A recent study that was conducted through Heidelberg University Hospital, found that people with anorexia generally have troubled changing their behavior. This inability to alter behaviors is not only true of eating habits, but of almost all other actions, the researchers found.

A Heidelberg University release provided the following details:

• The Heidelberg researchers examined a total of 30 young women with and without anorexia by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
• The participants underwent a test that measured their capacity for flexible behavior modification of recently learned behavior.
• In this test, the subjects were shown a rapid sequence of various geometric shapes and asked to match them.
• After one test run, the matching principle was changed.
• The anorexic patients had a harder time adjusting to the new expectations, and more often clung to the familiar behavioral responses.

The researchers reported that they hope their findings will lead to the development of new treatment programs that target the flexible modification of behavioral responses.

Labels: research, behaviors

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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, secrecy, disceit

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Effective early treatment is paramount in a person's battle against anorexia, and the support of loved ones is a key part of that treatment. But friends and family members are often unsure of exactly how to be supportive.

"King's College London has begun a course to give carers necessary skills. The Collaborative Caring Course teaches the necessary skills to understanding eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, and the consequential behavioral changes."

The free course is being run by Professor Janet Treasure of the Eating Disorder Research Unit, who hopes it will help family members not only to deal with the affects of eating disorders, but also to help encourage change in the sufferer. Source: BBC

Labels: treatment, support, behaviors

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Most talk of eating disorders centers around anorexia, bulimia, and other disorders that cause extreme weight loss. But emotional eating disorders that cause someone to overeat can be just as dangerous and pose just as many health risks. Researchers at the Miriam Hospital's Weight Control & Diabetes Research Center recently conducted a study which sought to better understand the triggers of emotional eating disorders.

"We found that the more people report eating in response to thoughts and feelings, such as 'when I feel lonely, I console myself by eating,' the less weight they lost in a behavioral weight loss program... In addition, amongst successful weight losers, those who report emotional eating are more likely to regain..."

The team focused on an aspect of eating behavior called "disinhibition" which evaluates eating in response to emotional, social, or cognitive cues. There are two types of disinhibition - external and internal. External refers to things like social settings, while internal refers to feelings and thoughts. Overall, the team found that internal disinhibitions were a significant predictor of someone's weight loss or gain over time.

Private high schools, such as Oakley School in Utah, offer college preparatory academics and extra-curricular activities like sports and art programs.

Labels: pressures, behaviors, emotions

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The Bratz line of dolls has four main characters, all girls, who don the latest, sexy fashions and receive almost constant criticism from parents who feel the dolls are too sexy. Several studies have found that over-sexualized images such as these reinforce unhealthy behaviors, like eating disorders, in young girls.

"Criticism was building even before several studies mentioned Bratz dolls by name. This year, the American Psychological Association piled on, citing Bratz in a report that analyzed about 300 studies on the relationship between media images and mental health."

Many parents try, instead, to buy dolls with more wholesome images, like the wildly popular American Girls line.

New Leaf Academy, private middle school for girls, helps struggling girls ages 10-14 with therapy and accredited academics.

Labels: behaviors, influences, role_models

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