“I’m committed to improving understanding, prevention, and treatment”: Dr. Emilie Lacroix’s Research on Body Image and Disordered Eating

(Photo provided by Emilie Lacroix)

“My experience with the problematic culture around body ideals and eating in the fashion industry eventually led me to studying body image and eating disorders.” ~Emilie Lacroix

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*In the following interview, TS refers to The Synapse and EL refers to Emilie Lacroix;

TS: Could you briefly introduce yourself, what brought you to UNB, and how long you’ve been at UNB?

EL: My name is Emilie Lacroix, and I’m an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. I am co-director of the Maritime Eating and Appearance Lab (MEAL), a bi-campus collaborative team based at UNB-Fredericton and Dalhousie University. I’ve been at UNB since 2021– a little over a year now. I teach the Basic Research and Honours seminars, as well as courses on addiction and psychological testing.

I’m originally from Vancouver and came to Halifax for my clinical psychology residency in 2020. The East Coast won me over, and UNB-Fredericton’s Psychology Department was exactly the kind of teaching and research environment that I was looking for!

TS: What is your research area, and how did you settle on this area?

EL: My research focuses on body image and disordered eating, including questions related to etiology, development, classification, and comorbidity with other mental health concerns. Body image concerns and disordered eating are so widespread, absorbing vast cognitive, physical, and financial resources, time, and mental energy. They are a huge drain on health and quality of life. I’m committed to improving understanding, prevention, and treatment so that no one is held back by these issues.

TS: How do you come up with research ideas, and gauge when an idea is worthwhile to pursue?

EL: I’m a pragmatist– I try to do research that is useful for treatment settings, and follow the lead of research participants and clients. Research often builds on itself: studies often lead to more questions than answers, and different methods can complement each other!

An example of complementary qualitative and quantitative methods is my research on addictive-like eating. Qualitative interview studies exploring lived experiences of addictive-like eating have generated hypotheses that my collaborators and I later tested in quantitative studies. When we asked about peoples’ experiences with feeling addicted to food and eating as part of qualitative studies, they tended to talk more about weight-related concerns and body image (e.g., Lived Experience and Defining Addictive-Like Eating: a Synthesis of Qualitative Research; and Conceptualizing Addictive-Like Eating; and “There is no way to avoid the first bite”: A qualitative investigation of addictive-like eating in treatment-seeking Brazilian women and men). In a quantitative study (Body image disturbance partially explains eating-related psychosocial impairment in food addiction), we were able to quantify just how much body image statistically contributed to the distress people experience when their eating feels out of control (spoiler alert: body image and weight play a big role!).

TS: What do you consider traits of a strong student and student researcher?

EL: Receptiveness to feedback! Eman Abdelhadi (a Sociology researcher at the University of Chicago) said it best (on Twitter, the most reputable of academic sources): “Academia’s love language is feedback. The people who read your stuff and critique it are actually doing you an enormous solid, and you should treat them accordingly.”

Students are used to taking critical feedback as an indicator of poor performance or a lower grade, and will often become discouraged in their first research experiences when they see a lot of red ink on their work. The transition to student research requires a shift in mindset: when supervisors provide feedback on your work, it is an investment that means they believe in you and your potential as a researcher.

Other important traits are a willingness to take a stab at things, being intellectually curious and flexible in their thinking, and understanding that there isn’t always a “right” answer, but often multiple perspectives and approaches. Stick-to-it-iveness and project management/time management skills are also extremely important.

TS: Why did you choose to study psychology, and at what point did you know you wanted to pursue it? Is there any discipline you seriously considered other than psychology?

EL: As a child/teen, I wanted to be a fashion designer, and I had a very short-lived career in the fashion world before entering academia. After high school, I moved to Paris, France and lived there for a year while studying design and working in a couple fashion houses. That experience is something I was initially self-conscious about when I entered academia, as I was worried that I wouldn’t be taken seriously as a student researcher. But my experience with the problematic culture around body ideals and eating in the fashion industry eventually led me to studying body image and eating disorders!

When I began my BA, I was initially drawn to other disciplines in the Humanities, but in my second year, I took part in a work-study program for students in financial need, where I worked in a psychology lab– that’s when things really clicked for me, and I became aware of career possibilities in the field of psychology.

TS: Do you have a favourite psychological film/ book/ song/ artwork/ etc? If so, which, and what do you like about it?

EL: Gustav Klimt is one of my favourite visual artists. He ran in the same circles as Freud and many other leaders in science, medicine, and art in Vienna in the early 1900s. Many of his works take inspiration from the world of medicine and scientific discoveries. For example, sexuality, femininity, and masculinity are represented in his paintings through shapes depicting sperm, eggs, and embryos. In the book “The Age of Insight: The Quest to Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind, and Brain, from Vienna 1900 to the Present”, neuroscientist Eric Kandel describes this world. I’m drawn to interdisciplinary research and take inspiration from collaborating and interacting with people in other disciplines, so I find it captivating to imagine such a rich interdisciplinary environment!

I also enjoy the vibrant art scene in Fredericton, and love to support local artists at events like the Capital Art Sale and the Queer Trans Fatties in the NB art market.

TS: Is there anything else you wish to share about yourself as a psych professor and researcher?

EL: First, I want students of all backgrounds and identities– first generation students and international students in particular– to feel welcome here. There is a place for you in science and in academia if that’s something you want (research isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s valid too!). As a first-generation student, there was a time not too long ago when I didn’t know the differences between a BA, MSc, or PhD – I remember how difficult it was to figure these things out. I want to help students along, wherever they’re at. As someone who has also studied abroad and in other languages (not only in France, but also Germany, Brazil, and the UK), I have major respect for anyone completing a degree away from home, or in a language other than their mother tongue. I want students to feel comfortable asking questions and coming to me for support while navigating the academic world at UNB.

Second, the MEAL lab is growing! We would love to attract students who are passionate about research and reducing barriers to evidence-based eating disorders treatment. The website www.mealab.ca (soon to come!), is where you’ll be able to learn more about opportunities to get involved in research with us. Ψ

Created for The Synapse by Incé Husain.