DDB Canada's Vancouver office has developed a multimedia campaign to raise awareness about the seriousness of eating disorders. Developed for The Looking Glass Foundation, the campaign includes public service announcements designed for television, radio, print, and online.

"The campaign tag line, 'Not every suicide note looks like a suicide note' refers to the insight that seemingly innocuous behaviors could be signs someone is suffering from an eating disorder that could kill them...Because of the seriousness of the disorder and the fact that many people do not take it seriously, DDB wanted to introduce an element of shock value into the campaign using real-life stories."

DDB's associate creative director and its copywriter conducted extensive research on eating disorders, including interviews with several victims and their families. All of the ads include a call to action, and direct people to The Looking Glass Foundation for additional information Source: >Marketing magazine

Labels: awareness, media_influences, positive_messages, pro-ana

New research suggests that girls who suffer from anorexia nervosa may grow to a normal height. Results of the study contradict the commonly-held belief that sufferers' growth is stunted.

"During normal puberty, levels of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth-factor-1 (IGF-1) rise, triggering a growth spurt.... It's possible.... that this process of growth and bone aging is delayed in girls with anorexia, giving them a chance to reach their full potential height after they recover."

The study's author, Dr. Rajani Prabhakaran of Harvard Medical School, did note that height stunting became an issue in girls who suffered from anorexia for 2 ½ years or more. Source: Reuters

Labels: anorexia, growth, hormones

A new study conducted by doctors at the National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., has found that peer groups strongly influence not only a girl's perception of her body, but also the methods she uses to control her weight.

"More specifically, girls identifying with athletic peers.... were less concerned about their own weight and seemed less likely to be trying to control their weight. Girls identifying with non-conformist peers.... were more concerned about their weight and appearance and more likely to be actively trying to lose weight.... Finally, girls who did not belong to any particular peer group were the most likely to use slimming strategies."

According to the study's authors, this information reveals pathways through which peer groups can exert influence on a girl's body image and weight control practices, meaning that girls in certain groups can be identified as "at risk" and given special attention. Source: MedicalNews Today

Labels: influences, peers, perceptions

If Illinois lawmakers have their way, theirs will become the 17th state to mandate better insurance coverage for patients with eating disorders. The legislation has already been passed and is waiting for Governor Rob Blagojevich's signature.

"The cost of treatment, which often requires a team of clinicians, is one of the biggest obstacles to healing.... As with other serious illnesses, early intervention can save victims' lives and insurers' money, before patients end up in the intensive-care unit...."

Critics of these types of mandates have voiced their protests in nearly every state where similar legislation has been passed. They cite inevitable rises in health care premiums as their primary concern. Despite those protests, the mandates are largely viewed as being long overdue. Source: Chicago Tribune

Labels: costs, insurance, treatment

Though dispelling myths may not be a miracle cure for disordered eating, writer Penny Casto hopes that it will, at the very least, cause women to stop and think.

"Myth: It is healthier to be thin. While obesity presents its own set of health consequences, an extreme eating behavior toward the other end of the continuum can result in physical complications due to malnutrition and starvation. Reality: People with anorexia are up to 10 times more likely to die as a result of their illness."

Another common myth is that thin people are more attractive. But this myth is being put to rest as women in the entertainment industry continue to come forward and share their struggles with eating disorders. Source: News & Record - Greensboro, NC

Labels: healthy, nutrition, starvation

Effective early treatment is paramount in a person's battle against anorexia, and the support of loved ones is a key part of that treatment. But friends and family members are often unsure of exactly how to be supportive.

"King's College London has begun a course to give carers necessary skills. The Collaborative Caring Course teaches the necessary skills to understanding eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, and the consequential behavioral changes."

The free course is being run by Professor Janet Treasure of the Eating Disorder Research Unit, who hopes it will help family members not only to deal with the affects of eating disorders, but also to help encourage change in the sufferer. Source: BBC

Labels: behaviors, support, treatment

Body image is a difficult issue for a lot of people , but Drs. Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz believe they've found a way to improve poor self-images. Look in the mirror, they advise - but instead of saying or thinking something negative, focus on a physical feature that you like.

"It's not just wishful thinking: Changing the words can actually change the negative feeling behind them. In fact, just three sessions of this 'mirror exposure therapy' worked better than professional counseling in improving a group of women's self-esteem, body image concerns and even depression."

Another tactic that works well is weightlifting. Women who completed a 12-week weightlifting program reported feeling more confident about and satisfied with their bodies, regardless of whether they lost weight as a result of the sessions. Source: Seattle Post-Intellingencer

Labels: body_image, feelings, positive_messages

Filmmaker Darryl Roberts' latest documentary was inspired by a news story about a young man whose obsession with a model led to murder. After reading the story - which detailed the man's decision to kill the young woman after she rebuffed his request for a date - Roberts began thinking about the value our society places on beauty, and eventually set out across country to see what he could discover.

"He talked to experts, ordinary people, fashion industry workers, magazine editors and style program producers.... 'And the first thing I did was I interviewed 200 women,' Roberts said. 'I asked all of them a set of questions and one of the questions was, "Do you feel attractive?".... and only two said yes.'"

At the root of all bad feelings and poor body images, Roberts said, is a multi-billion dollar industry that makes money by making people feel unhappy about their physical appearance. "America the Beautiful," Roberts' documentary about his travels, is scheduled to be released in theatres across the United States this autumn. Source: Minnesota Public Radio

Labels: body_image, media_influences, modeling

The results of a new study suggest that a person who uses a variety of purging methods may have a more severe eating disorder than one who purges just as often but uses the same method every time. The study involved 76 women with purging disorder and 35 women who did not engage in the practice.

"The individuals who used multiple purging methods exhibited greater body image disturbance, were more restrained in eating, and were more concerned about eating, the researchers found."

Researchers also found that women who purged more frequently, but used the same method, were more prone to depression, anxiety and personality disorders. The findings could help doctors better understand the severity of an eating disorder, which would allow them to adapt treatment accordingly. Source: Reuters

Labels: body_image, purging, severity

A new program being offered in Queensland, Australia puts treatment for bulimia right in the hands of the patients. The six-step process involves cognitive behavioral therapy, diet plans and problem-solving:

"Over 20 weeks, the program involves sufferers writing down what they eat, creating a meal plan, intervening in bingeing or purging, using problem-solving, eliminating dieting and identifying beliefs surrounding the disorder. They also come up with plans to cope with stressful situations which may normally trigger an episode...."

Psychologist Cherie Dalton, who is currently treating three patients using the new program, told The Courier Mail that even though the program is self-guided, patients aren't going it alone. They still meet with healthcare professionals, but they are also given the tools to take a stronger ownership over their recovery. Source: The Courier Mail

Labels: support, therapy, treatment

Chloe recalls starving herself when she was 13 years old. Not because she was overweight, but simply because she wasn't as skinny as a lot of her friends. It's a kind of competition among girls that's becoming more common, due in large part to peer influence that is stronger now than it has been in decades.

"Richard Hersh calls it the culture of neglect: kids growing up overly dependent on their peers - 'in essence, kids raising kids' - without developing a strong sense of self...[Parents, neighbors, teachers, professors] allow them to be socialized by television, the internet, and by their peers rather than by caring, demanding, and mentoring adults."

Hersh also contends that parents try too hard to shelter their kids, leaving them socially and emotionally fragile and therefore more susceptible to peer pressure. College can be especially hard, where girls are surrounded by other young, pretty, and possibly skinnier girls. It can cause a shift in perceived reality, making girls think and feel as though they're overweight, even if they're dangerously thin. Source: Psychology Today

Labels: influences, peers, perceptions

A young woman in Kentucky wrote to the Dear Abby advice column, asking what she should do to help her younger sister, who appears to be anorexic. "Marni," as she calls her sister, has lost a significant amount of weight and is "literally skin and bones," though she says she fine. The sister doesn't know what to do, and their mother seems oblivious to the problem.

"Dear Anxious: Marni is NOT fine.... Throwing up after meals and taking laxatives are symptoms of a severe, life-threatening eating disorder... You should tell your mother immediately what she has been doing because her life could depend on it."

Anorexia has one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness, though sufferers rarely get the treatment they need. If you suspect that a friend or family member has an eating disorder, get help right away. Source: Arizona Daily Star

Labels: advice, friends, support

Teens of normal weight who think they are too fat are less happy than are obese teens who think their weight is normal, according to a study of 7,000 German teenagers.

The researchers believe that anti-obesity campaigns may actually be harming normal weight teens by making them feel insecure and unhappy about their bodies, thus causing them to develop eating disorders.

About 55 percent of the girls and 36 percent of boys who were surveyed believed they were too fat, although only 18 percent were actually overweight. The teens of normal weight who thought they were too fat suffered from low self-esteem and an "enormously impaired quality of life," the study's authors wrote.

Among teens who were obese, 60.6 percent of girls and 32.2 percent of boys said they were "far too fat." Obese girls had the most health issues, such as elevations in blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. The girls also had more self-esteem issues than the boys did, although obese boys had the fewest number of friends compared to all groups.

The teens in the study who actually were obese reported a higher quality of life than did those who mistakenly saw themselves as fat.

This study appeared in the June 6, 2008, edition of Deutsches Aerzteblatt International.

Labels: body_image, self-esteem, self-image_issues

A group of schoolchildren in Minneapolis recently help develop, write, produce and perform a play about eating disorders and body image. The 18 children volunteered one day a week for ten weeks to create the play, which was performed in front of parents, teachers, and friends.

"After the final performance, [Jess] Haines and her colleagues interviewed 15 of the participating children in three focus groups of five... A key feature of the intervention was that it appeared to engage the children and they reported finding it particularly relevant to their lives. This echoes other health research showing that involving participants in the development and delivery of an intervention leads to it being more relevant and culturally sensitive to its intended audience."

Haines and her colleagues also found that many of the children reported improvement in their own body image and ability to withstand derogatory remarks. Source: BPS Research Digest.

Labels: intervention, support, treatment

A study of 1,600 Scottish adolescent girls found that nearly half suffer from low self-esteem and think they are too fat. The University of Edinburgh study also concluded that four out of five girls do not exercise regularly because they are too embarrassed or lack confidence.

Girls' self-confidence levels tended to decrease between ages 11 and 16 years. Some of the Edinburgh researchers believe that girls are under too much pressure to emulate the "size zero" bodies of celebrities and prominent models

"What struck me is that girls report far lower levels of confidence and competence in physical activities than boys do," said Jo Inchley, assistant director of the University's Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit.

Labels: confidence, self-esteem, self-image_issues

About 18% of teens in a Finnish study told researchers they have eating disorders. Those young people, most of whom were not overweight, were more likely to have psychological and health problems.

Lea Hautala from the Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic at the University of Turku surveyed 372 students, ages 15 to 17 years old. Among those with eating disorders, 70% had other health problems such as headaches; 47% suffered from anxiety; 31% were depressed; and 77% were unhappy with their appearances. Girls were twice as likely to have eating disorders as boys.

This study appears in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Labels: health_problems, psychology