Eating Disorders Blog

Young women who watched a television show featuring plastic surgery told researchers that the procedures were "inspirational," and a new way for "an unhappy girl to achieve her dreams."

• Professors Patrick and Charlotte Markey, a husband-wife team, asked 200 college students to watch either a home improvement show or one featuring plastic surgeries.
• Participants who watched the medical shows were more likely to say they had a positive view of such surgeries afterwards.
• Females were more likely to respond positively to the shows than males.

"When we think of cosmetic surgery, we don’t think of it as a lifetime issue. There is lots of pressure to look a certain way and I don’t blame them for succumbing; we’re all guilty of feeling vulnerable," said Dr. Charlotte Markey, associate professor of psychology at Rutgers University. "What troubles me is that there’s no conclusive data that cosmetic surgery even makes people happier, what has been documented is that it makes repeat customers."

This study appears in the journal

.

Labels: body image, surgery, tv

Posted By: CRC Health 1 Comment

People with bipolar disorder have higher rates of anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorders, according to a new study from the University of Cincinnati. Their eating disorders also are more severe than average.

Bipolar disorder used to be called manic depression because it is characterized by cycles of mania and depression. About 5.7 million American adults are bipolar.

• Dr. Susan McElroy and her colleagues studied 875 people with bipolar disorders whose average age was 41 years old.
• More than 14 percent of the study subjects some eating disorder, with binge eating disorder being the most common.
• The 125 people in the study who suffered from both eating and bipolar disorders were more likely to have a family history of substance abuse, mood disorders, and to be women.
• Participants in the study who had anorexia tended to suffer from anxiety; those with bulimia were more likely to be overweight; and those with binge eating disorder were more likely to be obese.

"Substantial clinical and community data indicate that bipolar disorder co0iccyrs with substance abuse, anxiety, and impulse control disorders," Dr. McElroy said. "Another co- morbidity which has received far less systematic attention but which also may be important is that between bipolar disorders and eating disorders."

The study appears in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
 

Labels: mental-illness, bipolar

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

The Girl Guides of Great Britain -- the British equivalent of the Girl Scouts -- are calling for "warning labels" on pictures of models and actresses that have been manipulated in order to make the subjects appear slimmer.

The Guides want help people recognize the difference between natural and "photoshopped" images of women, noting that girls as young as ten years old worry about their weight, and 50 percent of people ages 13 to 19 years old would consider having cosmetic surgery.

Digital photo manipulation has been criticized for its negative impact on self-image and self-esteem, as well as for contributing to the development of eating disorders among those who are unduly influenced by these images.
 

Labels: media, model, fashion

Posted By: Eating Disorders Blog 1 Comment

When most people hear the phrase “silent killer,” they think of hypertension or heart disease. But eating disorders can be silent killers, too, especially in teens who are determined to hide it.

“A recent study published by the University of Illinois suggests that normal and underweight teenage girls who believe that they are overweight are at a significantly higher risk of developing unhealthy weight loss behaviors.” [Source: Insiders Health]

This misperception is called “body distortion” and it’s more prevalent than many adults realize. A girl who’s convinced that she’s “fat” even though she’s not will continue trying to lose weight, even when she’s too thin. And, to the best of her ability, she’s going to hide her weight loss from her parents and other loved ones, so she can keep losing.
 

Labels: body image, teen, girls, symptoms

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

As students around the country begin preparing for college, an eating disorder expert is trying to set their minds at ease. Many incoming college students worry about the “Freshman 15” – the 15 pounds of extra weight that students supposedly gain during their freshman year.

But [Cynthia] Bulk said recent research suggests that the average student gains only five pounds in the first year of college. And a 2008 study published in the journal Health Psychology found that the male students who gain weight generally do so because of an increase in muscle mass.

"You want to go into college as healthy and robust as you possibly can," she said.

Once they get to college, young people are confronted with a new group of peers to whom they can compare themselves. For students who are already concerned about their weight, that can trigger or worsen an eating disorder, Bulik said. [Source: Medical News Today]

Many young girls place a lot of pressure on themselves to lose weight their first year of college, in an attempt to compete with other girls on campus who appear to be skinnier. This comparison, combined with fear over the “Freshman 15,” can trigger eating disorder. Bulk encourages students to keep an eye on each other, and start asking questions if someone is losing a lot of weight or appears to have unhealthy eating or exercise habits.

Labels: pressures, colleges

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

When people talk, or write, about the causes of eating disorders, many blame the media and the fashion industry. All those ultra-skinny models must be triggering eating disorders in our kids, right?

Well, some new research is calling that theory into question.

“Dr. [Walter] Kaye says traits that contribute to developing anorexia are genetic. ‘Heritability is a much more powerful influence than culture is,’ said Dr. Kaye. So, what’s the difference between an anorexic brain and a healthy one? In one study, participants were given a taste of sugar. In healthy people, the insula and frontal cortex areas of the brain lit up, signaling a ‘wow that tastes good!’ That pleasure light didn’t turn on in the anorexic’s brain.” [WLS-TV (Chicago)]

Studies like this one are helping doctors and counseling make important progress in not only understanding what triggers eating disorders, but understanding how better to treat them.

Labels: awareness, media, genetics

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

Tens of millions of young people have Facebook accounts. They post status and relationship updates, share funny videos and upload pictures. Some, however, have second – secret – accounts where the videos are about weight loss and the pictures are “thinspiring.”

“There seems to be a Facebook group for every sub-section of disordered eater: Ana/Mia Anonymous (‘mia’ is the ‘cute’ short-form of bulimia); I’m Not Anorexic, I Just Only Eat on Tuesday; and Christians with Eating Disorders.” [Source: CanWest News Service]

Unfortunately, these groups don’t encourage people to get help for their eating disorders. Rather, they encourage people to embrace their dangerous, sometimes deadly habits. Parents are encouraged to keep an eye on their kids’ Internet activities and start asking questions if they notice something unusual or potentially dangerous.

Labels: pro-anorexia, internet, pro-bulimia, social networks

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

Most people know that eating disorders are serious issues. But one aspect of eating disorders that often gets overlooked is exercise addiction. It’s an important factor that can help you recognize that a loved one might have an eating disorder.

Up to 11 million Americans annually suffer from eating disorders, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Of those diagnosed with bulimia, more than 80 percent of them use excessive exercise to control their weight, according to a 1999 study.

Perhaps it starts as a desire to get fit, but it goes too far when you find yourself exercising intensely through injuries, or letting fitness take precedence over other important events in your life. [Source: The Spokesman-Review]

The woman who faithfully participates in a 6pm yoga class isn’t necessarily an exercise addict. If, however, the 6pm class is her third one of the day, and she’s there even when she sick or injured, then there’s a problem.

Labels: exercise, exercise addiction, exercise bulimia

Posted By: CRC Health 1 Comment

Mothers who encourage dieting to lose weight may contribute to their child's developing an eating disorder, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota.

• Dr. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer and her colleagues studied 365 teenage girls, many of whom were overweight.
• Forty-five percent told the researchers that their mothers encouraged dieting to lose weight.
• This group was two times more likely to binge eat, and five times more likely to engage in extreme weight control measures such as taking diet pills or laxatives, or vomiting after eating.
• Sixty-six percent of the mothers were on diets or talked about their weights, and 40% of the fathers were on diets.
• Children of these groups were more likely to use unhealthy weight control measures.
• Almost 60% of the girls said their family members teased them about their weights, and this group tended to be overweight and dissatisfied with their bodies.

"While parents who are concerned about their children's weight may encourage dieting with the best intentions, they need to know that talking about weight loss may have harmful consequences for their children's health," said Dr. Neumark-Sztainer. "I encourage parents to look for changes that can be made in the home environment to support healthier eating and physical activity among youth."

The study appears in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Labels: diet, parents, daughters, mothers

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Holly developed signs of anorexia when she was just 7-years-old. Her food went untouched, and she began losing weight. Her parents chose a less-traditional form of treatment called the “Maudsley Approach,” which focuses simply on getting the patient to eat again.

Phase one – lasting from weeks to a year – hinges entirely upon weight restoration. Whereas traditional anorexia therapy often excludes parents from treatment, Maudsley parents’ active involvement is seen as essential to their child’s recovery.

"If a 15-year-old had a bottle of vodka before school every morning, would you say 'Well, that adolescent is asserting her need for control, so parents back off?'" [Dr. Sarah] Ravin said. "No, because drinking alcohol before school is not OK." [Source: Miami Herald]

Dr. Ravin refers to the Maudsley Approach as an “agnostic” approach, meaning there’s little concern about what triggered the illness. Instead, patients focus first on regaining weight – a phase that is controlled by the parents, who set meal times and menus, and simply sit and wait as long as needed for the patient to start eating. Once a healthy weight has been achieved, the patient can gradually begin controlling her own meals. Only in phase three are causes of the illness addressed.

Labels: treatment, family, maudsley approach

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

The Oprah Winfrey Network will debut in January, and a new show – Inside Rehab – will bring coverage of eating disorder treatment to the prime-time schedule.

“Over the course of eight episodes, the docu-series will offer a ‘rare look inside an eating disorder treatment facility where patients face their demons and struggle to come to terms with what’s behind the food.’” [Source: Hollywood Insider]

The show’s chief creative officer, Lisa Erspamer, said the show offers hope and perspective not only to people struggling with eating disorders, but to their friends and family as well.

Labels: awareness, media

Posted By: Eating Disorders Blog 1 Comment

The bones of young girls suffering from anorexia nervosa have fat in the marrow, according to a new study from Children's Hospital Boston.

• Dr. Kirsten Ecklund and her colleagues performed MRIs on the knees of 20 girls with anorexia and 20 healthy girls whose average age was 16 years old.
• Radiologists reading their charts did not know which girls were in which group, and found that the anorexic girls had increased fat content or "yellow marrow" in their bones.

One theory is that the malnutrition caused by anorexia changes hormone levels, which in turn causes the bone marrow to stop producing bone-producing cells but to form fat instead. This may explain why people with anorexia lose bone mass. It is also known that many people with anorexia develop osteoporosis and are prone to fractures.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by low food intake. An anorexic's weight can drop to a starvation level, but he yet perceives himself as overweight.

This study appears in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Labels: anorexia, health, research

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Eating disorders affect men and women of all ages, though they are most prominent among adolescent girls. Licensed counselor Natasha Horsley says she’s continually surprised at how multi-layered and complicated eating disorders can be.

“Horsley, who was associated with the Renfrew Center Eating Disorders’ Clinic in Philadelphia from 1993 to 1999, knows the impulse is to chide those with deprivation eating disorders to ‘Just eat!’ ‘But no one really chooses to starve or to binge and purge. The detective work is to uncover the deep reasons why it happens,’ she explains.” [Source: Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, NJ)]

Sudden, severe weight loss, or regular trips to the bathroom after eating are two of the most common signs someone may have an eating disorder. Stress can trigger a relapse for someone who’s in recovery. If you know someone who exhibits signs of an eating disorder, seek help right away.

Labels: treatment, causes of eating disorders

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 1 Comment