We hear, or read, the conflicting messages every day: Nicole Richie is too skinny, Jessica Simpson is too fat, and no one (or so it seems) is ever beautiful enough. As society continues to re-establish standards of beauty, Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Magnan interviewed five teenage girls about their opinions about beauty and body image.

"Sarah: Everyone says that the media is bad, but I think the thing that hurts the most is family and friends. I had an experience with my uncle. He came to visit us when I was about 13 and I was pretty chubby back then, but it never crossed my mind. I was still a child."

All five girls admitted to pressure, especially from their mothers, to look a certain way. Many were encouraged to join a gym or cut back on desserts. The interviews raised a lot of important issues, not the least of which was just how influential friends and family can be on a girl's self-image. Source: Calgary Herald

Labels: media_influences, pressures, influences

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One of the latest fads among the Hollywood elite is know as the "revenge diet." Celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Kate Hudson are turning to diet and exercise in response to failed relationships; losing up to 2 dress sizes in the process.

"To suggest that there is glamour in women violently manipulating their bodies to 'get revenge' on former flames is a grotesque and damaging argument...There are so many wonderful people trying to fight [the epidemic], but until the media stops glorifying stick women, there's going to be a struggle."

Surveys have found that more than half of girls in grades seven through 12 are trying to lose weight, and have dieted within the past year. Though blame for eating disorders doesn't rest entirely on the media, it does send young girls the wrong message. Source: Times Colonist (Victoria, B.C., Canada)

Labels: celebrities, influences, role_models

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If New York Fashion Week is any indicator, the fashion industry might finally be moving in the right direction: toward health and away from super-thin, unhealthy models. Runways saw fewer size zeros and more sizes two and four.

"That is a small relief to those who have brought attention to the cause of eating disorders in the fashion world, though many say there's a long way to go. 'I saw a few that looked better,' said Finola Hughes, host of "How do I Look?" on the Style Network."

The Council of Fashion Designers of America has held workshops on eating disorders and discouraged the use of models under the age of 16, both of which are small but important steps. Eating disorders in the fashion industry have gotten increased attention since 2006, when two models died from complications linked to anorexia. Source: The Associated Press

Labels: fashion, modeling, influences

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Experts say that if dolls like Barbie or the Bratz linewere living, breathing women, their proportions would make them disabled. The dolls have stick-thin arms, waists that are less than half the size of their heads, and disproportionately large breasts.

"Dietitians Association of Australia spokeswoman Tania Ferraretto said the 'unrealistic' body shapes had a 'huge impact' on women, but more so on children. 'If you speak to adults, everyone will say we know it's not realistic... but it has a subliminal impact,' she said."

Though some say children are more influenced by the images of models in magazines, they still agree that Barbie and dolls like her can set unrealistic body image expectations for the little girls who play with them. Source: The Advertiser (Australia)

Labels: media_influences, influences, role_models

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Preschool children can learn to eat healthy foods, especially if their parents become good role models for eating correctly, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.

Professor Debra Haire-Joshu divided parents and preschoolers into two groups. In the first group, children learned songs and games that promoted healthy eating. The second group received educational materials aimed at parents.

Parents in the second group changed their own eating habits to include more fruits and vegetables, which in turn influenced their children to do the same. However, overweight children in the study did not learn to eat in a more healthy way, even if their parents participated.

"Overweight children have already been exposed to salty sweet foods and learned to like them," said Dr. Debra Haire-Joshu, author of the study.

This study appears in Preventive Medicine.

Labels: parents, influences, healthy_eating

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Our culture is obsessed with appearance, and it can affect a kid's self-esteem. Summertime (and the clothing that goes with it) can be especially difficult.

"So how can parents help their kids get over a poor sense of their physical selves? 'Compliment children's abilities and personal qualities, not just their looks,' [psychologist Laura Mills] says. Beyond calling them cute, note their ingenuity, bravery, co-ordination, curiosity or sunny disposition."

Parental affection also helps kids develop healthy self-esteem. The attention is soothing and can reinforce a child's positive feelings about his or her body. Source: Edmonton Journal

Labels: media_influences, influences, apperances

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As all eyes turn to Sydney, Australia, for its annual Fashion Festival, organizers are determined to promote health and wellness by using healthier-looking models.

"They really are trying to make steps towards respecting the care and governance of the models they represent. And also they're implementing guidelines around the age and they've stipulated that models must be at least 18 years or older and... models with extraordinarily thin physiques shouldn't be used."

Simon Lock of IMG Fashion believes the industry in Australia is taking very seriously the health of its models, especially in light of an incident last week in which a model was discovered to be only 14 years old. She was barred from Australia's Fashion Week. Source: The World Today (ABC Australia)

Labels: fashion, modeling, influences

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Today's ultra-thin body ideal, created and encouraged by the media and fashion industry, can cause even the healthiest girls to dislike their bodies. In a special article on the WebMD website, freelance health writer Heather Hatfield interviewed several body image experts who offered practical tips for feeling good about your body.

"...the problem with the cultural norm in America is that human beings aren't meant to be one size or one shape. 'The research on body diversity is conclusive: Even if we all ate the same optimal, wholesome diet and exercised to the same high degree of physical fitness, we would still be very diverse in our shapes,' says [Kathy] Kater [a psychotherapist in St. Paul, Minn.]..."

The panel of experts suggested that people who struggle with their body image need to find a peer group that's encouraging. If you hang out with people who continually complain about their (or worse yet, your) body, find some people with healthier mindsets. Source: WebMD

Labels: body_image, influences, positive_messages

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A study conducted by Children's Hospital of Boston found that the risk factors of developing eating disorders are different for boys and girls, and - in girls - these factors change with age. The study followed more than 6,500 girls and 5,500 boys for seven years.

"Binge eating was observed in 4.3 percent of females and 2.1 percent of males, while 5.3 percent of females and 0.8 percent of males began to purge... Having a mother with a history of an eating disorder almost tripled the risk for girls, but only up to the age of 14."

The study also found that negative comments about weight from fathers were strong predictors of binge eating. Source: RN Web

Labels: causes of eating disorders, risks, influences

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A new study conducted by doctors at the National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., has found that peer groups strongly influence not only a girl's perception of her body, but also the methods she uses to control her weight.

"More specifically, girls identifying with athletic peers.... were less concerned about their own weight and seemed less likely to be trying to control their weight. Girls identifying with non-conformist peers.... were more concerned about their weight and appearance and more likely to be actively trying to lose weight.... Finally, girls who did not belong to any particular peer group were the most likely to use slimming strategies."

According to the study's authors, this information reveals pathways through which peer groups can exert influence on a girl's body image and weight control practices, meaning that girls in certain groups can be identified as "at risk" and given special attention. Source: MedicalNews Today

Labels: perceptions, influences, peers

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Chloe recalls starving herself when she was 13 years old. Not because she was overweight, but simply because she wasn't as skinny as a lot of her friends. It's a kind of competition among girls that's becoming more common, due in large part to peer influence that is stronger now than it has been in decades.

"Richard Hersh calls it the culture of neglect: kids growing up overly dependent on their peers - 'in essence, kids raising kids' - without developing a strong sense of self...[Parents, neighbors, teachers, professors] allow them to be socialized by television, the internet, and by their peers rather than by caring, demanding, and mentoring adults."

Hersh also contends that parents try too hard to shelter their kids, leaving them socially and emotionally fragile and therefore more susceptible to peer pressure. College can be especially hard, where girls are surrounded by other young, pretty, and possibly skinnier girls. It can cause a shift in perceived reality, making girls think and feel as though they're overweight, even if they're dangerously thin. Source: Psychology Today

Labels: perceptions, influences, peers

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On Thursday, May 8th, the Illinois State Legislature Insurance committee will be presented with a bill aimed at expanding insurance coverage to include treatment of anorexia and bulimia.

"According to Kimberly Dennis, M.D., Medical Director at Timberline Knolls...eating disorders should have the same coverage as the serious mental illnesses currently covered by the Illinois mental health parity law. 'It's extremely important that the state legislature recognize the importance of providing equal medical coverage to those suffering from eating disorders,' said Dr. Dennis..."

The bill, HB 1432, would make anorexia and bulimia part of the list of mental illnesses which Illinois insurance is required to cover. Source: BusinessWire.

Labels: legislation, influences, mental_illness

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The British Fashion Council has been criticized for the slow pace with which it has implemented recommendations made by the Model Health Inquiry.

Only four out of 14 recommendations from the Kingsmill Inquiry have been put into practice and doubts are now being expressed about just how committed the fashion industry is to improving the health of models, amid concerns over those suffering from eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia."

Model Tarryn Meaker, who began modeling when she was 16, says that she hears a lot of talk in the industry, but doesn't see much real change happening. Read more at NZHerald.co.nz.

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Labels: fashion, modeling, influences

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There's so much emphasis lately on "fighting obesity" that some doctors and child psychologists worry kids will take the barrage of messages to the extreme and develop eating disorders. Though the goal is to teach kids how to eat healthy, it's possible - according to some experts - that all they're hearing is that "fat is bad".

"The hospital has seen pre-teens and teens who attended school-based obesity prevention program, 'who then decide they're going to be the best kid at not getting fat, who then end up losing so much weight that they put themselves medically at risk,' [Dr. Leora] Pinhas says."

The detrimental effects of these messages are real. Hospitals are now seeing eating disorders in children as young as seven. Read more at Canada.com.

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Labels: media_influences, prevention, influences

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There's so much emphasis lately on "fighting obesity" that some doctors and child psychologists worry kids will take the barrage of messages to the extreme and develop eating disorders. Though the goal is to teach kids how to eat healthy, it's possible - according to some experts - that all they're hearing is that "fat is bad".

"The hospital has seen pre-teens and teens who attended school-based obesity prevention program, 'who then decide they're going to be the best kid at not getting fat, who then end up losing so much weight that they put themselves medically at risk,' [Dr. Leora] Pinhas says."

The detrimental effects of these messages are real. Hospitals are now seeing eating disorders in children as young as seven. Read more at Canada.com.

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Labels: media_influences, prevention, influences

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Paul Nyhan, writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, made a different kind of New Year's Resolution this year. Instead of committing to put a few extra dollars in the savings account or spend less time at the office, Nyhan is determined to help his now-2-year-old daughter prepare for the media and culture onslaught that can result in a negative body image.

"Today, involved dads are entering unfamiliar territory, such as body-image anxiety. They want to help, but don't always know how, said Harvard Medical University researcher Dr. Nancy Etcoff. When Etcoff gives a speech these days, dads ask a lot of the questions."

Most dads want to help their daughters have healthy self-images, but they don't know what to do or say. Experts suggest that dads encourage interests outside of fashion and media outlets. Quality time with daughters is also key to helping developing healthy self-esteem.

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Labels: self-image_issues, fathers, influences

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Two years ago, actress Aisha Tyler appeared in a Glamour magazine article titled "I Don't Want To Be Perfect!" which included two pictures of her - one airbrushed and the other un-touched. Since then, she's joined Dove's Self-Esteem Fund where she helps girls across the country learn to love their bodies - no matter the shape or size.

"The best we can do is realize and understand that [fashion model] images are manipulated so we don't get seduced into believing that a 5'11" model who weighs 112 pounds is either realistic or healthy, and also that these ideals of perfection don't even exist for that model, who probably starves herself, is unhealthy because she smokes to stay thin, and needs all that airbrushing and retouching because she has terrible skin and all the other problems that all real, living, breathing women have. Of course, there are obviously some women out there who were just born tall and insanely thin and stay that way naturally. And they have their own problems just like everyone else."

Tyler goes on to say that trends are shifting in the fashion world, as designers realize that most women can't buy a size zero, forty-thousand-dollar suit.

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Labels: celebrities, influences, role_models

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For decades, the finger of blame for adolescent eating disorders was pointed directly at mothers. Many believed that mothers who were too protective and attentive - or not attentive enough - caused the extreme behavior in their daughters. Today, however, the focus has shifted away from moms.

"More likely, though not a complete explanation, is a lethal combination of cultural and psychological development factors. 'This Is Beautiful' is a societal drumbeat. Look at any magazine, newspaper, TV or Internet advertisement. No plumb bodies urge us and our impressionable daughters to be like them... We see only painfully thin models."

As the need for approval shifts from parents and siblings to peers, the desire to fit in can be all-consuming. Some girls pursue, in health ways, the desire to be thin. Why some pursue it with extreme behaviors is still largely a mystery.

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Labels: modeling, influences, cultures

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White adolescent girls still lead all other groups for eating disorders, but a new study indicates that more boys are increasingly over-dieting and using techniques like purging for weight control.

Dr. May Chao of Wesleyan University in Connecticut studied trends in adolescent weight control over a ten-year period, from 1995 to 2005. White adolescent girls are more likely to diet, purge, over-exercise, take diet pills and suffer from bulimia and anorexia than other groups. However, Dr. Chao found that a steady increase in the number of boys, especially Hispanics, participating in such weight control behaviors.

She believes that social pressure to achieve unrealistic body ideals is increasing, and that puts males at risk for being dissatisfied with their bodies and developing eating disorders.

This study appears in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

Labels: body image, pressures, influences

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Though eating disorders affects both girls and boys, girls are about 10 times more likely to be affected. And studies show that the younger a girl is when she begins to "diet", the more likely she is to develop an eating disorder.

"It's not uncommon for parents to make crude remarks about weight to their young daughters (but rarely to their sons). This is extremely unwise. A University of Minnesota study suggests that girls with parents who make comments about their daughters' weight are more likely to become depressed and go on extreme diets."

Many point to the extreme social pressures placed on girls, to look a certain way and have a certain body type, as a main cause of eating disorders. But the disorders are complex and caused by many factors working together. If you suspect someone of having an eating disorder, talk to him or her right away. If left untreated, eating disorders can cause serious health problems and can even be life threatening.

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Labels: causes of eating disorders, girls, influences

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Competitive runners are, by nature of their activity, thin. Consequently, a runner with an eating disorder is hard to identify. But a sudden drop in weight or sudden increase in miles-run-per-week are possible indicators that something might be wrong. This was the case with Ellie, who mom and dad thought something might be wrong when she lost 15 pounds over one summer.

"Sharp was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at age 12. At her sickest, Sharp was 5 feet 3 inches and weighed 80 pounds. 'There were times when we went to bed and didn't know if she'd be there when we got up,' said her mother, Cathy Sharp, wiping away tears."

Now a junior in high school, Sharp is healthy, and still runs. In fact, she's captain of her cross country team. Now she uses her experience to mentor younger team members and make sure they don't head down the same dangerous path.

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Labels: exercise, athletes, influences

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Teasing children about their weights is a factor that creates both over- and underweight teenagers, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota.

Children who were teased about their weights were later more likely to become to become overweight and/or participate in extreme weight control habits such as vomiting or taking diet pills.

Researchers led by Dr. Diane Neumark-Sztainer surveyed 2,516 teenagers and found several other factors also put them at risk for extreme weight control measures including having a dieting mother, being preoccupied with weight, being teased by peers about weight issues, and reading diet magazines. However, teasing by family members was the biggest risk factor.

"It points to a need for extreme sensitivity when dealing with overweight kids," Dr. Neumark-Sztainer said. "My message is talk less, do more. If you put healthy food on the table, kids will eat it."

This study appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine

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Labels: pressures, influences, relationships

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Teens today are inundated with messages about the "right" kinds of clothes they should wear and the "right" kinds of bodies they should have when wearing them. These messages, combined with other factors, begin damaging a child's body image at an early age. A teaching curriculum titled Healthy Body Image has been developed to help counteract some of these negative influences.

"As before, carefully planned, engaging, age appropriate, cross-curricular lessons based on widely recognized prevention principles teach students to develop an identity based on inner strengths, not on appearance, understand normal weight gain during puberty, think critically about media messages..."

The curriculum is recommended by the U.S. Department of Health. The table of contents can be reviewed, and the curriculum purchased online.

ByParents-forParents offers help for parents of troubled teens.

Labels: body_image, influences, positive_messages

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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.

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Labels: behaviors, influences, role_models

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Though it's not officially considered an eating disorder, a new type of obsession with anorexia is becoming increasingly popular. It's been labeled "wannarexia" and refers to girls who want to have an eating disorder because they believe it will make them popular.

"While some experts say these girls likely have body image issues or could develop a more serious eating disorder, wannarexics usually range between healthy and overweight. They are often rejected by those with eating disorders for minimizing a serious illness."

The danger is that the desire to have an eating disorder can easily trigger disordered eating habits, which could lead to diagnosable anorexia - and all the issues that come with it. Because wannarexia is not an actual diagnosis it can be difficult to determine if someone truly has an eating disorder, or is just pretending. One primary difference is that wannarexics will derive some pleasure from losing weight, while an anorexic is never satisfied, no matter how much weight he or she loses. Read more at KARE11.com.

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Labels: self-esteem, body_image, influences

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A pro-eating disorder web site is a place where unhealthy eating (or non-eating) habits are encouraged. Many teens who want to loose weight find their way to these sites, which reinforce negative body image and low self-esteem.

"Potentially dangerous venues include Web sites where people who engage in disordered eating gather to discuss their activities. A majority of these sites have sections where people share tips and techniques 'that I would consider as a physician fairly harmful,' [Dr. Rebecca] Peebles said."

Dr. Peebles conducted a study from 1997 to 2004 in which she found that 41% of teen patients had visited a pro-eating disorder Web site. Of these patients, half of their parents had no idea they were visiting the Web sites. Read more at HonoluluAdvertiser.com.

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Labels: pro-ana, pro-mia, influences

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In a frightening story of just how seriously kids can react to criticism from friends -- and how that criticism can lead to or exacerbate low self-esteem -- a young man from Great Britain is talking about his experience with eating disorders. He began “dieting” after being teased at school, and he eventually became so sick that he had to be fed through a tube.

His problems began when he started at Stockport secondary school at the age of 11. Older children called him names and teased him about his weight. It quickly spiraled out of control as he rapidly shed pounds. Eventually he collapsed and was admitted to nearby Stepping Hill hospital. (Source: The Daily Mail)

At the height of his struggle, Taylor was consuming just 50 calories a day. Taylor’s mom is quick to point out that he wasn’t “bullied,” as some newspapers have reported. She believes it’s important for parents and young people to realize that even innocent, seemingly harmless comments about a person’s weight can have terrible effects.

 

Labels: influences, starvation, friends

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College cheerleaders are prone to eating disorders, and how severe their disordered eating becomes partly depends on how revealing their cheerleading costumes are, according to research from the University of South Carolina.

Prof. Toni Torres-McGehee and her colleagues found that 33% of the 136 college cheerleaders in their study had eating disorders, compared to less than 5% of all female college students. However, if their cheerleading team had a costume that reveals the midriff, they were most likely to have an eating disorder.

"Teams and coaches should consider the long-term effect of requiring cheerleaders to wear revealing uniforms simply for aesthetic reasons," Dr. Torres-McGehee said in a report presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.
 

Labels: college_students, body image, influences

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