments - either individual support, where they chose whether or not they would attend therapy sessions, or cognitive processing therapy. Cognitive processing therapy, or mandatory therapy, went on for 11 sessions with small groups of survivors that talked about the management of their psychological states and were given tasks to facilitate the treatment of their depression, anxiety, or PTSD. This is similar to what is done in higher income countries.
The study intended to find whether treatments used could cross cultural and cognitive circumstances, as many of these women were below the poverty line as well as illiterate.
Review study abstract
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Algorithm Can Predict Body Mass Index from Face Photos in Online Profiles
Bad news for people with self-enhancing profile pictures in social media and online dating sites - a new visual image algorithm can detect body mass index (BMI) and weight based only on face photos. Online dating sites can be daunting for users worried that their bodies leave something to be desired. In order to lure potential matches, people often post profile photos angled just enough to show their actual faces, while misleading viewers about the proportions of their bodies - or cutting off everything below the neck altogether. 
(Photo : Image and Vision Computing) Based only on face photos, like profile pictures on social media, online dating sites, and police mug shots, a new visual image algorithm can detect a person's body mass index (BMI), from underweight to obese.
Such self-enhancers may soon be out of luck. By analyzing facial features in a simple headshot photo, a new computer vision algorithm developed by researchers at West Virginia University in Morgantown can automatically predict a person's body mass index (BMI).
The study, published in May in the journal Image and Vision Computing, builds on previous research that links facial features to BMI, a measure of body mass calculated either by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters, or by dividing the weight in pounds by the square of the height in inches, then multiplying the result by 703.
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