The holiday season is over -- and now begins the post-holiday, diet-crazed season. For the next several weeks, we will all be bombarded with advertisements via TV, radio, billboards, newspapers, etc all promising to help us shed those unwanted holiday pounds.

A considerable effort is underway to minimize the impact that these media entreaties can have on adults and young people:

• The Boston Globe has reported that a 2007 study by the University of Missouri found that all women, regardless of weight, had a lower satisfaction with their own bodies after viewing fashion magazines for just three minutes.
• In France, legislation has been introduced that would require magazines to carry warning labels stating that they use digitally altered images.
• In the United States, the Dove company has launched its Campaign for Real Beauty which aims to help women and girls redefine "beauty."

Labels: media_influences, dieting

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Researchers from Britains Bristol University found that teenage girls who diet in attempts to reach size zero may be at risk of developing long-term bone problems.

"Findings revealed Wednesday from the Children of the 90s Project, which followed a group of children for nearly two decades, shows that fat mass plays an important role in building bone, particularly in girls& an 11lb increase in fat mass was associated with an 8 percent increase in the circumference of the tibia (lower leg bone)." [Source: The Times of London]

The researchers used scanning techniques to look at the bone structures of more than 4,000 young people, and also measured their body fat. The influence body fat has over bone development was found to be 70 percent greater in girls than boys, revealing yet another potentially debilitating health threat associated with eating disorders.

Labels: size 0, dieting, health_problems

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An overweight bride-to-be who wanted to lose an extreme amount of weight before her wedding died after spending 11 weeks on a crash diet. Samantha Clowe, 34, collapsed from heart failure after eating just 530 calories a day for nearly three months.

A Sept. 10 article in the British paper Daily Mail provided the following details:

An inquest in Leeds was inconclusive about whether the controversial LighterLife diet - which restricts people to 530 calories a day for a maximum of 12 weeks - played a part in her death.

But this is the second reported case in three years of a woman who has died from similar heart failure after losing significant amounts of weight on the LighterLife plan.

Home Office pathologist Dr Alfredo Walker said a post-mortem examination failed to establish a cause of death, adding: "But it may be related to her low calorie diet and weight loss."

West Yorkshire Coroner David Hinchliff said it was "highly likely" Miss Clowe died from cardiac arrhythmia - a potentially fatal condition involving an irregular heart beat.

Professor John Garrow, a retired obesity and nutrition expert, told the Daily Mail that in individuals who follow a highly restrictive diet, the heart is in danger of being "reduced to a stage at which it can no longer adequately perform what it is there for, namely pumping the blood and you get these disorders of rhythm."

Labels: dieting, calorie_restriction

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The death of a young mother in the United Kingdom has sparked conversations about the dangers of extreme dieting and eating disorders. According to the Daily Mirror,Helen Anderson, 26, died in April after losing more than 80 pounds in a matter of months:

Her body was so starved of sugar it began to eat into its own fat reserve, sparking a chemical reaction called ketoacidosis, which killed her. The condition is caused by toxic levels of the chemical ketone, produced by the body when it is forced to make its own energy.

While crash dieters may not necessarily be diagnosed with an eating disorder, the dangers are similar. Dramatic weight loss that is achieved by eating food that has little or no nutritional value and excessive exercise can have life-threatening physiological consequences.

Labels: dieting

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The Social and Health Research Center (SHRC) in San Antonio, Texas, has found that overweight and obese children who live in poverty may have weight issues because they're not eating enough, and when they do eat, they consume the wrong things.

"Missing from the children's diets were four key nutrients: calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. All play important roles, but magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body that help to spur metabolism and cell function."

SHRC Director Dr. Roberto Trevino said that when magnesium is missing from a child's diet, it predisposes that child to diabetes. Results of the study reveal a new facet of the fight against childhood obesity and put the emphases squarely on food & nutrition. Source: Star-Telegram (TX)

Labels: dieting, nutrition, poverty

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In an anonymous blog, a teenager confessed that a weight loss effort that began with a desire to be healthy is slowly becoming something else. Her first goal was to lose 5 pounds. She's lost 10 and has set a new goal.

"115 is my goal. I want to show myself I have enough will power to get there. And that I'll be even HAPPIER when I get there. I still eat, I'm just trying to gain all of my self-control to get there."

She admitted concern over her increasing obsession with food and weight loss, but she still tried to convince herself that although she may be at risk, she's really OK. Source: Confession of a Teenager (blog)

Labels: awareness, dieting, control

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The latest dieting craze is called "Alternate Day Fasting," or ADF. Advocates say that the ADF regime is less dangerous than the fad it replaced - liquid detoxification diets - and two new studies seem to demonstrate that ADFs may produce some benefits.

A study from the University of California found that when mice eat only every other day, their fat cells shrink by 35 percent and they lose weight. Even if they eat only half as much every other day, their fat cells shrink 35 percent and they lose weight, although not as much as the first group. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who fasted every other day for 21 days lost 2.5 percent of their body weight and 4 percent of body fat.

Scientists believe that an ADF regime may stress the human body in a positive way, activating SIRT1, a gene that helps the body use fats in the bloodstream for energy.

Liquid detox diets usually last between three and 21 days, and involve drinking dandelion tea or special lemonades made with maple syrup, or eating only raw vegetables and fruits. The idea is to rid of the body of environmental pollutants and "cleanse" the organs. However, several people have died from water intoxication or suffered permanent brain damage after following such regimes.

Labels: dieting, death, fasting

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Near the tail-end of 2007, we started seeing an abundance of television commercials featuring an excited Valerie Bertinelli announcing that she was just three pounds short of realizing her goal to lose 40 pounds. On the surface it seems like the rallying cry that women are longing for: "you can lose the weight you want to lose", but columnist Connie Schultz also sees the negative impact it can have on countless girls and young women.

"For too many, every glance in the mirror triggers a default button of self-loathing. And that's what Bertinelli's corporate sponsor counts on each time it recruits another overweight actress to diet for public consumption... The message is always clear, whether it's through a celebrity, usually a female, or just another chunky stranger, also usually a female: She hates herself, and you should, too. But we can help."

Schultz goes on to say that many diet programs simply exploit the self-loathing that's often created, in part, by their ad campaigns and teach women to see themselves nothing more than a dress size.

Labels: media_influences, self-esteem, dieting

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A University of Minnesota study found that teenage girls who frequently read dieting articles were more likely to use unhealthy weight loss practices five years later. Middle school girls who read dieting articles were twice as likely to use fasting or cigarettes to try and lose weight five years later.

"It didn't seem to matter whether the girls were overweight when they started reading about weight loss, nor whether they considered their weight important. After taking those factors into account, researchers still found reading articles about dieting predicted later unhealthy weight loss behavior."

The study also found that the actual content of the articles was nearly irrelevant. Even articles that made healthy suggestions like cutting back on soda had the same adverse effects. Read more at MSNBC.com.

New Leaf Academy is a junior boarding school just for middle school girls.

Labels: media_influences, dieting, causes of eating disorders

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Professor Steven Thomsen, Ph.D., of Brigham Young University recently conducted a survey of health and beauty magazine readers that has some disturbing results.

"Among the nearly 500 students he surveyed, Thomsen found abundant evidence of unhealthy weight control practices in the previous year. Eleven percent of the participants reported that they had used laxatives, 15 percent had taken diet pills, 9 percent induced vomiting, and 52 percent said they had restricted their caloric intake to under 1,200 calories per day."

Thomsen found that women who read health and fitness magazines were much more likely to have used unhealthy methods to control their weight. More significantly, he found that women who read the magazines already had disordered thinking about weight and body image, and simply turned to the magazines for support. Read more at PsychologyToday.com.

Learn about teen drug and alcohol abuse at the TeenHelpDirectory.com.

Labels: media_influences, dieting, healthy_eating

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The FDA recently approved the drug Alli for use as an over-the-counter diet drug. Some are concerned that the pill may be abused by people with eating disorders.

"Because it's been approved by the FDA, people think it's safe. But if patients are already at a healthy weight and are using Alli as part of their eating disorder, then it is not safe."

Alli contains the same ingredients as the prescription drug Xenical, but at half the dosage - which is why it can be sold over the counter. It works by blocking the bodys absorption of fat. Read more at NewsWise.com.

Teen abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise and parents need to be aware of the signs. Visit DrugRehabTreatment.com to learn more about Teen Prescription Drug Abuse.

Labels: dieting, drugs, pills

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The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto recently conducted a survey to determine the accuracy of the Children's Eating Attitudes Test in identifying preteens who are at risk of eating disorders. The test was given to 409 girls who were then interviewed.

"The questionnaire, which the girls filled out themselves, overestimated the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors, which included dieting. Colton explained that this is likely because at this young age it was difficult for them to distinguish on their own between actually going on a diet and thinking about doing so."

Girls who reported being on diets were, on average, heavier than their peers who weren't dieting. Dr. Patricia Colton called the finding "troubling" because dieting has not been shown to be an effective way for young girls to lose weight. Read more at Reuters.com.

Outdoor education therapy programs are especially effective with preteens struggling with emotional and behavioral issues. Learn more about outdoor education programs at WildernessProgramsInfo.com and about outdoor therapy at BootCampsInfo.com.

Labels: dieting, causes of eating disorders, mental_health

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Rexanne Mancini, freelance writer and mother of two, says that she's concerned about the number of pre-teen girls she knows who think they're fat or need to be on a diet. Oftentimes, this mindset comes from mom and or dad telling a child as young as 8 that she's overweight.

"Eating disorders are almost as common as acne in teenagers today. These can create many health problems, not the least of which is potential death. Try telling a 15-year old girl that she's not fat after her mother or both parents have been urging her to diet from the time she was old enough to dress herself."

Mancini reminds parents that pre-teen girls may be short and plump, because they havent had any growth spurts yet - which is perfectly normal. She also reminds parents that attitudes about food, dieting and body image are learned when children are very young, and will be with them for the rest of their lives. Read more at ParentingIdeas.org.

Labels: dieting, causes of eating disorders, pre-teens

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Recent studies have some in the medical community raising their eyebrows and asking hard questions. The studies focus on a type of "diet" called Calorie Restriction and claim that reducing caloric intake may slow down the aging process. But is Calorie Restriction actually an unrecognized type of eating disorder?

"Although we don't know yet whether the longevity benefits extend to humans, a number of people have put themselves on draconian diets in the hope of living loner. They refer to their regimen as CR (calorie restriction) or CRON (calorie restriction with optimal nutrition), and they call themselves CRONies... Like anorexics, CRONies discover in starvation an apparent solution to their problems: a source of energy (at least at first), a sense of purpose, and relief from stress."

Thus far, no one from the eating disorder field has adequately explained the difference between calorie restriction and anorexia; why one is an accepted type of diet while the other is an eating disorder.

Read more at Slate.com.

Labels: anorexia, dieting, calorie_restriction

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Those who treat eating disorders are finding a new one called "orthorexia." Dr. Michael Bratman, who named the disorder, says it is a "fixation on righteous eating."

The typical anorexia nervosa patient starves herself to appear thin, but the orthorexic restricts her food for spiritual fulfillment. Orthorexics often develop such rigid rules about food choices that they end up starving themselves. Because they restrict themselves to only a few foods they believe are "pure" enough to eat, they usually cannot eat out or shop at ordinary grocery stores. Their quality of life decreases as their food obsessions increase.

Some studies have found a link between vegetarianism and eating disorders. In a 1997 Michigan study of 107 teenaged girls, vegetarians were found to vomit four times as often, use laxatives eight times more often, and diet twice as often as meat eaters. A July 2006 study in Israel found that 85% of anorexic patients were vegetarians.

Labels: orthorexia, dieting, vegetarians

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This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The National Eating Disorder Association's theme for this year is "Be comfortable in your genes. Wear jeans that fit the REAL you."

"Too often individuals struggle against their natural, genetically influenced size just to fit into that pair of 'skinny jeans' in the back of their closets. Fighting your natural size and shape can lead to unhealthy dieting practices, poor body image and sometimes eating disorders."

The National Eating Disorder Association is hosting several Great Jeans Giveaway events across the nation. The events are intended to encourage women to giveaway those "skinny jeans" and learn to be comfortable in jeans that are made for their body type.

Read more at NationalEatingDisorders.org.

Labels: awareness, body image, dieting

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Reuters Health recently reported that researchers found that teen dieters often end up being overweight later in life.

"We found that dieting, and particularly unhealthy weight control behaviors, were not effective in weight management over time, and were actually associated with weight gain," study author Dr. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, of the University of Minnesota, told Reuters Health. "We concluded that dieting was ineffective and even dangerous," she added.

There is also a correlation between adolescents, girls and boys, who diet and obesity and eating disorders. Teenage girls and boys who use unhealthy diet behaviors were the ones more likely to become obese as they mature into adults. These are also the type of dieters who engage in anorexic or bulimic dieting activities. 

Labels: dieting

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Some teenage girls want to find Prince Charming; others want to take on the world and be the first woman president.

Crystal Renn wanted to have a gap between her upper thighs like the models she admired.

• Crystal's diet became steamed vegetables three times a day with a protein shake at lunch, and sugar-free game and Diet Coke for snacks.
• When she went out for dinner, she would tell the server, "I'll have the lettuce."
• She joined two gyms so people would not notice how often she worked out.
• On weekends, she worked out four hours a day. She frequently passed out from exhaustion.
• Later she deplored how she looked in her pictures at that time, writing that her face had a blank stare, probably because all she was thinking about was food.

Crystal has overcome her disordered eating, and now has a successful career as a plus-size model. But the pain and suffering she endured in pursuit of an unrealistic (and unhealthy) body is all too familiar to the tens of thousands of women and men who remain in the throes of

dangerous diet plans

and other forms of disordered eating.

 

Labels: body image, dieting, calorie_restriction

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A new biography of singer Lady Gaga claims that she has an eating disorder. The author, New York Post reporter Maureen Callahan, says that Lady Gaga's manager told her that the pop star was in the hospital six times last year as a consequence of her extreme dieting.

Manager David Clemmy told Callahan that Lady Gaga binges on junk food and sweets, and then stops eating for weeks at a time in order to fit into her costumes.

Lady Gaga herself told the Daily Telegraph that she was on a very strict but healthy "pop star diet."

"I don't eat bread, just vegetables and salad and fish," she said. "Eating like that is much better for me anyway, but on Sundays, I sometimes eat pasta."
 

Labels: eating disorders, dieting, celebrities, extreme weight loss

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