In an April 4 article on the website Psychology Today, eating disorder expert F. Diane Barth, LCSW, wrote about her insights into a possible connection between separation/attachment issues and the development of an eating disorder:

After nearly thirty years of working with, writing and teaching about these problems, I have come to believe that the upswing of eating disorders in adolescents during the spring months is directly related to issues of separation and attachment. ...

Contemporary research has shown that eating disorders are often related to intolerable feelings. Anxiety about separation, if not recognized and appropriately addressed, can be so painful that it requires extra coping measures.

Without necessarily realizing what they are doing, some youngsters use alcohol or drugs to deal with their discomfort. Some turn to sex for comfort. And some try to control their feelings by binging, purging, overeating, over exercising, and/or starving.

Labels: anxiety, separation

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Research that was presented at the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests that health care professionals need to be more aware of the likelihood that people with anxiety disorders may also have eating disorders.

Dr. Lynne Drummond, a consultant psychiatrist at South West London and St. Georges NHS Mental Health Trust, collected data from a sample of patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who were referred to a specialist unit for treatment.

A control group of patients with other anxiety disorders referred for treatment to the same unit was also studied. The study found that a fifth of patients with OCD also had signs of disordered eating. The prevalence for those with other anxiety disorders was a one in three. (Source: Medical News Today)

Dr. Drummond concluded that the connection between OCD and disordered eating is often overlooked, and could endanger patients.

Labels: anxiety, eating disorders, ocd

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Research that was presented June 7 during the annual meeting of Britain's Royal College of Psychiatrists indicates that individuals with anxiety disorders may be at increased risk of also suffering from an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder.

A June 7 article on the Medical News Today website provided the following details about the connection between anxiety and eating disorders:

Dr Lynne Drummond, a consultant psychiatrist at South West London and St George's NHS Mental Health Trust, collected data from a sample of patients with severe OCD who were referred to a specialist unit for treatment. A control group of patients with other anxiety disorders referred for treatment to the same unit was also studied.

The study found that a fifth of the patients with OCD also had signs of disordered eating. The prevalance for those with other anxiety disorders was one in three.

The Medical News Today article reported that Dr. Drummond's presentation included a call for additional research into the prevalence of eating disorders among patients with OCD and other anxiety disorders.

"Although there have been several studies examining the prevalence of OCD and obsessive symptoms in patients with eating disorders," Dr. Drummond said, "there is a dearth of studies where patients with OCD and other anxiety disorders are examined for eating disorders."

Labels: anxiety, research, eating disorders

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Though winter weather retains a hold on much of the nation, the day will soon come when sweaters and coats are exchanged for tank tops and shorts. Spring and summer can be times of anxiety for young people who are inundated with messages about body size and beauty.

"The single most important way parents can help their children develop a healthy body image is to lead by example... Children who hear their parents criticize themselves for being too fat will be more likely to think poorly of their own bodies."

Experts advise sharing healthy activities with your child, such as cooking nutritious meals or engaging in playful physical activity (for example, games of hide-and-seek or catch). Source: KRISTV.com (Corpus Christi, TX)

Labels: anxiety, self-esteem, parents

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For people with eating disorders, food-related anxiety is a common struggle. A new computer program aims to help eating disorder sufferers learn to recognize signs of anxiety and manage them.

"When you get stressed out, your palms get sweaty and your hands get cold. [The program] measures that and it also measures your heart rate... Stress levels are displayed with symbols like balloons. Through deep breathing relaxation techniques, people are taught to control anxiety..."

The program is viewed as a bridge, helping people cross over from feelings of anxiety or a loss of control to the realization that they can control their emotions and their eating habits. Source: WBZTV (Boston)

Labels: anxiety, support, stress

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A recent study conducted at the University of Denver found that women who have sports anxiety are more likely to experience eating disorder symptoms than women who do not have the anxiety, or aren't involved in competitive sports.

"The study of 274 female college undergraduates examined whether differences in eating disorder symptoms exist between women depending on the level of their athletic-exercise activities. The participants also completed questionnaires about attitudes and behaviors related to eating disorders, self esteem and sports anxiety."

Though many eating disorder experts agree that exercise can boost a woman's self-esteem, competitive sports can cause fear and worry about performance, thus driving women to overcompensate for their anxiety through eating disorders and other unhealthy behaviors.

Read more: Compulsive Exercisers and the
Female Athlete Triad

Labels: anxiety, body_image, sports

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Research published in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing found that 18 percent of teenagers admit to having an eating problem. The findings were the results of two health surveys completed a year apart by the same group of teenagers.

"...we noticed that students who reported suffering from anxiety earlier in adolescence were 20 times more likely to have ongoing eating problems,' says Lea Hautala of the Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic at the University of Turku, Finland."

The survey also found that students who were dissatisfied with their appearance developed recurring eating disorders only if they also struggled with anxiety. Source: Huliq

Labels: anxiety, body_image, eating_problems

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It's well-known that anxiety disorders are more common among people with anorexia. But a team of researchers has found that childhood anxiety is not only a precursor to eating disorders, but may determine a disorder's severity.

"In general, the researchers found, women with a history of childhood anxiety exhibited 'more extreme personality traits' and attitudes - like perfectionism and obsessive tendencies related to food - than women without a history of early anxiety disorders."

The research team believes this newly discovered link emphasizes the importance of discovering and treating anxiety disorders early. Source: Parent Center

Labels: anxiety, anorexia, causes of eating disorders

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