A recent study in Ireland found that teenage girls who are concerned about their weight are more likely to resort to bulimia than dieting and exercise to shed some extra pounds. The survey of 3,000 Irish teenage girls also found that 11% of them exhibited signs of eating disorders.

"Apart from eating concerns, those suffering from eating disorders are also shown to be significantly more affected by lower quality of life. They also tend to consider themselves not as popular as their peers, do not [do] as well academically and rate their mood to be less good than their peers."

Teens that had a poor body image were likely to have parents with body image issues as well. Source: RTE News

Labels: parents, predictors, signs_of_eating_disorders

Researchers in Europe have identified five factors that appear to be key predictors of whether someone who's been hospitalized for an eating disorder will have to be rehospitalized during the course of his or her treatment.

"Many individuals with anorexia nervosa require repeated in-patient treatment, and there is evidence that shorter hospital stays and poor weight gain upon leaving the hospital could help drive the need for readmission, Dr. Hans-Christoph Steinhausen of the University of Zurich in Switzerland and colleagues note."

Other indicators included: family history of anorexia, having an alcoholic father, and disordered eating during infancy. Read more at NLM.NIH.gov.

A private boarding school that offers counseling and therapy may be able to help, Visit BoardingSchoolsInfo.com for a list of the best boarding schools for children with emotional problems.

Labels: genes, predictors, prevention