A study conducted by the British charity Beat has revealed that almost half of young people who have an eating disorder believe that being bullied played a role in their development of the disorder.

BBC Newsbeat reporter Maddy Savage provided the following details in a Nov. 19 article:

Researchers spoke to more than 600 16 to 25-year-olds suffering from anorexia, bulimia or overeating.

Of those, 91 percent said they had been bullied, while 46 percent said they believed that bullying had contributed to their eating disorder. &

The charity says there needs to be more urgent, detailed research into links between bullying and eating disorders.

The government insists it is cracking down on bullying and it understands the impact it can have on young people's confidence, self-esteem and mental health.

Labels: causes of eating disorders, bullying

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Supermodel Kate Moss has received widespread criticism for a Nov. 18 comment that has been associated with encouraging unhealthy eating habits.

When asked what her motto is, Moss said Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels, a phrase that is popular on pro-ana websites that promote self-starvation.

In a Nov. 19 article on the website of the British newspaper The Sun, Deanne Jade (founder of the UKs National Centre for Eating Disorders) explained the danger in Moss comment:

The problem with soundbites such as this is that they become a mantra and have a power over you.

Kate's connection with Topshop [a chain of British clothing stores] means that she has become a style icon for millions of young women in the UK.

Young girls are her market and they are very suggestible and vulnerable.

For Kate to say what she has done is just one more nail in the coffin for those young women who are trying to hold on to their self-esteem no matter what their size is.

Labels: support, pro-ana, celebrities

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More than seven million Americans struggle with binge eating disorder. Binge eating is recognized as an eating disorder, but according to a Nov. 25 article by Melissa Healy of the Los Angeles Times, debate continues over whether it should be considered a separate psychiatric condition:

In light of new research and a seemingly growing population of patients who fit the broad description of binge eaters, psychiatrists must decide whether "binge eating disorder" should stand alongside anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa as a separate psychiatric condition - identifiable by a distinct set of symptoms, a recognizable pattern of progression and a track record of response to certain treatments.

A 2007 study by researchers at Harvard University-affiliated McLean Hospital found, in a national survey of adults, that the set of behaviors widely agreed to define binge eating are present in 3.5 percent of women at some time in their lives and 2 percent of men.

That would make binge eating disorder far more common than bulimia and anorexia put together, said Dr. James I. Hudson, lead author of the study.

Labels: binge eating

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"This is the only hour in my week when I dont think about my weight," a girl with a severe eating disorder told researchers.

She was referring to her yoga class.

The girl was one of 50 adolescents (ages 11 to 16 years old) with anorexia, bulimia, or some other eating disorder who were involved in a study about the effects of yoga.

• Half of the students had been hospitalized for their eating disorder, and all were enrolled in a treatment program at Seattle Childrens Hospital.
• Dr. Rain Carel had 25 of the teenagers participate in yoga classes for two months.
  
• While the activity had no effect on their weight, taking the classes reduced their obsessive concerns about weight, food preoccupation, and other measures.
  

This study appeared in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Labels: treatment, yoga, exercise

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Simone Moir is a Scottish yoga guru whose clients have included superstar singers Sting and Madonna. But according to a Nov. 8 article by Laura Davidson of the Sunday Mail newspaper, Moirs appreciation for yoga isnt related to fame or wealth  instead, it has to do with the practices ability to rescue her from the depths of an eating disorder:

At age 16, Simone & was at death's door after years of suffering from anorexia. She reckons her discovery of yoga and meditation saved her.

She said: "I really feel I was given a second chance at life. Doctors had given up on me and my family were helpless around me as I wasted away. I hit rock bottom when I was 16. I was so underweight I was losing my eyesight and wasn't strong enough to walk so had to use a wheelchair. Everyone was convinced I was going to die." &

"In hospital one of the therapies was meditation, which is a big part of yoga. It seemed to rekindle some kind of life fire inside me. I didn't want to make my family sad and didn't want to die. It gave me the strength I needed to help my body heal itself."

Labels: yoga, surviving

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A daylong seminar on eating disorders will be is scheduled for Dec. 4 in Corning, New York (a small town on the edge of the states Finger Lakes Region). A Nov. 13 article on stargazette.com provided the following details about the gathering:

The Heart of the Matter: Attachment, Trauma and the Healing Power of Forgiveness in the Treatment of Eating Disorders will be held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Corning Radisson Hotel.

The 10th annual Leah Robarge Memorial Seminar will be hosted by the Nutrition Clinic and Sol Stone Center, outpatient and partial hospitalization eating disorder treatment programs, according to a news release.

The seminar will explore the heart of forgiveness from the theoretical through the clinical to the personal, and its importance in the treatment of eating disorders, the release says.

Registration for the seminar is $75 before Nov. 25 ($85 afterward). For more information visit http://solstonecenter.com or call (607) 732-5646.

Labels: seminar, conference

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Washington State University Tri-City students are about to get a unique glimpse into the struggles and dangers of anorexia. A Nov. 6 release on the WSU website provided the following details about a photography exhibit that will open later this month:

Skeleton in the Closet features 20 portraits by art photographer Fritz Liedtke of Portland, Ore. Each portrait is accompanied by a statement from the person in the photograph. The artist combined photographs and text to create a compelling narrative of life with an eating disorder, including what could lead a person down the path and the journey to free oneself.

The exhibit is open in The Art Center, inside the WSU Tri-Cities Consolidated Information Center, 2770 University Drive, Richland. Admission is free.

A reception at 12 p.m. Nov. 16 features an informational talk about eating disorders, delivered by Phyllis Morris, academic director of the WSU Tri-Cities College of Nursing. The talk is open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Skeleton in the Closet runs through Nov. 30. The Art Centers regular hours are 12 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, although campus is closed for holidays on Nov. 11, Nov. 26 and Nov. 27.

Labels: anorexia, awareness, art, photography

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Which eating disorder is worse, anorexia or bulimia? A woman identified as "Juliet from Elkhart, Indiana" sent this question to Dr. Robert Wallace, who writes a medical information column on the website of the Post-Tribune newspaper.

Juliet wrote that her cousin is anorexic, and her cousin's sister is bulimic. In his response, which was posted Nov. 8, Dr. Wallace noted that both disorders can be dangerous, but anorexia patients are more likely to die as a result of their condition:

Most experts would agree that with everything equal, those suffering from anorexia are at greatest risk because they always feel "fat" and rarely admit that they have a problem. On the other hand, bulimics are aware that their eating habits are abnormal, but they find it very difficult to stop for fear of becoming overweight. A higher percentage of anorexics die from their eating disorder.

Labels: bulimia, anorexia, advice

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Tom and Doris Smeltzer lost their 19-year-old daughter, Andrea, ten years ago after a yearlong battle with bulimia nervosa. The couple now travels the country speaking to students about the dangers of bulimia and other eating disorders.

On Nov. 3, the Smeltzers spoke at Cabrini College in Philadelphia. A Nov. 5 article by Michelle Costa of The Loquitur (the college's newspaper) provided the following information about the event and the effort to identify and assist college students who are struggling with eating disorders:

"Their mission is to promote awareness and understanding of eating disorders and related issues," Lisa Stockton, vice president of the Body Image Coalition said.

Doris Smeltzer authored a book called "Andrea's Voice...Silenced by Bulimia." The book includes Andrea's poetry, letters and journal entries.

"I think it is important for students to attend this presentation, because they need to be aware of the prevalence of eating disorders among college students," Stockton said.

Statistics show that there is a large growth of these developing diseases and if education is not provided, young people will continue to fall into the trap of these harmful cycles.

Stockton said college campuses are a breeding ground for disordered eating habits.

Labels: college_students, eating disorders, death

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According to a Nov. 6 Chicago Tribune article by Patti Ahern, Doves Campaign for Real Beauty is continuing with two new ads that are designed to promote healthy body image and encourage productive parent-child communication:

Seventy percent of girls ages 8 to 17 believe they are not thin or pretty enough, according to a study commissioned in 2008 by the beauty brand Dove. That message is reinforced by the more than 77,000 commercials -- many featuring women airbrushed or otherwise edited to perfection -- by the time girls are 12 years old, the study found.

New ads by Dove called "Under Pressure" and "Onslaught" are aimed at counteracting some of those messages. &

The ads were designed as part of the Dove Self Esteem Fund, which helps educate young girls about a wider definition of beauty, said Kathy O'Brien, Dove's marketing director.

"We know girls today are under more pressure than ever as the onslaught of messages and images they constantly receive sets an unrealistic standard of beauty. As a result, too many girls are suffering from low self-esteem and developing hang-ups about their looks," O'Brien said.

Labels: body image, advertising

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College is a time of independence. It is also a time of change, stress and uncertainty -- factors which are all capable of triggering eating disorders among young adults.

According to a 24-7 press release, eating disorders triggered by college stresses have increased in recent years. The pressures that can lead to disordered eating include academic worries, athletic performance, binge drinking and fears of the freshman 15 weight gain.

Labels: college_students, stress

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Gok Wan, a television personality in Wales, has delivered a petition to the British government, asking for students to be taught about healthy body image.

"Wan handed over a 45,000 signature petition asking Education Secretary Ed Balls to include the lessons in the curriculum as part of the Personal, Social and Health Education syllabus," the news website WalesOnline reported. "[Wan] was accompanied by 21-year-old Shona Collins who, as part of a Wans Channel 4 show How to Look Good Naked, has been investigating body image among British teenagers."

Collins survey revealed that 70 percent of teenagers have little or no body confidence, the WalesOnline article noted. The U.K. Department for Children, Schools and Families said ministers from the department plan to meet with Wan soon to talk about enhancing current curriculum options.

Labels: body image, schools, united kingdom

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