Some bulimics may be overly sensitive to certain kinds of food, such as sweets or carbohydrates, according to a study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by "food binges" followed by purging either through vomiting or over-exercising.

• Although bulimia is classified as an eating disorder along with anorexia nervosa, new research using brain imaging techniques shows that the two disorders are very different in terms of the way sufferers respond to food cues.
• For example, bulimics show more brain activity in the nucleus accumens region of the brain when shown certain kinds of food.
• This region has been identified as an area that becomes active in drug addiction.
• One theory is that bulimics may be seeking an addictive kind of "high" from certain kinds of food.

Since about half of bulimics respond to serotonin-boosting medications, bulimia may have something to do with low levels of that brain chemical. Having a low level of serotonin is also linked to depression.

Since bulimics do not feel satisfied by ordinary amounts of food, their condition could also be related to having insensitive vagus nerves. The vagus nerve is involved in feeling satiated and eating normal amounts.
 

Labels: bulimia

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

A study of 4,200 children found that more than 7 percent were dissatisfied with their bodies, mostly because they compare themselves to ideal images depicted in magazines, television, video games, and movies.

Researchers from Harvard University and the University of Alberta interviewed children ages ten and eleven years old from Nova Scotia, asking them if they agreed with the statement, "I like the way I look."

• Just as many boys as girls were dissatisfied with their bodies.
• The poor body image was not necessarily related to being teased at home or school for being too heavy.
• Girls were happiest about themselves when they were their thinnest; boys expressed dissatisfaction if they were too thin or too fat.
• Girls from rural areas whose families had little education were most likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies.

Professor Paul Veugelers of the University of Alberta said that he was surprised to find young children dealing with an adult issue.

"We're talking about children, so these things are not so much triggered by hormones, so what is it that is triggering it?" he said. "Blame does go to media and fashion, where the slimmer you are the better looking you are."

Lead author Dr. Bryn Austin said that "the main concern with body dissatisfaction is it increases children's ability to develop an eating disorder and can be linked with poor nutrition and an increase in unhealthy weight gain later in life."

This study appears in the journal BMC Public Health.
 

Labels: self-esteem, body image

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

When most people hear the phrase “silent killer,” they think of hypertension or heart disease. But eating disorders can be silent killers, too, especially in teens who are determined to hide it.

“A recent study published by the University of Illinois suggests that normal and underweight teenage girls who believe that they are overweight are at a significantly higher risk of developing unhealthy weight loss behaviors.” [Source: Insiders Health]

This misperception is called “body distortion” and it’s more prevalent than many adults realize. A girl who’s convinced that she’s “fat” even though she’s not will continue trying to lose weight, even when she’s too thin. And, to the best of her ability, she’s going to hide her weight loss from her parents and other loved ones, so she can keep losing.

Labels: teenagers, symptoms, girls

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

Girlguiding UK, a group that offers programs similar to the U.S.’s Girl Scouts, has called for magazines to begin labeling images that have been airbrushed or otherwise digitally enhanced.

“Liz Burnley, of Girlguiding UK, said: ‘We know how profoundly [girls] feel the pressure to conform to a particular body image and how badly they can be affected by these unobtainable ideals. We are proud to support the calls of our members who believe that it is time that the Prime Minister addressed their concerns and acted in the interests of girls and young women across the country.” [Source: Shropshire Star (UK)]

Susan Ringwood, from the eating disorder charity Beat, agrees. She has heard from numerous young people who have told her that being constantly bombarded with images of “unnaturally perfect” women makes it hard for them to overcome their own eating disorders.

Labels: media_influences

Posted By: Eating Disorders Help Guide 1 Comment

"Picky eating" in adults can cost them marriages and careers, according to a new registry created by Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh.

• The Food F.A.D. (Finicky Eating in Adults) Study has over 2,000 participants with a problem that can be as serious as any eating disorder recognized by medical experts.
• Many tell researchers they feel like freaks because they only eat fewer than ten, or even five kinds of foods. One man exists on French fries, potato and corn chips, Cheerios, baked potatoes and milk.
• Another eats nothing but grilled cheese sandwiches.
• These habits create social and business problems, and picky eaters say they do not have the power to change.

As one person wrote to the researchers, "Do people really think I want to show up at a business meeting and only eat the bread rolls?" Some picky eaters have turned down new jobs so they will not have to explain their habits to new people.

Most picky eaters are obese, according to psychologist Marcia Pelchat of Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. She hopes the F.A.D. Study will make it possible for picky eaters to get financial help from their insurance companies to pay for therapy and medications for this problem, once it becomes classified as a medically-recognized disorder.

Labels: picky eating

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Some people eat only to satisfy their hunger. They don't diet and they don't hate their bodies. These "intuitive eaters" may hold the key to helping people with eating disorders and those who need to lose weight, according to a study from Brigham Young University.

• Professor Steven Hawks and his colleagues developed an "Intuitive Eating Scale" to identify participants in the study who had such habits.
• Then they compared "intuitive eaters" with the others in the study.
• The intuitives had lower body mass indices (BMI), lower triglycerides levels, higher levels of high density lipoproteins and a decreased risk for cardio vascular diseases.

"What makes intuitive eating different from a diet is that all diets work against human biology, whereas intuitive eating teaches people to work with their own biology, to work with their bodies, and to understand their bodies," said Dr. Hawks, who added that he believes that that in less developed countries in Asia, most people are already intuitive eaters.
 

Labels: intuitive eating

Posted By: CRC Health 2 Comments

Pretzel Crisps are gaining popularity. The light, pretzel-like snacks are lower in salt, fat and calories, making them a good choice for people who are trying to be healthy. Unfortunately, in its attempt to build market share, Pretzel Crisps maker Snack Factory released a controversial ad campaign -- and a "replacement" that wasn't much better than the original one.

"You can never be too thin" [the ad] reads. Well, one quick Google search and we could find you at least one hundred or so people who are – and hundreds of people have taken to telling the crisp company exactly that by defacing its ads with "actually, you can" and other things that are far too naughty to print on here.” [Source: My Fashion Life]

The company got the hint and changed the ad. Snack Factory Vice President of Marketing Perry Abbenante issued an apology, saying the company didn’t intend to advocate unhealthy weight loss.

Unfortunately, the company’s second advertising attempt wasn’t much better. The new slogan? “Tastes as good as skinny feels.” Complaints are already pouring in.

Labels: advertising, pro-ana

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

Katie Seiz has used art as therapy for over ten years. She first turned to art when she was a teenager struggling to overcome anorexia (art therapy has been used in programs to treat eating disorders, depression, trauma, addictions and a range of other disorders). Now, she and other artists are lending their talent to a unique fundraising event.

“[Katie’s] creations are among those of more than 40 artists who have donated to a silent auction and art show, featuring paint, jewelry, tapestry and other artistic genres. The proceeds of the event will go to the Duke Center for Eating Disorders’ efforts to develop a web-based treatment for families who cannot afford or do not have access to eating-disorder care.” [Source: The Seattle Times]

About one-third of the artists know what it’s like to struggle with an eating disorder. Some are in the midst of their struggles even now. All of the artists hope their creations will not only raise some much-needed money, but will also inspire and encourage people who look in the mirror and don’t like what they see.

Labels: awareness, art

Posted By: Eating Disorders Help Guide 1 Comment

About one in 100 adults, mostly women, are affected by a little-known eating disorder called "sleep eating" (a disorder that often falls under the category "Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified" or EDNOS).

Sleep eaters get up as often as five times a night to eat, usually high-calorie foods that are high in sugar and fat. Some eat odd things such as paper or frozen foods. Many have been injured from using knives or walking into obstacles.

"Those who exhibit violence during sleep or scream or swear or masturbate or eat frozen ravioli or wander into the hallway in their underwear generally have no more of a psychological disorder than those who sleep peacefully at night," said University of Minnesota professor Carlos Schenck, an expert on sleep.

Labels: sleep, ednos

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

A professor from the University of Washington is leading a new study to determine which of three treatments works best on individuals who are struggling with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa.

Professor Susan Byrne will provide ten months of free treatment to 200 anorexic adults from various cities in Australia. The aim of the treatments is to restore them to normal weights and healthy eating habits.

• The treatments under consideration are Enhanced Cognitive Behavior Therapy developed at the Oxford University, the Maudsley Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults, developed in the Maudsley Hospital in London, and the Specialists Support Clinical Management for Anorexia Nervosa designed in New Zealand.
• The Maudsley approach enlists the patient's entire family into treatment.
• The New Zealand approach involves clinical management and supportive therapy
• Enhanced Cognitive Behavior Therapy is a short-term therapy focused on symptoms and thinking processes that maintain the eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an excessive fear of gaining weight and disordered eating patterns. One in five anorexics die within 15 years, which means the disease has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder.

Labels: anorexia, treatment, research

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Across the United States, college students are returning to campus and preparing for the upcoming year. Freshman will get out their campus maps, and make their way to classrooms, dorm rooms and lunch rooms.

Some will worry about grades. Some will worry about appearance. And some will succumb to the stresses and pressures of their new environment, and will begin engaging in disordered eating.

For the college student who is away from home for the first time, the stress of moving into a totally different environment and meeting new people can make them more susceptible to developing an eating disorder, says University of Alabama at Birmingham Associate Professor of Psychology Mary Boggiano, Ph.D., who fought her own battle against bulimia as a college student. [Source: Huntsville Examiner]

Students worried about gaining the mythical “Freshman 15” may resort to extreme behaviors to maintain or lose weight. The risk of developing an eating disorder isn’t limited to freshman, however. A student of any age or rank can struggle with body image, weight and disordered behaviors.
 

Labels: college_students, causes of eating disorders, stress

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

A few years ago, experts at the International Conference on Eating Disorders in Orlando, Florida, came up with the following criteria that are linked to the development of eating disorders.

Two of the top risk factors are being female and under 20 years old. Over 90% of those who have anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, bulimia, and other non-specified eating disorders are girls, but that is slowly changing. In fact, some experts believe the actual percent of boys with eating disorders is closer to 25% of the total. Over 85% of those with eating disorders develop symptoms before age 20 years old.

The following criteria were linked to an increased likelihood of developing an eating disorder:

• Female
• Under 20 years old
• Above average concerns about weight before age 14
• Behavior problems before age 14
• High level stress levels
• Stressful life events, usually one year before onset of illness
• History of dieting
• Mother who diets and is concerned about appearance
• Siblings who diet and are concerned about appearance
• Sibling rivalry
• Sibling rivalry over body style and weight
• Peers who diet and are concerned about appearance
• Negative self-evaluation
• Perfectionism
• No male friends
• Parents are overly controlling
• Shy and/or anxious
• Distressed by parental arguments
• Critical comments from family members about weight, body shape and eating habits
• Teasing about weight, body shape and appearance
   

Labels: risk factors

Posted By: CRC Health 1 Comment