23/09/2026
Ottawa, Ontario — Wednesday September 23, 2026
Researchers have long known that concerns related to body image, eating behaviours, mental health, and substance use often emerge during adolescence, but there is surprisingly little long-term data on where those journeys lead. One of the first Canadian studies of its kind is helping answer that question.
Reconnecting with young people 15 years later gives us a unique opportunity to understand how early eating and weight related factors could have lasting effects into adulthood – this is a perspective we haven’t been able to explore until now – Dr. Nicole Obeid
Led by Dr. Nicole Obeid, the REAL 2.0 study reconnected with participants from a large adolescent health study 15 years after they were first surveyed. By pairing information collected in adolescence with new data gathered in their late twenties, researchers have created a valuable dataset that will help explain how eating behaviours, mental health, substance use, and other factors evolve over time—and how they interact with one another.
Early findings show that symptoms of multimorbidity including disordered eating, anxiety symptoms, low mood, and substance use concerns continue to co-occur among participants in adulthood.
But one of the most promising aspects of the REAL 2.0 study lies in what comes next. With a rare 15-year window into participants’ lives, researchers can identify the early risk and protective factors that predict later outcomes. Future research will work to support more personalized approaches to care by helping identify which young people may benefit from earlier intervention and support – before mental health challenges become lifelong concerns.