Though they're rarely diagnosed with an eating disorder, many female athletes make food decisions that have detrimental effects on their health and performance:

"Most of the female athletes I've worked with don't even realize they are undereating," said one healthcare professional. "They are just going with what social norms dictate women should do to keep their weight in check."

Female athletes who experience fatigue during training or at other times throughout the day, who are struggling with sleeping issues or feelings of burnout may be eating less than they should be. The problem can often be corrected by visiting a dietician that has experience with athletes. Source: Canada.com

Labels: athletes, competition, winning

Parents in Missouri traveled to the state capitol to voice their support for a piece of legislation that would give better medical coverage to people with eating disorders.

"[The bill] was filed Friday by state representatives Rachel Storch (D) and Rick Stream (R). The bill would ensure patients with eating disorders are given the same level of insurance coverage as those with other medical conditions."

If the bill passes, Missouri will become the latest in a succession of states that now require comparable medical coverage for people with eating disorders.

It is estimated that as many as nine million Americans suffer from eating disorders. Source: KSDK Channel 5 (St. Louis)

Labels: insurance, legislation, medical_coverage

Many people who suffer from eating disorders suffer alone. They often try to keep friends and family in the dark, either out of shame or because they don't want their eating habits interfered with.

"Being secretive and hiding the disorder becomes natural after experience with covering it up... There are certain challenges one must face as the disorder progresses..."

In some cultures, there's a lack of understanding about the seriousness of eating disorders, which causes some parents to avoid the topic altogether. Source: The Spectrum (Buffalo, NY)

Labels: behaviors, disceit, secrecy

"Diet betting" is becoming popular in work places, colleges, among friends, and on the Internet. Participants challenge each other in a weight loss competition, and the person who loses the most weight wins an agreed-upon sum of money.

Diet betting may actually work for some people. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that financial incentives could be an effective tool in helping people lose weight or quit smoking.

One diet betting website reports more than 23,000 participants, who use their credit cards to register. If a player does not lose weight during a certain week, his credit card gets charged. Some bettors who fail to lose weight have to give money to a charity that they do not support.

Prof. Geoffrey Greif of the University of Maryland said believes diet betting is helpful to one group in particular.

"Betting makes the approach to weight loss more acceptable to men," he said.

Labels: betting, competing, competition

A psychologist at the University of Chicago Eating Disorders Program says her research indicates that about one in ten people with eating disorders are males, and they tend to be athletes.

Dr. Angela Doyle says athletes often need to attain a target weight or body image, and this leads them into disordered eating patterns. Sometimes these disorders begin as harmless experiments, such as cutting out trans fats or corn syrup, and gradually turn into full-fledged eating disorders, including anorexia or bulimia.

Dr. Doyle says that symptoms may include working out excessively, depression, refusing to go out to eat or to go anywhere where the person cannot control the food supply, and obsession with "an ideal body image very similar to an Abercrombie and Fitch model."

Labels: athletes, men

Doctors and government officials are warning that over-the-counter diet pills and "detoxification" supplements are not always safe to use.

The Federal Drug Administration announced that weight loss pills and dietary supplements sold in health food stores, pharmacies, and groceries can be hazardous to one's health. For example, "natural" ingredients such as papaya and bitter orange interact with prescription drugs. Also, some of these products contain illegal, unapproved drugs that cause some people to have seizures, heart problems, and other difficulties.

Even inert herbs can cause side effects, warned Dr. Paul Coates, director of the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health.

"Anything biologically active may have a risk for somebody," Dr. Coates said. "Whether they have the ability to keep weight off long-term is unknown."

The 69 brands that were cited as products to avoid include Starcaps, Superslim, Sliminate, Slimup, 3X Slimming Powder, and Imelda Perfect Slim. The FDA is not allowed to test or pull these products until after they appear on the market.

Experts also warned against using popular are "detoxification" products that are supposed to remove toxins - including harmful bacteria and stool - from the intestine, gall bladder, liver, and other organs. These products are often packaged as detox smoothies, colon cleansers, and even as foot and skin creams. Celebrities such as Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss have used them.

The problem with extreme detoxification "cleansing" is that it can cause salt and water imbalances. A 52-year-old British woman won a $1.5 million settlement after suffering brain damage during a detoxification regime.

"For healthy people without medical problems, these detox kits are largely safe," said Dr. James Boxtart, Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors. "The problem lies when people have preexisting health problems. If they are taking a prescription medication, they should not do this."

Americans spend $24 billion on dietary supplements and $1.76 billion on weight loss pills ever year.

Labels: detox, diet_pills, fad_diets

Often, the things that moms and daughters need most to talk about are the things that never get discussed at all. Co-authors Mary Jo Rapini and Janine Sherman hope their new book, Start Talking, will help open the lines of communication.

"Despite all the resources out there, there are still a lot of misconceptions out there... This book is really about starting the conversation, and it doesn't have to be about sex. It can be about other things, such as how your child is feeling about her best friend."

During her years as a therapist, Ms. Sherman discovered that many of the issues facing girls today can be linked to body image issues. Sexual promiscuity, bullying, eating disorders and other risky behavior are often tied to girl's opinion about herself and her overall appearance, she said. Source: Courier Post (New Jersey)

Labels: communication, daughters, mothers

A study of 2,500 teenagers has discovered that having regular family meals may help girls from using extreme weight control methods, but the effect did not hold for boys.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota surveyed the teens when they were 12 or 13 years old, and then again five years later. Both surveys included questions about eating habits and family.

Overall, about 26 percent of girls and 6 percent of boys reported using extreme measures such as self-induced vomiting, diet pills, or laxatives to control their weight. However, among those who ate five more meals a week with their families, the percentage of girls who were using extreme weight control measures was only 17 percent.

This study appeared in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: family, meals

A study of teenagers with bulimia found that incorporating family therapy with practical goal setting worked better than individual therapy that focused on the teen's feelings.

Bulimia is an eating disorder in which an individual binges - or eats large amounts of food - and then purges the food through forced vomiting, excessive exercise, or the use of laxatives.

Researchers at the University of Chicago divided 80 bulimics between the ages of 12 and 19 into two groups:

• The first group had family therapy and a practical approach that involved teaching the teens to set goals and avoid purging. The teens, their parents, and their siblings participated in 20 sessions with trained therapists.
• The second group of teens met individually with therapists to discuss their feelings and to find reasons for their behaviors.

After six months, four out of ten members of the family therapy group had stopped bingeing and purging, compared to only two members of the individual therapy group.

The National Institute of Health funded this study, which appeared in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

Labels: family, therapy

Though bulimia nervosa affects countless adolescents, most studies on effective treatment have focused on adults. James Lock, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, said that's why his team's research will focus on young people:

"The team will study three treatments that may help adolescent bulimics. Study subjects will be randomly assigned to receive 20 outpatient consultations using cognitive behavior therapy, family therapy, or individualized psychotherapy."

The team is currently looking for adolescents with bulimia or bulimic-like behaviors that are willing to participate in a two-year study. Prospective participants must be between the ages of 12 and 18, and their families must be willing to participate as well. Anyone who is interested in participating should contact research assistant Brittany Alvy at the Stanford School of Medicine. Source: Stanford Medical Center Report

Labels: bulimia, teenagers, treatment