Julie Parker, general manager of the Butterfly Foundation, which supports people with eating disorders, commented on the "dangerous" and confusing nature of weight loss shows for children: "We constantly have a dieting and thin culture in front of us, and children and young people are exposed like never before."
According to Parker, very young children in particular should not be exposed to extreme weight loss programs because they tend to present "a very warped and unrealistic view of exercise, dieting and health."
Bruce McDermott, University of Queensland professor of child and adolescent psychiatry, called the increase in diagnoses a "robust trend," but stressed that no one really knows the cause. "There are influences on childhood in the last 10 years that have never been there before," he said. "The prevalence of technology in the bedroom - MSN, YouTube, Internet and TV - fairly relentlessly gives a message that thin is good, thin is beautiful and thin is desirable."
(Source: www.news.com.au)
Labels: weight loss, tv
Posted By: Aspen Education Group

