Eating Disorders
Teenagers & Eating Disorders• Girls 15 – 19 years old:
▫Account for 40% of new anorexia cases every year.
▫There has been a rise in anorexia among this age group every decade since 1930!
• Bulimia:▫The incidences of bulimia have tripled among
10-39 year-olds from 1988 to 1993
• Most of those with anorexia or bulimia do NOT receive adequate care.
Teenagers & Dieting
•Over ½ half of teenage girls and 1/3 of teen boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors. ▫ (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005)
▫These behaviors include: Skipping meals Fasting Smoking cigarettes to control weight Vomiting Taking laxatives
Eating Disorders & Media•Tweens & Teens are more likely to be
dissatisfied with their bodies after watching media.
•Movies & Television shows often have characters comment on appearance/weight.
•Advertisements often use an appeal to beauty to sell the product.
▫ National Institute on Media and the Family
Anorexia Nervosa• Self-starvation
▫Essential nutrients are denied (no or little food) so the body slows down all normal processes to conserve energy.
• Health consequences▫Low blood pressure / heart rate▫Muscle loss / weakness▫Dehydration▫Fainting / fatigue▫Dry hair and skin
•90-95% are female so, 5-10% are male.•Similar characteristics:
▫Preoccupied with weight Males may have preoccupation with body
building, weight lifting or toning.▫Compulsive exercise▫Frequently weighing oneself▫Distorted body image
Bulimia Nervosa
•Typically a binge – purge method▫Binge – secret periods of quickly eating
high-calorie dense foods.▫Purge – more than the typical vomiting.
•80% are female•Health consequences:
▫Irregular heartbeat = heart failure = death.
▫Tooth decay▫Ulcers
Warning Signs• Anorexia
▫ Becomes very thin▫ Obsesses over eating,
food, weight▫ Counts portions, calories
carefully▫ Only eats certain foods▫ Feels fat▫ Withdraws from social
activities▫ May be depressed,
fatigued or cold all the time
• Bulimia▫ Fears weight gain▫ Intensely unhappy with
body size, shape or weight
▫ Goes to the bathroom frequently or immediately after meals
▫ Regularly buys laxatives▫ Spends most of free time
working out▫ Withdraws from social
activities
Prevention
•Examine your own body image
•Avoid power struggles over food
•Create a healthy lifestyle for the family
More information
•“Dying to be thin” www.pbs.org▫Nova program