A teenage boy sits in his car and eats an entire pizza before driving home. He's feeling anxious and out of control, so he overeats; afterward, he feels bloated and ashamed.

"Losing weight is not a cure for binge-eating disorder, as the problem is driven by emotions rather than pounds. Research shows that while gastric bypass surgery may help people lose weight, it doesn't cure binge-eating disorder."

According to the American Journal of Psychiatry, cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most effective treatment for binge-eating disorder, though certain medications can help as well. Read more at Fredericksburg.com.

Labels: binge_eating, emotions, feelings

In recent years, studies have found that about 42 percent of first- through third-grade girls want to be thinner, and 81 percent of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat. These thoughts are serious and potentially dangerous for young kids.

"The cute mice of a new storybook, 'Full Mouse, Empty Mouse: A Tale of Food and Feelings,' are foot soldiers in a budding campaign led by medical professionals, like author and clinical psychologist Dina Zeckhausen, who contend the scourge of eating disorders in North America should be addressed at the earliest age."

Zeckhausen's book is part of a larger initiative called "mindful eating" that seeks to teach kids about the connections that should and shouldn't exist between emotions, food, and body image. Read more at Statesman.com.

Learn more about Mindful Eating at WeightLossCentral.org.

Labels: emotions, feelings, young_girls

The National Eating Disorders Association has provided 10 tips to help kids have a healthy relationship with food.

"There are no 'good' or 'bad' foods, so eat lots of different foods, including fruits, vegetables and even sweets sometimes."

Other tips include not eating when you're bored or sad, getting involved in a sport you like, and being careful not to equate being super thin with being healthy or happy. Source: SacBee.com.

Labels: emotions, food, relationships

Bulimia, an eating disorder characterized by binging and purging food, is five times more common among girls who have been sexually abused, according to a new study from Australia. Researchers at the University of Melbourne found no connection between sexual abuse and anorexia nervosa, another common eating disorder.

Dr. George Patton and his colleagues looked at the records of 999 girls over a three-year period, beginning when the girls were about 15 years old. Within that group, 121 reported being sexually abused at least once before age 16, and 82 reported two or more such incidents. The girls in the latter group had a 4.9 times higher risk for bulimia.

American studies from 2000 and 2004 found no clear link between childhood sexual abuse and eating disorders.

Dr. Patton said that sexual abuse might start up a pattern of dealing with emotional distress that results in bulimia.

This study appears in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: abuse, causes of eating disorders, emotions

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.

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Labels: behaviors, emotions, pressures

Bulimia nervosa is one of the most common eating disorders. It's characterized by binge-eating followed by purging. Purging can take the form of excessive exercise, the use of laxatives, vomiting or the inappropriate use of other medication.

"The reasons why you binge eat and then purge may not be easy to explain. Part of the problem may be due to a fear of getting fat, but it is often not just as simple as that. All sorts of emotions, feelings, and attitudes may contribute. The physical act of bingeing and purging may be a way of dealing with your emotions in some way."

The risk factors of bulimia are extensive. They include, but are not limited to, severe health issues due to extreme weight loss, tooth decay caused by vomiting, and health issues caused by the misuse of laxatives and other medications.

Labels: bulimia, causes of eating disorders, emotions

Approximately 40 million Americans suffer from a binge-eating disorder. More people are affected by binge-eating than anorexia and bulimia combined, and about 40 percent of them are men.

"People who binge use food as an anesthetic for agitation, anxiety, anger or any uncomfortable feelings. When you binge, you're psychologically stuffing down negative emotions and swallowing them, before they can reach the surface."

Warning signs of binge-eating disorder include eating in secret/cutting off social contacts, eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, and eating so quickly that you don't taste anything you're eating. Read more at C-N.com.

Labels: binge eating, causes of eating disorders, emotions