Eating Disorders Blog

A new research report indicates that a diet high in fat and sugar may actually activate genes that cause the human body to store excessive amounts of fat. So, in addition to adding extra calories to a diet, high-fat and high-sugar foods may actually turn the body into a "supersized fat-storing machine."

These foods stimulate an opioid receptor known as the kappa opioid receptor, which helps to regulate fat metabolism. Stimulating this receptor causes the body to store much more fat than it would normally.

Traci Ann Czyzyk-Morgan, one of the researchers involved in the work, said, "The data presented here support the hypothesis that overactivation of kappa opioid receptors contributes to the development of obesity specifically during prolonged consumption of high-fat, calorically dense diets."

The report recently appeared in the online Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: obesity, diet, fat

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At a time when obesity is a skyrocketing problem in the United States, some experts are seeing a backlash of eating disorders. Orthorexia, which is considered a type of anorexia, involves an obsessive fixation with eating only healthy foods. Orthorexia is a term coined by Dr. Steven Bratman to describe this condition; however, orthorexia is not an officially recognized clinical eating disorder.

Orthorexics gradually eliminate more and more types of foods from their diets and generally begin to fixate on a very limited diet. In some extreme cases, orthorexics become full-blown anorexics because they can't find food "clean" enough or "healthy" enough to satisfy their compulsion, and so their caloric intake becomes severely limited.

According to some experts, the connection between anorexia and orthorexia is a deep-seated fear of food. Anorexics fear food because they think it will make them fat, while orthorexics fear food because they think it will make them sick.

Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher, a clinical psychologist and director of the eating disorders clinic at the University of Illinois at Chicago, commented: "While orthorexia begins with a desire to achieve better health, it's very connected to an underlying fear of food. If I believe the food will make me sick, I become afraid of it, and I avoid it and, bit by bit, continue to avoid more and more food types."

Orthorexics typically become so obsessed with consuming the "right" foods that other activities in their lives begin to suffer, such as their studies, careers and family life. This is the point where a lifestyle choice may cross the line into a mental health issue.

Linda Van Horn, a clinical nutrition epidemiologist at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, stated: "The fundamental issue [with orthorexia] is the obsessive-compulsive nature of food intake. Anything too extreme can be unhealthy."

(Source: news.medill.northwestern.edu)

Labels: anorexia, diet, orthorexia

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Studies have found that about 25 percent of girls who are trying to lose weight rely on diet pills to help them achieve their goals. But many diet pills will leave girls either disappointed or possibly sick.

"Diet pills are not very effective in promoting long-term weight loss because they act on immediate sources of weight gain instead of focusing on fat loss. Additionally, their energy-increasing ingredients such as ephedra and caffeine cause several harmful side effects, including mild to severe anxiety, bloating, stomach cramps ... heart palpitations, high blood pressure, blurred vision, and insomnia."

Diet pills work primarily by flushing fluids out the body, causing the loss of water weight. Losing water weight causes someone to appear smaller, and muscle leaner but only because the person is on the verge of dehydration.

These pills also increase energy and decrease hunger, which have a variety of side effects as well. Some who is using diet pills typically has a poor body image and is looking for a "quick fix." Reliance on diet pills can be a red flag that a person may develop an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Source: Student Life (Washington University)

Labels: diet, fads, pills

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This week a Texas AgriLife Research scientist discovered that an amino acid (amino acids are the building blocks of proteins) may help fight obesity. Arginine, the amino acid in question, was shown to reduce fat mass in obese laboratory rats. Researchers found that supplementing the rats' diet with arginine over a 12-week period decreased the body fat gains of both low-fat fed rats and high-fat fed rats by more than 60 percent.

Arginine naturally occurs in various foods, with particularly high levels in seafood, watermelon juice, nuts, seeds, algae, and meats. The research also indicates that arginine may increase lean tissue growth. Dr. Guoyao Wu, an AgriLife Research animal nutritionist in College Station and Senior Faculty Fellow in the department of animal science at Texas A&M University, commented on the findings:

"Given the current epidemic of obesity in the U.S. and worldwide, our finding is very important. ... This finding could be directly translated into fighting human obesity. ... At this time, arginine has not been incorporated into our food (but could in the future)."(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: nutrition, diet, protein

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Some adults are such picky eaters that they develop some symptoms of eating disorders, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. Duke University and University of Pittsburgh are setting up a website to both study and help picky eaters.

Picky eaters often limit themselves to a few foods, which in turn can affect their social and professional lives. Having such limitations is one of the criteria for diagnosing eating disorders. Picky eaters often do not get proper nutrition because they do not eat a variety of foods.

Picky eaters are not necessarily overly thin or obsessed with counting calories, fat grams or carbohydrates, which is often a symptom of anorexia. However, some limit themselves to a certain texture of food; for example, they consume only creamy or crunchy foods. Some limit themselves to just one taste, such as salty or sweet. Many picky eaters claim that they get nauseous when they try a new food.

Some therapists believe that picky eaters may be suffering from a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
 

Labels: nutrition, symptoms, diet

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

Actress Gwen Paltrow admits that she goes on extreme diets, including the "Master Cleanse." This regime involves drinking maple syrup, lemon juice, water, and red pepper in order to lose 20 or more pounds very quickly.

"It's not what you'd characterize as pretty," she said. "Or easy. But it did work."

Paltrow began a macrobiotic diet in 1999, which consists of vegetables, grains, soup, and fish. Her six-day-a-week exercise routine involves 40 minutes of cardio-dancing followed by leg crunches and arm exercises.

The intensity of her meat-free, dairy-free diet and other routines may be taking its toll on the 37-year-old's health.

• After breaking her leg last year, Paltrow underwent a bone density scan and found out she had osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis.
• Usually only elderly women develop these conditions after menopause.
• Paltrow's doctors told her she had the lowest levels of Vitamin D they had ever seen, and advised her to spend more time in the sun.
• She also has to take prescription strength Vitamin D. This vitamin is found in sunlight and necessary for bone health.

ABC news medical consultant Dr. Stephen Honig said Paltrow's condition is a warning to young women at risk for eating disorders.

Dr. Honig, director of the Osteoporosis Center at New York University Hospital, said teenagers should consume milk and other dairy products, exercise moderately, and maintain a healthy body weight.

"Don't get too crazy," he advised.
 

Labels: extreme diets, osteoporosis, diet

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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

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