How do women with eating disorders experience a new treatment combining guided physical exercise and dietary therapy? An interview study of women participating in a randomised controlled trial at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences

Abstract

ObjectivesTo investigate how women with bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED) experience participating in a new treatment programme for eating disorders, based on guided physical exercise and dietary therapy.Design and participantsSix women with BN and four with BED were semistructurally interviewed. Transcribed interviews were analysed using a text-condensing analytic approach.ResultsThe analysis resulted in four main categories: (1) ‘a renewed attitude towards physical activity’, (2) ‘a new perception of food’, (3) ‘mixed feelings of being in a heterogeneous treatment group’ and (4) ‘insight in one’s own recovery process’, each with 2-4 subcategories to express nuances.ConclusionThe treatment was experienced as beneficial. Improvements in the implementation of the programme were suggested.Trial registration numberNCT02079935.