Many victims of eating disorders still suffer in silence. Even if parents and siblings know about a child's struggle, the family itself often fights the disease alone. There's still too much of a stigma surrounding eating disorders, and the stigma causes too many to keep quiet.

"The latest research on eating disorders clearly shows that genetics and biology are the biggest risk factor for an eating disorder. But we as a society haven't caught up to scientific reality yet. We still blame families, the way we used to blame them for autism and schizophrenia and homosexuality."

Our society and our communities can do better. We can rally around victims of eating disorders and their families. We can, and we should; because the ones who suffer in silence are the least likely to recover. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder - don't be afraid to ask for help.

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Labels: awareness, causes of eating disorders, treatment

White adolescent girls still lead all other groups for eating disorders, but a new study indicates that more boys are increasingly over-dieting and using techniques like purging for weight control.

Dr. May Chao of Wesleyan University in Connecticut studied trends in adolescent weight control over a ten-year period, from 1995 to 2005. White adolescent girls are more likely to diet, purge, over-exercise, take diet pills and suffer from bulimia and anorexia than other groups. However, Dr. Chao found that a steady increase in the number of boys, especially Hispanics, participating in such weight control behaviors.

She believes that social pressure to achieve unrealistic body ideals is increasing, and that puts males at risk for being dissatisfied with their bodies and developing eating disorders.

This study appears in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

Labels: body image, influences, pressures

Researchers at the University of Alberta recently studied eating disorder articles published in magazines like Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Seventeen. They wanted to find out what these types of magazines were saying about eating disorders, and whether the information they were publishing was helpful or harmful.

"...whereas most articles mentioned the exact menu used by eating disorder sufferers when they were ill, fewer than 15 percent gave a similar description of what sufferers ate after they had recovered. Similarly, a sufferer's weight when they were ill was mentioned more often than their healthy weight."

The researchers often found that many articles talked about weight loss strategies used by people suffering from anorexia, while barely more than half mentioned the potentially fatal dangers of the disorder. The obvious bent towards highlighting the disorders and not the dangers or the recovery has researchers believing that people attempting to recover from eating disorders should avoid these types of magazines altogether.

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Labels: health_care, media_influences, motivation

Most talk of eating disorders centers around anorexia, bulimia, and other disorders that cause extreme weight loss. But emotional eating disorders that cause someone to overeat can be just as dangerous and pose just as many health risks. Researchers at the Miriam Hospital's Weight Control & Diabetes Research Center recently conducted a study which sought to better understand the triggers of emotional eating disorders.

"We found that the more people report eating in response to thoughts and feelings, such as 'when I feel lonely, I console myself by eating,' the less weight they lost in a behavioral weight loss program... In addition, amongst successful weight losers, those who report emotional eating are more likely to regain..."

The team focused on an aspect of eating behavior called "disinhibition" which evaluates eating in response to emotional, social, or cognitive cues. There are two types of disinhibition - external and internal. External refers to things like social settings, while internal refers to feelings and thoughts. Overall, the team found that internal disinhibitions were a significant predictor of someone's weight loss or gain over time.

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Labels: behaviors, emotions, pressures

Though eating disorders affects both girls and boys, girls are about 10 times more likely to be affected. And studies show that the younger a girl is when she begins to "diet", the more likely she is to develop an eating disorder.

"It's not uncommon for parents to make crude remarks about weight to their young daughters (but rarely to their sons). This is extremely unwise. A University of Minnesota study suggests that girls with parents who make comments about their daughters' weight are more likely to become depressed and go on extreme diets."

Many point to the extreme social pressures placed on girls, to look a certain way and have a certain body type, as a main cause of eating disorders. But the disorders are complex and caused by many factors working together. If you suspect someone of having an eating disorder, talk to him or her right away. If left untreated, eating disorders can cause serious health problems and can even be life threatening.

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Labels: causes of eating disorders, girls, influences

Emily Reese is currently the best girls distance runner in the state of Georgia. Soon, she'll compete for her fourth state championship. All Georgia eyes are on her, as are such universities as Duke Princeton and Harvard. Emily knows that a good deal of attention comes along with all her success.

"It also comes with being 5 feet 6, 100 pounds in a sport that can seduce girls into believing that leaner means faster. 'I wouldn't say that I have to defend myself, but I know that some people make comments on how thin I am,' Reese said."

Reese is naturally thin and doesn't try to lose weight; in fact, she's trying to gain a few extra pounds just make sure she stays healthy. She regularly visits a nutritionist, and has an annual blood work screen. She places a lot of importance on letting other girls in her sport know that you don't have to be thin to be fast.

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Labels: healthy, nutrition, weight_gain

Competitive runners are, by nature of their activity, thin. Consequently, a runner with an eating disorder is hard to identify. But a sudden drop in weight or sudden increase in miles-run-per-week are possible indicators that something might be wrong. This was the case with Ellie, who mom and dad thought something might be wrong when she lost 15 pounds over one summer.

"Sharp was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at age 12. At her sickest, Sharp was 5 feet 3 inches and weighed 80 pounds. 'There were times when we went to bed and didn't know if she'd be there when we got up,' said her mother, Cathy Sharp, wiping away tears."

Now a junior in high school, Sharp is healthy, and still runs. In fact, she's captain of her cross country team. Now she uses her experience to mentor younger team members and make sure they don't head down the same dangerous path.

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Labels: athletes, exercise, influences

A new program in Australia is helping people with eating disorders find hope in a most unusual place; the circus. Clowning around - literally - is being encouraged as a way for anorexic and bulimic patients to reconnect with their bodies in health ways.

"The pilot program uses performance circus skills - acrobalance, aerials, juggling and hula-hoops - to help people build trust and learn positive risk-taking while also developing strength and flexibility."

The program is still in its early stages and will not be officially rolled out until it has been fully funded.

Labels: hope, treatment

Bulimia nervosa is one of the most common eating disorders. It's characterized by binge-eating followed by purging. Purging can take the form of excessive exercise, the use of laxatives, vomiting or the inappropriate use of other medication.

"The reasons why you binge eat and then purge may not be easy to explain. Part of the problem may be due to a fear of getting fat, but it is often not just as simple as that. All sorts of emotions, feelings, and attitudes may contribute. The physical act of bingeing and purging may be a way of dealing with your emotions in some way."

The risk factors of bulimia are extensive. They include, but are not limited to, severe health issues due to extreme weight loss, tooth decay caused by vomiting, and health issues caused by the misuse of laxatives and other medications.

Labels: bulimia, causes of eating disorders, emotions

Nancy Clarkson's daughter was diagnosed with anorexia when she was just 14-years-old. Nancy remembers how helpless she felt, and how uncertain she was about where to go for help.

"...although her daughter appears to be in 'the home stretch', Clarkson said she feels compelled to reach out to other local parents whose children may be at the very beginning of their struggles. If they are anything like she was, they are probably at a loss as to where to get help for their kids, Clarkson said."

She intends to start a support group in the San Ramon Valley of California, and hopes the group will provide much-need guidance and emotional support for families affected by eating disorders.

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Labels: awareness, parents, support

Traditional eating disorder programs can take up to 10 years to make a difference in someone's life. And the rate of relapse is extremely high. But a new method being used in a San Diego clinic promises much better results and much fewer relapses.

"The clinic doesn't rely on psychiatric drugs or talk therapy. Instead, patients learn how to feel hungry and full. The key to success is this computerized device called the 'Mandometer'. It's customized for each patient... The Mandometer measures how much food is going on the plate, and how much and how fast food is being taken off."

Patients also learn how to ease their anxiety after a meal. The clinic has a "warm room" that's set to 108 degrees in which the patients go and sit after they've eaten. The warmth helps relieve stress. The relapse rate for this therapy is only 10 percent after five years, compared to 50 percent with most other types of therapy.

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Labels: support, therapy, treatment