Young people who have distorted body images of themselves think of themselves as overweight and ugly, even while they are dieting down to starvation levels.
- Body image distortion can start in the grade school years; however, dieting to lose weight usually begins in the preteen years.
- By high school, about 12 percent of all students are using extreme weight control measures such as fasting, laxatives, vomiting after overeating, and over-exercising.
- About 2 percent have full-fledged eating disorders, and these are related to body image distortion.
Dr. Janet Liechty, a professor at the University of Illinois, believes that parents and healthcare professionals should address the issue of distorted body images. Her study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health concluded that addressing this issue would be the best way to "catch" children with eating disorders at the earliest possible ages.
Pediatrician Paul Aschinberg agrees.
"We are bombarded every day with images of what we're supposed to think is an ideal body type, and that's not always healthy or realistic. When young people are repeatedly exposed to these images, the image in their brain is that their body is different and not good. They begin to think they are overweight when they are not," he said.
"The goal should be on developing healthy eating habits, not on achieving a certain number on the scale," Aschinberg added. "This is something parents should teach children before there is a problem, before they are too skinny or too fat."
Labels: body image, self-image_issues
Posted By: Jane St. Clair
