Emilie Lacroix

Research

My research focuses on body image and disordered eating, including questions related to etiology, development, classification, and comorbidity with other mental health concerns. I use qualitative and quantitative methods to examine risk factors and developmental patterns across the lifespan, to inform evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies. In another line of research, I explore the overlap between addiction and eating disorders, including the question of whether certain eating patterns should be conceptualized as addictions.

Education

• Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology) University of Calgary
• M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology) University of Calgary
• B.A. (Hons Psychology, German Language) McGill University

Selected publications

Magel, C. A., Lacroix, E., Wilson, S., Iacono, W. G., & von Ranson, K. M. (2024). Shifting goalposts: Widening discrepancies between girls' actual and ideal bodies predict disordered eating from preadolescence to adulthood. Development and Psychopathology.

Rudy, L. & Lacroix, E. (2024). Substance use disorders in hospice palliative care (HPC): A narrative review of challenges and a case for physician intervention. Palliative & Supportive Care, 1-9.

Mittertreiner, E., Hunter, A. & Lacroix, E. (2024). Nutritional considerations for gender-diverse people: A qualitative mini-review. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11.

Miller, M., Boulos, L., Bartel, S., Hunter, A., & Lacroix, E. (2023). Integrated treatment for comorbid eating disorders and substance use disorders: A scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 21(12).

Lacroix, E., Wilson, S., McGue, M., Iacono, W. G., & von Ranson, K. M. (2023). Trajectories and personality predictors of eating pathology development in girls from preadolescence to adulthood. Clinical Psychological Science.

Lacroix, E., Smith, A.J., Husain, I.A., Orth, U., von Ranson, K.M. (2023). Normative body image development: A longitudinal meta-analysis of mean-level change. Body Image, 45.

Lacroix, E. & von Ranson, K. M. (2021). Body image disturbance partially explains eating-related psychosocial impairment in food addiction. Eating Behaviors, 41.

Lacroix, E. & von Ranson, K. M. (2020). Lived experience and defining addictive-like eating: A synthesis of qualitative research. Current Addiction Reports, 7(4).

Oliveira, E., Kim, H. S., Lacroix, E., de Fatima Vasques, M., Durante, C. R., Periera, D., Cabral, J. R., Bernstein, P. S., Garcia, X., Ritchie, E. V., & Tavares, H. (2020). The clinical utility of food addiction: Characteristics and psychosocial impairments in a treatment-seeking sample. Nutrients, 12(11).

Oliveira, E., Lacroix, E., Stravogiannis, A. L. C., de Fátima Vasques, M., Durante, C. R., Duran, É. P., Pereira, D., Cabral, J. R., & Tavares, H. (2020). Treatment of food addiction: Preliminary results. Archives of Clinical Psychiatry, 47(5).

Lacroix, E. & von Ranson, K. M. (2020). Prevalence of social, cognitive, and emotional impairment among individuals with food addiction. Eating and Weight Disorders.

Lacroix, E., Atkinson, M., Garbett, K. M., & Diedrichs, P. (2020). One size does not fit all: Trajectories of body esteem development and their predictors in early adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 1-10.

Paterson, C., Lacroix, E., & von Ranson, K. M. (2019). Conceptualizing addictive-like eating: A qualitative analysis. Appetite, 141, 1–8.

Lacroix, E., Oliveira, E., Saldanha de Castro, J., Cabral, J. R., Tavares, H., & von Ranson, K. M. (2019). “There is no way to avoid the first bite”: A qualitative investigation of addictive-like eating in treatment-seeking Brazilian women and men. Appetite, 137, 35–46.

Tobin, L., Lacroix, E., & von Ranson, K. M. (2019). Evaluating an abbreviated three-factor structure of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire in three samples. Eating Behaviors, 32, 18–22.

Lacroix, E., Tavares, H., & von Ranson, K. M. (2018). Moving beyond the ‘eating addiction’ versus ‘food addiction’ debate: Comment on Schulte et al. (2017). Appetite, 130, 286–292.

Nicoli de Mattos, C., Kim, H. S., Lacroix, E., Filomensky, T. Z., Hodgins, D. C., & Tavares, H. (2018). The need to consume: Hoarding as a shared psychological feature of compulsive buying and binge eating. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 85, 67–71.

Toivonen, K. I., Lacroix, E., Flynn, M. J., Ronksley, P., Oinonen, K. A., Metcalfe, A., & Campbell, T. S. (2018). Folic acid supplementation during the preconception period: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine, 114, 1–17.

Lacroix, E., Dobson, K., & von Ranson, K. M. (2017). Scope and ethics of psychologists’ use of client testimonials on professional websites. Canadian Psychology, 59(3), 232–238.

Lacroix, E., Alberga, A., Mayhew, S., McLaren, L., & von Ranson, K. M. (2017). Weight bias: A systematic review of characteristics and psychometric properties of self-report questionnaires. Obesity Facts, 10(3), 223–237.

Teaching

Undergraduate courses: Topical Seminar in Clinical Psychology – Addiction (PSYC 4303), Basic Research Seminar (PSYC 3151 & 3152), Honours Thesis Research Seminar (PSYC 4110), Psychological Testing (PSYC 3313)

Professional awards

• 2018–2021: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
• 2019: Canadian Federation of University Women École Polytechnique Commemorative Award
• 2018: Canadian Psychological Association Certificate of Academic Excellence
• 2017: Mitacs Globalink Research Award
• 2015–2017: Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) Master’s Award

Joining the lab

See Maritime Eating & Appearance Lab for opportunities and answers to frequently asked questions.