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

One of the signs that many doctors look for when diagnosing eating disorders in young girls is "secondary amenorrhea", or the starting and stopping of the menstrual cycle. A recent study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill warns that if a girl has irregular menstruation, eating disorders should be "on the radar".

"Nearly 80 percent of women with anorexia reported secondary amenorrhea, meaning they had begun having periods before age 16 but had stopped menstruating for at least three months in a row at least once. About 36 percent of women with bulimia nervosa had secondary amenorrhea."

The study's findings indicated that, though eating disorder subtypes can't be distinguished simply by a patient's menstrual status, irregularities should be a red flag.

Read more at nlm.nih.gov.

Labels: amenorrhea, diagnosis, signs_of_eating_disorders

Aimee Liu was in 8th grade when she developed signs of anorexia. As an adolescent in the 1960s, her culture was influenced by women like fashion icon Twiggy and movie star Audrey Hepburn, who were considered "ideal". Though she never exhibited life-threatening symptoms, the psychological effects of the disorder ran deep.

"We tend to focus on the physical when people talk about eating disorders. This is problematic because it's really a psychological problem. The misunderstanding occurs when a person appears to come back to normal weight; the anorexia is a distress signal or an expression of an under-lying emotional problem. If not addressed, the symptoms or eating disorder, will recur later in life."

To keep this from happening in her own life, Aimee focuses on developing a diverse identity; focusing on hobbies and other interests that can help shape her identity. Aimee Liu"s book, Gaining – the Truth about Life after Eating Disorders, is published through Warner Books. Read more at Cleveland.com.

Labels: causes of eating disorders, signs_of_eating_disorders, support