A study which recently appeared in the International Journal of Eating Disorders reports that symptoms in young women who struggle with bulimia often decrease after marriage. Despite that, few of the women showed any significant change in their overall self-esteem or body satisfaction.

"The findings suggest that women will limit the most 'socially unacceptable' symptoms of bulimia once they live with a partner. . . and cohabitation did not stop women from taking more discreet, but still unhealthy, measures to control their weight, like using diet pills or laxatives."

The study included 2,600 young men and women and took place over a five year period, and brings to light some of the social forces which affect bulimia. Researchers believe this new understanding may help with treatment of the disorder.

Back in July, the Chicago Tribune's Leslie Goldman wrote a story about three young women who have turned their struggles with eating disorders into a fashion statement. In 2004, having completed her first in-patient eating-disorder treatment, Tifani Dembek wanted a creative way to express herself and her journey. The result was a shirt, which she made for herself and two of her friends, that says "I am beautiful" on the front, "no matter what they say" on the back. What started as a craft project has become a business as orders for the shirts have flooded in.

"[Laura] Rank's favorite is her purple top, the color of recovery, according to the Highland Park-based National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, which receives the proceeds of the $12 'Angel Strength' shirts."

In a market saturated with sometimes vulgar and self-deprecating slogan shirts, these girls are working to make sure there's a positive message on the market, too. Read more, including how to order an Angel Strength shirt, from ChicagoTribune.com.

A study recently published in the Archives of General Psychiatry suggests that young women at risk for eating disorders may be helped by an on-line program that focused upon reducing weight and shape concerns, enhancing body image, and educating about the risks of eating disorders.

A total of 480 college students with BMI of over 25 and body-image concerns participated in the program called "Student Bodies." Students were directed to read educational material each week and participate in assignments such as journal writing and participating in a psychologist-moderated online discussion group.

At the end of the eight-week program, body image concerns were significantly reduced, as measured by attitude measurement tools such as the Weight Concerns Scale. A two-year follow-up revealed that none of the women who participated in the interventional program developed an eating disorder, whereas 11.9% of a control group (those of equal weight and body-image concerns who did not participate in the intervention) developed an eating disorder.

Although the program was expensive, requiring highly trained moderators and access to a computer, further study may reveal a less expensive way to deliver such interventional programs to college students at high risk for eating disorders.

It's been well documented that anorexia nervosa affects the reproductive system. Not only is fertility affected, but also once a pregnancy occurs, there may be complications during pregnancy and delivery, such as an increased risk of pre-term and cesarean deliveries as well as low birth weight babies.

While previous studies have suggested that these problems may occur whether anorexia is active or after recovery, a recent Swedish study published in BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found that in countries with adequate prenatal medical care, those who have recovered from anorexia have just as favorable birth outcomes as those without the disorder.

In an examination of 828,582 births to women between 1983-2002, researchers found that 1,000 of them had been hospitalized at least once in the past for anorexia nervosa. Of these women, the only difference in delivery and birth outcome was a lower birth weight baby. The researchers believe that this may be a result of better health care both for those with active anorexia nervosa as well as better maternity care for all. They suggest that specialized maternity care for those with a history of anorexia may be necessary only for those having active symptoms during pregnancy.

Reuters Health reported on a new study that found stress can influence and trigger the development of an eating disorder.

Dr. Luis Rojo of the University of Valencia in Spain and his team studied the
connection between stress and eating disorders in teens, as well as the
influence of psychological problems.

The study also found that adolescents with eating disorders reported more acute stressful events, more accumulation of acute stress, and more mental illness. The teens who reported having an eating disorder also had more difficulties in other areas of their lives. Read more online.

Do professional ballet dancers maintain a low body weight simply because they are in a weight-conscious environment, or is there a high prevalence of eating disorder symptoms among those in this career similar to non-dancers with eating disorders?

According to a study of 29 ballet dancers, both professional and in training for a professional career in dance—as many as 83% reported some form of disordered eating patterns. While previous studies have shown that anorexia nervosa is common among dancers, this study revealed that many dancers exhibit bulimic behaviors such as binging, purging, and using laxatives, and a majority showed at least some characteristics of bulimia, anorexia, or both.

Because the study participants had not previously been diagnosed with an eating disorder, this study, reported in a recent issue of the International Journal of Eating Disorders, emphasizes the need for further research to promote understanding of disordered eating patterns among dancers - and hopefully to enhance identification and treatment of eating disorders among this group.

According to a recent Brazilian study, body image dissatisfaction is strongly related to binge-eating episodes, particularly in women. Binge eating is defined as the consumption of a large quantity of food over a short time frame, accompanied by a feeling of loss of control over what is being consumed. Binge eating is associated with obesity and is a major component of bulimia nervosa (BN).

In the study, both male and female subjects shopping in several malls were interviewed about eating habits, particularly binge eating, as well as their perception of their body weight - whether they thought weight was above the ideal, below the ideal or ideal.

Study results showed that the prevalence of binge-eating episodes was higher among those who were overweight or obese (both women and men) than those who were of normal weight, and also higher among those who felt their weight to be above the ideal, rather than ideal or below ideal.

But in those women who were actually of normal weight or below (defined by a BMI of less than 25), those who perceived their weight to be above ideal - in spite of evidence to the contrary - also had a high prevalence of binge-eating episodes. This finding was not present among men.

This study suggests that women who have a distorted body image and dissatisfaction with their bodies may have a greater risk for binge-eating behaviors.

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that some young adult women may respond to an Internet-based program aimed to prevent eating disorders. During the trial, an eight-week cognitive-behavioral intervention program called "Student Bodies" was shown to college age women who were considered at-risk for developing an eating disorder. The online intervention program addresses women's concerns about body weight and shape, body image, and promotes healthy eating. This study is so very important because approximately 4% of all girls and women will develop anorexia nervosa or bulimia. For more information about preventing eating disorders in young women visit the NIH online.