The individuals suffering from eating disorders in the United States indicates that it has been on the rise. There is an approximation that up to 30 million U.S. citizens suffer from eating disorders at some point in their lives (Fragkos & Frangos, 2013) . Given that these are only statistics from the U.S. this is an indicator of how detrimental the epidemic is to the rest of the world. According to a study, the rise in the victims of food disorders over a thirteen-year period is 32.6 percent up from 23.4 percent for women and 25 percent up from 7 percent for the men (Stice, Butryn, Rohde, Shaw, & Marti, 2013) . For a considerable number of women and men, colleges are the likely place that would lead to the students picking up various eating disorders. In some cases, the disorders could worsen or resurface for recovering individuals. Current statistics on eating disorders highlight that teasing of individuals that are overweight contributes as much as 37 percent for the boys and 40 percent of the eating disorders among girls (Golden, Schneider, & Wood, 2016) . Because these individuals are teased constantly, they would, therefore, experience a range of eating disorders such as extreme measures of weight control, binge eating and weight gain. The likelihood for the development of an eating disorder arises from the fact that the time spent in college is a period for development (Stice, Butryn, Rohde, Shaw, & Marti, 2013) . College is accompanied with the highest risk factors for eating disorders such as the fear of gaining weight, the social pressure to have romantic relationships, as well as making friends. Given the vulnerability of college students, it is essential to determine whether the utilization of a dissonance-based strategy would be effective in the overcoming of the variety of eating disorders for women. A qualitative research strategy would serve to the determination of the effectiveness of the strategy in men.
Background of the Problem
The information available so far regarding the effectiveness of dissonance-based strategies in the addressing of eating disorders is that it is significantly effective. For instance, there are interventions such as the body project that utilizes a variety of dissonance-based strategies such as behavioral, written, and verbal exercises of criticizing the thin-ideal thus resulting in decreased symptoms of eating disorders (Müller & Stice, 2013) . The current studies only focus on the utilization of the dissonance-based eating disorders on women, and consequentially there is limited information on how it would work with men suffering from eating disorders. It is essential to have knowledge on the extent to which dissonance-based strategies positively impact on the changing of the eating habits that result in the development of eating disorders. It is also crucial to realize that with the increase in the implementation of technology in the lives of individuals, treatment options should also incorporate various forms of technology thus appealing to the needs of the patient (Loucas, Fairburn, Whittington, Pennant, Stockton, & Kendall, 2014) . The new knowledge regarding the treatment of eating disorders would result in the improvement of treatment procedures, thus fostering patient satisfaction and quicker recovery of the patients. The research would also serve to address the treatment increasing number of men suffering from eating disorders due to the neglection of previous studies.
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Statement of the Problem
There needs to be additional research carried out in the area of the implementation of dissonance-based practices in the reduction of eating disorders because there is a gap in the treatment strategies that are effective for the men. The studies that have been carried out in the area have produced positive results such as the reduction of the risk of an individual suffering from obesity in the future (Loucas, Fairburn, Whittington, Pennant, Stockton, & Kendall, 2014) . The treatment strategy has also been indicated that successful patients have reduced their utilization of mental health care services. Furthermore, the results of studies into dissonance-based strategies have demonstrated improvements in the functioning of the successful patients in relation to their psychology. Therefore, in an instance where additional research in the area would bare similar or improved results, then it would foster significant decreases in the college students suffering from eating disorders on a global scale (Mesoudi, 2016) .
Purpose of the Study
The study seeks to determine if the dissonance-based strategies are as effective in reducing eating disorders among men as they have been in women. The relation between dissonance-based strategies and the reduction of eating disorders deserves new research because of the increasing number of college student enrollment, thereby increasing the likelihood of the rise in eating disorder epidemic. Therefore, it is essential to take measures to ensure that the treatment option is full proof. Because only then would the strategy be acceptable and recommended on a worldwide scale. It is also essential to carry out new research because in an instance where the treatment strategy is more detrimental than beneficial it would have a drastic impact on the global society as colleges are greatly expanding with the years. The study aims to extend the reach on the theory linking dissonance-based strategies to the reduction of eating disorders among college students (Koocher, 2003) . Given that the treatment strategy is relatively new, it is crucial to eliminate all the possibilities of harming the patients. Lastly, the study aims to solve the social problem regarding how pressure leads individuals to develop eating disorders. The most dominant pressure in colleges revolves around the stigma attached to being fat (Halliwell & Diedrichs, 2014) .
The significance of the Study
The significance of the investigation into whether treating eating disorders among men would be as effective as it has been with women when dissonance-based strategies are utilized would provide new information to the scientific knowledge-base. The information would be new because the current data on dissonance-based strategies fail to cater to the men. The study on the eating disorder treatment option is significant because it guarantees the advancement of scientific knowledge in relation to the psychology of eating disorders. The significance of the study into dissonance-based strategies, is that as compared to other treatment options available for eating disorders, the improvements witnessed in the patients has been more promising (Glueckauf, et al., 2018) . Therefore, extensive research is essential to eliminate the possibility of detrimental outcomes occurring in the future. The dissonance-based strategies have also received a considerable amount of support from the medical practitioner that appropriately utilize the strategies. The inquiry into the effectiveness of strategies of dissonance is original as a result of the fact that it will involve a qualitative approach. The inquiry is also original because unlike other studies that focus solely on women. This study seeks to have an inclusion of the men because their neglection has seen a substantial rise of men suffering from eating disorders (Stice, Rohde, Durant, Shaw, & Wade, 2013) .
Research Question
The research question is; Are dissonance based-strategies as effective in the treatment of eating disorders in men as they are for women? The research question is qualitative. The study aims to determine the extent of the effectiveness of the use of dissonance-based strategies in the treatment of eating disorders among college students. The utilization of a qualitative approach is that it will allow the reaching of a considerable number of individuals that would fill out questionnaires and surveys through the incorporation of technology (Loucas, Fairburn, Whittington, Pennant, Stockton, & Kendall, 2014) . Furthermore, a qualitative approach is cost effective and it will allow the attainment of the best results because the higher the sample group the easier it is for generalization to occur. The instances of bias are reduced greatly because it is not a controlled study.
Definition of Terms
The terms that will be most essential that require definition are inclusive of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. From the various eating disorders, the most well-known disorder is Anorexia. A common characteristic of an Anorexia patient is the viewing of themselves are overweight even instances where the low weight can be dangerously low (Stice, Butryn, Rohde, Shaw, & Marti, 2013) . An Anorexia patient would constantly keep track of their weight, they put restrictions on themselves in relation to calories, and they also avoid the consumption of specific foods. In most instances, these foods are likely to have connections with weight increase. Bulimia Nervosa is also considerably recognized. Eating disorder. The development of both disorders occurs either during early adulthood or for teenagers. Both eating disorders occur in higher numbers in women as compared to men (Glueckauf, et al., 2018) . This disorder involves food consumption in large amounts within a short period of time.
Research Design
The research design would be qualitative research. The data that would be collected would be the experiences that individuals would have experienced before beginning the dissonance-based strategy, during the treatment period and after the treatment. The methodology would entail the utilization of interviews, questionnaires, and surveys. Some of the APA code of ethics that will be adhered to are inclusive of recommendations against discrimination, and even the maintenance of confidentiality. When it comes to working with the samples for instance through interviews, it is essential to avoid instances of unfair discrimination. There are a variety of ways that could result in discrimination (Atkinson & Wade, 2015) . These are inclusive of sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, social economic status. The maintaining of confidentiality is another crucial aspect that relates to the APA code of ethics. When confidential information is relayed to the various interviewees. It is also essential that during the research, there is adherence to the various confidentiality principles in an attempt to maintain the scientific and professional relationship.
Conclusion
The rising number of college and college students worldwide is a requirement that propels the need for research to be carried out in relation to food disorders. College students are the highest number of individuals that are affected. The women are affected more than men. Though in recent years the figure of men suffering from various eating disorders has dramatically risen and is close to reaching the women. Taking this into consideration the study not only seeks to identify the effectiveness of dissonance-based strategies in treating eating disorders. The study also aims at determining a means of modifying the dissonance-based strategies that work for women to accommodate the needs of the men. The essence of the study stems from the fact that there is a rise in the number of individuals suffering from eating disorders. Another propelling factor to the need for the study is to allow for the generalization of the results of the study on a global scale. The success of the study would foster dramatic improvements in relation to the decrease of college students suffering from eating disorders.
References
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