A new study from the University of Helsinki in Finland links low birth rates in adults to unhealthy BMIs in teenagers. BMI means body mass index, and is a measure of how much fat is in the body.

Teenagers whose BMIs were either too low or too high were more likely to experience fertility problems as adults and less likely to be married.

Dr. Liisa Keltikangas-Javinen tracked the weights of 1300 people ages 3 to 18 years in 1980. She found that those with too low BMIs had 10 to 16% fewer children, and those who were overweight had 32 to 38% fewer children.

This study appears in the journal Epidemiology.

The Sierras Solution offers long-term weight control strategies for children.

Labels: effects_of_eating_disorders, fertility, teenagers

Doctors Daniel le Grange, PhD and James Lock, MD, PhD have released a book titled "Treating Bulimia in Adolescents" in which they include parents as a vital part of the recovery process. Often, clinical management of adolescent eating disorders includes separating the teen from his or her parents. Parents are often seen as part of the problem.

"We don't see parents as the culprit,' [Le Grange] added. 'We see them as a valuable resource in the treatment of these adolescents. Our goal is to empower parents to feed their kids. Feeding kids is something they do well."

Called "The Maudsley approach", the treatment program includes parental supervision of an adolescent's every meal. Parents ensure that the right kinds of food are eaten, and stay with the child for while after the meal to make sure the child doesn't purge. Read more at PsychCentral.com.

Labels: bulimia, teenagers, treatment

Since 2002, the number of teenagers with eating disorders as increased six-fold in Singapore. And, unfortunately, only 10 to 20 percent are actively seeking treatment.

Local psychologists feel that the alarming rise of teenage eating disorders is due to lack of confidence or control.

"Dr Evelyn Boon, Psychologist, Singapore General Hospital, said: 'One of the contributing factors could be that they feel bad about certain things. It could be what they can't control - their family, how they feel about themselves. So in order for them to feel better, they feel that they should control how they are looked at by other people. A lot of them have this misconception that being slim is popular. That's one of the more common things we've heard of. The other thing is if they're teased in school about being overweight, they go the other extreme.'"

Experts believe that Singapore girls have lower self-esteem and a higher level of insecurities about themselves than other Asian girls. Read more online.

Labels: girls, psychology, teenagers

Almost 30 years ago, Aimee Liu suffered from anorexia. At the age of 25, considered cured, despite minimal treatment, she documented her struggle with teenage anorexia in Solitaire.

Six years ago, Liu again found herself battling the devastating eating disorder. So she wrote a new book, Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders, about the long road of recovery.

Liu says "that mid-life women are prone to eating disorders in the same way that adolescent girls are. Life changes and outside pressures can cause a loss of identity, and that struggle is often what triggers the disorder in many women." Read more online.

Labels: recovery, support, teenagers