Eating Disorders 101: An Introduction

by njhdiver Research reports that two out of four young people have unhealthy ideas about eating, dieting and weight. With the alarming increase of

Eating Disorders 101: Your online classroom for Eating Disorder ...

by njhdiver

Research reports that two out of four young people have unhealthy ideas about eating, dieting and weight. With the alarming increase of eating disorders, dieting, and obesity among children as young as 5 and 6, it's crucial these days for parents to proactively work to promote healthy eating and body image in their children.

It has been found that in households where mom talks about feeling fat, 81% of their teenage daughters said they felt fat too. Our girls, especially, are being easily confused and influenced when it comes to body image development. In a culture where young people are bombarded with skinny, glossy, and superficial images, parents can be a mirror reflecting understanding, reassurance, wisdom, and love that their children can look into with faith and not fear. Many factors influence whether an adolescent will develop a positive or negative body image. As a parent, you can learn to be supportive the next time your child says, Mom, I feel fat or Mom, I hate my life, and be ready with an answer by saying, that sounds like an important feeling, tell me more.

The Slenderizing Beauty Ideal

Everyday 56% of the women in the United States are on diets. We have a 30-billion-dollar-a-year diet industry. The historical view of the ideal female body has changed over the years and influenced this dieting America. Although many factors contribute to the changing body shape of girls, including better nutrition, earlier onset of puberty and other societal influences. The fact remains that regardless of the reason, the common trend over time points to a slenderizing standard of the female ideal. With standards like this, it is no wonder that children are dissatisfied with their bodies.

When it came to looks teens are most concerned about weight. A Teen People survey of 1000 teens, showed that 39% worried about weight. Between 2000 and 2001, cosmetic surgery on girls 18 and younger had increased by 22%.

Another study reported that after girls viewed pictures of models in fashion magazines:

69% reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of the perfect body shape and

47% reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures.

This study found that those who were frequent readers of fashion magazines were 2-3 times more likely than infrequent readers to start dieting to lose weight because of a magazine article.

What Are Eating Disorders?

Is it any wonder, then, that eating disorders affect 7 million women and 1 million men in the United States? Eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. People with anorexia starve themselves to dangerously thin levels, at least 15% below their appropriate weight. People with bulimia binge uncontrollably on large amounts of food-sometimes thousands of calories at a time-and then purge the calories out of their bodies through vomiting, starving, excessive exercise, laxatives, or other methods. People with binge-eating disorder eat uncontrollably, but they do not purge the calories.

Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (or EDNOS) is a new classification of disordered eating that falls between anorexia, binge eating and bulimia. Unfortunately, since this type of 'sub-clinical' disorder is often not life-threatening, there appears to be little research available on the topic. One of the goals at FINDINGbalance.com, the first national organization dedicated to helping those who struggle with ENDOS, is to begin collecting new information through input from their website visitors and other existing sources. Visit the http://www.FINDINGbalance.com website to take the Weird Eater quiz and take a closer look at how dieting habits can lead to disordered eating.

Anorexia Warning Signs for Adolescents & Adults:

Loss of menstrual period

Dieting obsessively when not overweight

Claiming to feel "fat" when overweight is not a reality

Preoccupation with food, calories, nutrition, and/or cooking

Denial of hunger

Excessive exercising, being overly active

Frequent weighing

Strange food-related behaviors

Episodes of binge-eating

15% or more below normal body weight/rapid weight loss

Depression

Slowness of thought/memory difficulties

Hair loss

* In children any combination of these symptoms should be considered serious and an immediate evaluation by an eating disorder professional or physician is recommended.

Source: http://www.remudaranch.com

Bulimia Warning Signs:

Excessive concern about weight

Strict dieting followed by eating binges

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Source : http://imentalhealth.net/mental-health-disorders/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-101-an-introduction

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