A survey of 1,600 young adults revealed that boys eat more fast food as they go through their teen years, but girls seem to level off in their early teens.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota kept track of the teens for five years. At the beginning of the study, about 20% of both the boys and girls ate fast food three times a week. Five years later, the percentage of males had increased to 33%.

Labels: boys, fast_food, nutrition

Adolescent boys who read certain magazines are more likely to develop athletica nervosa, a newly recognized medical condition. Sufferers exercise to excess in order to achieve a perfectly muscular body.

Researchers at Great Britain's Winchester University studied young men ages 18 to 36 and found that the more men's magazines they read, the more likely they were to suffer from athletica nervosa. A study from the University of Illinois found that computer gaming magazines influenced boys as young as 8 years old to get into bodybuilding. Another study from the University of Florida revealed that boys' perceptions of the ideal male body has changed toward an extreme muscular ideal over the past 10 years.

"Adolescent males are increasingly experiencing body dissatisfaction, engaging in disordered eating and using anabolic steroids and untested dietary supplements to control their weight and gain muscle," said Dr. Magdala Labre, who conducted the Florida study. "These behaviors have serious long-term health consequences."

Labels: body_image, complusive_exercise, ideals

The 2008 International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Symposium (iaedp ™) is set to meet April 3-6 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Over 400 eating disorder-related clinicians and professionals are expected to attend.

"Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund will speak on Thursday at the iaedp™ Awards Banquet and Opening General Session about her experience and recovery from anorexia, as a young teen, which is the catalyst for her platform on eating disorder awareness."

The iaedp ™ was established in 1985 and offers a wide array of educational and training opportunities for health care professionals who work with eating disorders.Read more online at www.prnewswire.com.

Labels: awareness, recovery, research

Though they tried for months to contain the rumors, the Versace family released a statement this week stating that daughter Allegra is battling anorexia.

"No one who has ever had anything to do with an anorexia sufferer, witnessed the torment of their parents and family, could do anything other than wish the Versaces all the luck in the world to see Allegra through it, and all the solitude and privacy she may crave in which to get better."

Some are not surprised to hear about Allegra's multi-year struggle with anorexia, and believe that this announcement is further proof of the negative effects the fashion industry has on young, female psyches. Read more at Independent.co.uk.

Labels: anorexia, fashion, modeling

A new study conducted through the University of Virginia has found that girls with ADHD are more likely than their non-ADHD counterparts to develop the bulimia-related behaviors of binge eating and purging.

"'Girls with ADHD may be more at risk of developing eating problems as adolescents because they already have impulsive behaviors that can set them apart from their peers,' [psychologist Amori Yee] Mikami said. 'As they get older, their impulsivity may make it difficult for them to maintain healthy eating and a healthy weight, resulting in self-consciousness about their body image and the binging and purging symptoms.'"

This is one of the few studies that have focused on ADHD's possible long-term effects on girls. Mikami, the study's lead author, warned parents and teachers to be watching for "female-relevant" issues that may be more prevalent in girls with ADHD. Read more at RedOrbit.com.

Learn more about girls and ADHD with the Giving Girls the Attention They Need
What Parents Need to Know About Girls and ADD/ADHD primer.

Labels: adhd, girls, risks

Bulimia, an eating disorder characterized by binging and purging food, is five times more common among girls who have been sexually abused, according to a new study from Australia. Researchers at the University of Melbourne found no connection between sexual abuse and anorexia nervosa, another common eating disorder.

Dr. George Patton and his colleagues looked at the records of 999 girls over a three-year period, beginning when the girls were about 15 years old. Within that group, 121 reported being sexually abused at least once before age 16, and 82 reported two or more such incidents. The girls in the latter group had a 4.9 times higher risk for bulimia.

American studies from 2000 and 2004 found no clear link between childhood sexual abuse and eating disorders.

Dr. Patton said that sexual abuse might start up a pattern of dealing with emotional distress that results in bulimia.

This study appears in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: abuse, causes of eating disorders, emotions

It's not new behavior, but it has been given a new name: drunkorexia. The term is used to describe women who intentionally limit their eating so they can drink without worrying about the "added calories."

"According to The Morning Show report (featuring our friend Sondra Kronberg, an eating disorders specialist from the National Eating Disorders Association of Long Island), 30% of women ages 18-23 restrict food calories so they can drink more and not gain weight from their alcohol consumption."

The reduction in food has potential enough to be dangerous, but less food means the body is also less able to process or recover from high levels of alcohol. Read more at EMaxHealth.com.

Copper Canyon Academy is a boarding school for troubled girls that offers accredited academics and therapy to help teenage girls get back on track. Learn more about their girls residential treatment program at www.coppercanyonacademy.com.

Labels: alcohol, drinking, nutrition

A 16-week, internet-based program seems to significantly reduce the instances of binge eating among teens, according to the program's pilot study.

"[Megan] Jones and her team developed a 16-week online intervention modeled on an eating disorder prevention program. Known as SB2-BED, it uses psychoeducation and behavioral intervention such as stimulus control and self monitoring, all aimed at reducing binge eating and sedentary activities, increasing healthy eating and physical activity, and maintaining weight."

At the end of the study, students who participated in the program had significantly lower body mass indexes as compared to a control group. They also had fewer instances of binge eating and fewer concerns about their weight and/or shape. Read more at NLM.NIH.gov.

The Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment helps troubled teens and their families by accurately diagnosing a teen's issues and then creating a treatment plan. Learn more about their treatment programs for troubled teens at www.aspenassessment.com.

Labels: intervention, support, therapy

Tara Gilbride is a sophomore at Notre Dame. She's also one of the millions of U.S. females who struggle with an eating disorder. Last month, Tara decided she needed to "go public" with her eating disorder, in hopes of encouraging others who may feel ashamed to ask for help.

"'I know a lot of people who are struggling with eating disorders and think this is something they have to hide,' Gilbride, who battles anorexia, said. 'I feel comfortable letting [people] on campus know who don't feel comfortable that [an eating disorder is] not a shameful thing to be struggling with.'"

Tara has heard from several Notre Dame students who either have an eating disorder or know someone who does. Tara hopes her letter will give her a platform from which to dispel some of the misconceptions about eating disorders. Read more at NDMCObserver.com.

Getting support for an eating disorder or other teen issues is important for recovery. NorthStar Center, a residential treatment center in Bend, OR, offers a sober living environment for older teens and young adults who are in recovery and need to finish school.

Labels: awareness, myths, support

A federal judge in Newark, New Jersey has ruled that a class-action lawsuit against the Aetna insurance company can proceed. The lawsuit specifically targets Aetna's policy on eating disorders and seeks to force them to improve their benefits coverage.

"The crucial issue... is whether eating disorders are biologically based mental illnesses (BBMI), for which insureds are entitled under contracts and state laws around the country to a higher level of coverage than is provided for purely mental conditions."

At the center of the lawsuit is father Frank De Vito, whose daughter was denied coverage for eating disorder treatment. Aetna called the treatment "not medically necessary." Read more at Law.com.

Labels: health_care, insurance, mental_illness

Joy Christiansen Erb is a photographer and installation artist whose latest project is now on display at the University of Rochester's (New York) Hartnett Gallery. Titled "Family Gathering: A Look into the World of Eating Disorders," the exhibit is intended to confront poor body image and related issues.

"The work examines the issues through the creation of 'a typical upper-middle class living room in the United States' within the gallery space. The installation will include, among other things, a Victorian sofa, an antique bookshelf and a wingback chair. Each piece of furniture has been adorned with photographic imagery and embroidered text culled from personal interviews between the artist, sufferers of eating disorders and their family members and friends."

The exhibit is open now and will remain open to the public through April 4, 2008. Read more at TheNewsStar.com.

Labels: acceptance, body_image, self-image_issues

Rosalie Yan is a college sophomore who, in a simple courageous act, has chosen to break the silence about her eating disorder. Though she kept it hidden for years, she decided it was time to raise her voice and help dispel some of the stigmas associated with disordered eating.

"The truth is that life with an eating disorder is not glamorous, despite its associations with Hollywood's starlets. We've all seen those tabloid headlines, but have you heard it from someone who lives it? The real day-to-day experience is exhausting and drearily dull. Food is always on the forefront of my mind... Sometimes it takes all my strength to just get through the day. Sometimes I'm not even sure I want to."

Yan goes on to recount some of the lessons she's learned in the last four years, including the very vital truth that "happiness doesn't come with a certain body shape; happiness comes with acceptance." Read more at DukeChronicle.com.

Labels: acceptance, awareness, support

A recent study conducted at the University of Vermont has found that people suffering from anorexia also have a significantly increased risk of suicide.

"Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. But psychologists previously believed that those high rates of death were due to patients' already deteriorated physical state... The new study's authors have shown this assumption to be wrong in most cases."

Researchers concluded that suicide attempts are not simply "cries for help," but that the patients are genuinely determined to die. They draw this conclusion based on the extreme methods that so many of the patients used to try and take their lives. Results of the study emphasize the importance of treating anorexia both biologically and psychologically. Read more at Time.com.

Worried that your teen is contemplating suicide? The Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment offers help for troubled teens by correctly diagnosing their issues and then creating a treatment plan.

Labels: death, mental_health, suicide

There's much that's still misunderstood about eating disorders. The most common misunderstanding is that it's a choice. Still another is that it only affects high school and college students.

"...the doctor told us that while it's uncommon, eating disorders have been found in girls as young as 7 and 8 years old. Yes, 7 and 8 years old. That's barely elementary school. And what is perfectly common is to find them in girls of ages 13, 14, 15, 16."

More and more studies are finding that there are biological/genetic factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders. Another fact few people know is that eating disorders have a higher mortality rate than any other mental illness. Read more at PittNews.com.

Labels: causes of eating disorders, genes, myths

This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. In an effort to enhance awareness of eating disorders, the University of Washington in Vancouver is hosting several events.

"Feb. 25, 11a.m. - 1p.m., a free and anonymous eating disorder screening will be held in the Administration Building gallery area. McWatters, a specialist in eating disorder treatment, will be available to meet briefly with interested students following their initial screening."

Other events will include a Reality Makeover Workshop that will take a hard look at the "ideal" body images portrayed in the media. Read more at CityofVancouver.us.

Labels: awareness, media_influences

Middle-schoolers in Santa Cruz, California recently learned something shocking; those picture-perfect images they see of models in magazines are "digitally enhanced". It's one of many lessons the group of girls is learning in an after-school class focused on teaching them the truth about the media while simultaneously helping them learn to eat healthy.

"The class seeks to boost girls' self-esteem and help them to make healthier choices. In addition to learning to critically examine media images of women, girls engaged in role-playing, art, discussions and yoga. They discussed healthy food choices and learned to distinguish when they were really hungry from when they were lonely or had some other need."

The class was developed at Harvard Medical School and is being called "one of the most promising and extensively researched eating disorder prevention programs..." Read more at SantaCruzSentinel.com.

Labels: education, media_influences, self-esteem