Eating Disorders Blog

Schools in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area are beginning to talk openly about epidemic obesity among students. Two junior high schools hosted programs this week encouraging students to think about what they eat and why. The programs focused on teen behaviors that contribute to obesity, as well as society's unreasonable standards for female beauty and the long-term consequences of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

Typical teen behaviors that were highlighted as contributing to obesity included a fondness for fast food, drinking soda, and too much time spent watching television, using computers, or talking on cell phones. Presenters at the school also tried to point out to teens that not all foods are meant to be consumed every day, and that being active is very important.

Dr. Tamara Lewis, medical director for the local community health prevention agency that provided the school presentations, commented, "We'd like to see them come to the point that the only things they are drinking consistently are water and low-fat or no-fat milk. ... We're talking about the difference between 'everyday' foods and 'occasional' foods. The Easter Bunny is a one-day event, and we don't need dessert with every meal. ... Kids need at least 60 minutes of activity every day to stay healthy, and that's not just exercising their fingers when they text-message."

(Source: www.desertnews.com)

Labels: eating disorder, obesity, epidemic, utah, salt lake

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This week the State of Massachusetts approved a weight screening program for public schools that is set to begin in all schools this fall. The program is modeled on existing programs in Arkansas and New York, and received unanimous approval from the Massachusetts Public Health Council.

However, eating disorders experts are raising concerns about the program, including the reliability of the body mass index (BMI) for children and the wisdom of sending BMI reports to parents. Rebecca Manley, founder of the Multiservice Eating Disorders Association in Newton, Massachusetts, wrote in a letter to the Public Health Council that, "Mandatory BMI reporting laws force parents to walk the fine line between encouraging healthy eating and promoting unhealthy weight loss strategies."

(Source: www.boston.com)

Labels: eating disorder, weight screening, massachusetts

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Some experts are promoting high-calorie, high-fat comfort foods as a way to help anorexic girls battle the eating disorder. Dr. Angela Celio Doyle, a University of Chicago clinical associate, comments on the new theory: "It is difficult to eat large amounts of low-calorie foods and get the calories needed to restore health, so turning to milkshakes and macaroni and cheese can be quite helpful. ... Many individuals attempting to gain weight after a period of malnourishment will need anywhere between 3,000 and 5,000 calories a day."

Recovering anorexics usually have very little stomach capacity, as their stomachs have shrunk over time as a result of never being full. Therefore calorie-dense foods, which provide maximum nutrition with minimum volume, may offer a way to deliver more nourishment more quickly.

A well-known eating disorder clinic in Evanston, Illinois, is putting this idea into practice. Registered dietician Oehme Soule encourages her patients to nourish themselves to help them recover and to help them learn new behaviors. She comments: "I say to them, 'First we'll get you nourished so you can think because I can't teach you to eat on a starving brain.' ... Fats have twice as many calories as protein or carbohydrates so it's a much faster route to nourishing. And if they can't eat, I can't teach them how to eat."

(Source: news.medill.northwester.edu)

Labels: eating disorder, anorexia, food

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The Missouri legislature is currently considering a bill that, if passed, would mandate insurance coverage for eating disorders. Opponents of the bill believe that increased health care costs would ultimately lead to more people who are uninsured. Proponents of the bill, however, argue that increased coverage for preventative care will reduce health care costs over the long term.

The bill is being sponsored by two St. Louis democrats, Representative Rachel Storch, and Senator Rita Heard. Representative Storch believes that eating disorders are a serious and underexposed problem: "This literally takes people to the brink of survival."

(Source: www.stltoday.com)

Labels: eating disorder, missouri legislature, insurance

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A Wisconsin family has decided to share the ongoing story of a 13-year-old's battle with anorexia. Susan and Kelly McKay are informing their daughter's teachers, friends, and classmates about her eating disorder. Their story has led to a change in school curriculum, and a life lesson for all involved.

Kerry McCarthy first showed signs on an eating disorder about a year ago. Her involvement in sports gave her an excuse to exercise several times a day, and she began counting calories very carefully. Her parents soon noticed that Kerry was using a focus on "healthy cooking" and "healthy eating" to camouflage the fact that she was actually consuming very few calories, and her eating habits were changing for the worse. Kerry's mom, Susan, recalls: "She would take tiny little bites and space each one out painfully slow." Kerry made it appear that she was eating, but the amount of food she actually consumed decreased to a dangerously low level for her height, age, and metabolism.

Kerry's condition continued to worsen until October, when the family made the three-hour drive to Iowa City to admit Kerry to an inpatient eating disorders treatment facility. At admission, Kerry was only 90 pounds and 5' 7" tall - she looked skeletal. Susan remembers, "It was definitely the hardest thing we have ever had to do. As a family we tried our hardest to turn this around at home but we were unsuccessful," says Susan. "In the beginning it started out very slowly, but it is amazing how quickly the disease took over."

Kerry's struggle with anorexia has caused her school to modify its health and science curriculum. Students now learn about nutrition and how it affects the body. Susan comments, "There is so much thrown out there by the media on this very subject ... but not enough helpful, constructive information so that young people don't fall into this trap of starving themselves."

Dr. Peggy Scallon, a physician in the department of childhood psychiatry and adolescence at University of Wisconsin Hospital, agrees that schools should take a more active role. "Schools can teach kids how to critically read and counter media and advertising messages. ... Curricula can also be presented to teach kids healthy coping strategies for stress, healthy communication, and the management of strong feelings, through the practice of mindfulness, relaxation, and emotional regulation."

(Source: www.madison.com)

Labels: eating disorder, teen, wisconsin

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The number of men in Scotland being treated for serious eating disorders has tripled in the past year, according to new data from the Priory Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. Dr. Alex Yellowees, medical director and lead clinician for the eating disorders unit at Priory Hospital, reported the 300 percent increase in referrals in a 12-month period.

Dr. Yellowees warns that men are currently where women were 15 years ago, and that the numbers of men with eating disorders may continue to increase in the same fashion. "We are just seeing the tip of the iceberg as was the case in women in the 1990s. I think it is reasonable to predict an increase in the number of men being referred in Scotland. There's a lot more out there."

Dr. Yellowees also commented on changing values among young men that are contributing to the rise in eating disorders: "Young men are now adopting values and beliefs about body image that almost exclusively belonged to women. There is a blurring of gender roles in society. Young men were previously afraid of coming forward because they knew society viewed it as a women's problem. They feared that if they came forward their sexuality would be questioned. I think that prejudice is breaking down now. The idealisation of thinness still affects women more but there is an increasing trend of men adopting previously held ideas of thinness that women held."

(Source: www.dailyrecord.co.uk)

Labels: eating disorder, dr yellowees, scotland

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Filmmaker Travis Matthews had the inspiration to make a documentary about gay men, body image, and eating disorders in 2005, when he was struggling with an eating disorder. Matthews had a difficult time finding treatment for his eating disorder - a problem experienced by many men with extreme eating behaviors. Treatment programs are traditionally geared toward women. Matthews commented about his search for help, "It just seemed like nothing was out there."

Matthews' film, "Do I Look Fat?" is rooted in his desire to help others. He holds a master's degree in counseling psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, but has placed his counseling career on hold to produce the film. He feels that it is the best way to reach out to other men who struggle with eating disorders. Matthews hopes to counter stereotypes within the gay community about how men should look, either very skinny or obese.

He comments on his expectations for the film's impact, saying, "My hope is that this will happen within the gay community-a grassroots sort of thing where people start talking to each other. ... I hope the gay community in general is maturing in a way to be healthier. The time is right for more treatments and open discussions to be available."

(Source: media.www.thelantern.com)

Labels: eating disorder, gay, documentary, travis matthews, do i look fat

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According to a new report from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of Americans being hospitalized due to eating disorders and related complications increased between 1999 and 2006. Hospitalizations increased most dramatically for children under the age of 12 (by 119 percent). Patients between the ages of 45 and 64 showed the next most dramatic increase at 48 percent. Hospitalizations for anorexia remained stable during the same time period, while admissions for bulimia decreased by 7 percent. Hospitalizations for men increased by 37 percent. The report also noted that hospitalizations for rare eating disorders such as pica (the compulsive consumption of non-edible substances such as clay) and anxiety-related (psychogenic) vomiting increased by 38 percent.

(Source: www.ahrq.gov)

Labels: eating disorder, hospitalization

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Doctors at Toronto's Nutritional and Eating Disorders Clinic have made an interesting discovery: Attention-deficit disorder (ADHD) is linked with obesity. Dr. Lance Levy, a physician at the clinic, commented, "ADHD is a primary cause of failing to lose weight for tens of thousands of people. ... Obese people are three to five times more likely to have it than the regular population. And if you treat them, you will see a significant weight loss."

The groundbreaking discovery was recently published by Dr. Levy and his co-authors, psychologist John Fleming and dietitian Doreen Klar, in the International Journal of Obesity. The three conducted a study of 242 obese patients and found that 32 percent had ADHD. When the patients were treated for ADHD, they were able to lose 12 percent of their body weight within 14 months. Many of the same patients were previously unable to lose weight for their entire lives.

(Source: www.theglobeandmail.com)

Labels: obesity, adhd

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According to a new joint study by the University of Minnesota, University of Texas, and St. John's University researchers, vegetarians have healthier diets but are also at higher risk for eating disorders. The team analyzed more that 2,500 males and females aged 15-23. Vegetarian adolescents and young adults were more likely than non-vegetarians to report binge eating with loss of control. In addition, study results indicated that vegetarians may be at higher risk for unhealthy weight-control behaviors such as diet pills, vomiting, laxatives, and diuretics.

(Source: www.littleabout.com)

Labels: eating disorder, vegetarians

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Recent research shows that short or poor sleep can disturb appetite control, lead to increased eating, and increase the risk of type-2 diabetes. Studies on short-term sleep deprivation by the University of Chicago have shown that short-term sleep restriction damages the body's ability to regulate eating by lowering levels of a hormone that tells the body when it has consumed enough food. Dr. Eve Van Cauter, lead researcher on the University of Chicago studies, reports that as little as three days of sleep disturbance is sufficient to increase insulin resistance in humans, and that poor sleep over a five-year period has been shown to increase systolic blood pressure. Interestingly, sleep deprived study subjects often showed signs of progression toward type-2 diabetes without gaining significant weight.

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: eating disorder, sleep problems

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According to a presentation at a local high school by the Family Crisis Service Center (FCSC) of Cañon City, Colorado, injuries caused by sexual assault can include psychological problems such as depression, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders. FCCC Outreach Advocate Jenny Lehl, who conducted the presentation, commented:

"Eating disorders and cutting are the two most common effects I see in young people who have been sexually assaulted. ... When we have lost control of our body, we will do things, whatever we think it takes, to regain that control."

Current data show that one in four women and one in 17 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and 60 percent of assaults are never reported to the police.

(Source: www.canoncitydailyrecord.com)

Labels: eating disorder, sexual assault

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According to a recent study and doctor reports in Australia, eating disorders are becoming more common among children as young as 5. Dr. Sloane Madden, a specialist in treating children with eating disorders commented, "In the last 12 months there has been a 50 percent increase in the number of young people presenting to our unit." A recent study identified 100 underweight children across Australia who had been admitted to hospitals; 25 percent of these were boys. The landmark study is the first to provide Australians with national information on children with disordered eating behaviors.

Experts are concerned that family doctors may be missing the signs of eating disorders in many children. In particular, doctors don't expect boys to have problems with eating disorders. Professor Phillipa Hay from the University Western Sydney commented, "In one case, a doctor told a nine-year-old boy's family not to worry that he was losing weight. This young boy presented late on a Sunday night with a heart rate in the 30s which was really putting him at immediate risk of dying. He required resuscitation. If there starts to be a pattern of children not eating and becoming thinner and skipping lunch regularly, then parents should be concerned."

(Source: www.abc.net.au)

Labels: eating disorder, australia

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A study of anorexic girls found that 66 percent went on to suffer from psychiatric disorders as adults.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person slowly starves herself because she mistakenly believes that she is overweight. One percent of girls and one tenth of one percent of boys have the disorder.

Dr. Elisabet Wentz, a professor at Sahlgrenska Academy, and her colleagues studied 51 teenagers with anorexia nervosa beginning in 1985.

By 2003, six percent of the girls were still anorexic and 39 percent had at least one other psychiatric problem, most often obsessive-compulsive disorder. Though anorexia has a high death rate, all 51 participants were still alive almost 20 years later.

This study appears in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

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A study from the University of Toronto found that a simple urine test could indicate whether a person is eating a healthy diet.

Dr. Alexander Logan, University of Toronto, tested 220 people ages 18 to 50 who suffered from kidney stones. He found that those who were eating a diet of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products had high levels of potassium in their urine.

The advantage of doing this eight-dollar urine test is that people do not always provide accurate reports of their diets to their doctors.

This study appeared in the Journal of Nutrition.

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According to a new joint study by the University of Minnesota, University of Texas, and St. John's University researchers, vegetarians have healthier diets but are also at higher risk for eating disorders. The team analyzed more that 2,500 males and females aged 15-23. Vegetarian adolescents and young adults were more likely than non-vegetarians to report binge eating with loss of control. In addition, study results indicated that vegetarians may be at higher risk for unhealthy weight-control behaviors such as diet pills, vomiting, laxatives, and diuretics.
(Source: www.littleabout.com)

Labels: binge-eating, vegetarians, risks

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Many schools across North Carolina are implementing high-tech menu boards in cafeterias. Some of these new menu boards will show key nutritional information for student meals, including calorie and fat content. The boards have created some controversy over whether this information is helpful or potentially harmful to children and youth. Some nutrition experts believe that the menu boards will help children to make healthy eating choices; however, some eating disorders experts feel that emphasizing calories and fat to children, especially teens, may lead to eating disorders. Heidi Limbrunner, a nutrition advocate from the Center for Disordered Eating, believes it is more important to promote eating and exercising for health. She commented:

"The most frequent ages of the onset of eating disorders are between 14 and 18. ... By encouraging kids to count calories, I think it sends a message that you should be dieting ... and dieting is one of the biggest risk factors for eating disorders."

(Source: www.news14.com)

Labels: nutrition, schools

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Treating an eating disorder in the early stages can help prevent sufferers from developing more serious behaviors. It is important to acquaint yourself with eating disorders and certain indications that a family member, friend, or coworker may be suffering from an eating disorder.

People suffering from anorexia feel "fat" all the time, and try to address the problem by actually starving themselves. When an individual's refusal to consume adequate nourishment gets out of hand, he or she may even starve themselves to death. Specific symptoms of anorexia include odd eating habits, including avoiding food and meals, refusing to eat with others, picking out a few foods and eating them in small amounts, weighing food, and baking or cooking large amounts of food for others which they do not consume at all themselves. In addition, they may exercise compulsively.

People with bulimia will consume extremely large amounts of food in one sitting - as much as 10,000 calories. After the binge-eating episode, the person will then almost immediately make him or herself vomit or use laxatives or diuretics to help decrease absorption of the excess calories. Bulimics will often excuse themselves to the bathroom right after a meal; frequently use laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after eating; smell of vomit; and engage in strenuous workouts, especially after eating.

A binge-eating disorder involves a person eating an excessive amount of food in one sitting and not purging the calories. Binge eaters tend to eat alone and very quickly, whether or not they are hungry. Binge eaters generally eat to cope with stress, and afterwards will feel ashamed. One of the obvious symptoms of binge-eating disorder is obesity and unusual fixation on food and eating. Unlike other forms of disordered eating, men have this disorder as frequently as women.
(Source: www.guanpdn.com)

Labels: treatment, awareness, symptoms

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According to an article appearing this week in the student newspaper of Lewis University, campus health officials are seeing an increase in male athletes with disordered eating behaviors. The behaviors are linked to the athletes' goal of achieving a "competitive advantage" over other athletes. Jill Siegfried, Director of Student Recreation, Fitness and Wellness at Lewis, believes that these behaviors are on the rise among male athletes because of unhealthy social messages that young men are receiving. She believes that male athletes have developed a "notion that thinner will equate to having a competitive advantage."

One popular form of disordered eating that has been observed by Ms. Siegfried and other officials is compulsive exercising as a way to purge calories. Ms. Siegfried explains, "compulsive exercising is a problem when people schedule their lives around exercise just like people who have eating disorders schedule their lives around eating or not eating."

Siegfried believes that unhealthy social messages encourage "body image distortion" and the development of eating disorders in male athletes. "[There's] the whole consumer marketing buzz to six pack abs and all. People see that image and think it could be them. They'll starve themselves or 'over train' to get there. The obsession is [even] starting now with young boys."

Labels: manorexia, athletes

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This week Lexington, Kentucky will hold its first annual National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) "Walk Until Eating Disorders Are History." A local University of Kentucky (UK) student, Kimberly Hoffmeister, organized the walk as a way to raise community awareness about the dangers of eating disorders. Kimberly, a survivor of an eating disorder, believes that increasing awareness and education may increase the chances that other sufferers will get the help they need.

Kimberly Hoffmeister is quoted by the UK newspaper Kernel as saying, "It is such a widespread and serious problem that if we can recognize the signs and symptoms with what's going on with our friends, we can save somebody a lot of pain down the road."

All money raised by the awareness walk will go directly to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) to help fund prevention programs, the association's national hotline, as well as other NEDAwareness Week Activities. (Source: www.kykernel.com)

Labels: awareness, prevention

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