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Suiting-Up for Battle: Waging War on Negative Body Image this Summer

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Does just the sight of this make
you feel anxious?
During “bathing suit season”, many feel the pressure to meet standards of physical “perfection”, especially with demands to bare more skin throughout the summer months. The media and celebrities exacerbate these pressures by contributing to an unrealistic (and many times, unhealthy) representation of the human body.Feelings of negativity and anxiety are common among both teens and adults during this period, keeping many from just having “fun in the sun.”So how can we help cure this epidemic of negative body image and free people from the fear of the bathing suit?

Focus on the reason you put your suit on in the first place: to unwind and spend valuable time with friends and family.
Take the pressure off of yourself by taking the pressure off of others - if your friends and family don’t feel like they’re being held to the unrealistic standards of celebrities and the media, then you won’t feel like you have anyone to please, but yourself, either.
Join together to limit the purchase of popular magazines that can influence negative body image
Agree to stop commenting on people’s bodies, appearance and clothes.
Nip it in the bud: negative body image can spin out of control, playing a contributing role in the development of eating disorders. If you’re feeling anxious about putting on a bathing suit, talk to someone you trust who can help you cope, rather than turning to an alternate form of coping.
Focus on non-physical compliments - ex. human skill or personality. Once you start focusing on the positives attributes of others’, you’ll stop concentrating on your own perceived “negatives.”
Take your time and choose a suit that fits your body. If you love your blue eyes, wear a suit that compliments their color; If youlove beach sports, opt for a two piece with boy shorts that allows you to get active in the sand or by the pool;
Find the right suit that fits and is made for your body. Seventeen Magazine’s Body Peace expert Jess Weiner offers some more tips.

For more information, check out Jill Zimmerman Rutledge’s book, “Picture Perfect: What You Need to Feel Better About Your Body” which deals specifically with the topic of body image.

Published by CED Editor
August 8th, 2008 in Body Image
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The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt Kicks Off Third Annual “Love Your Tree” Campaign at Artscape

Girls With Posters

You may recall one of our previous entries entitled, “The Center for Eating Disorders Receives More Than 80 Posters for ‘Love Your Tree’ Campaign” which highlighted the success of the Center’s second annual campaign. Well, the campaign was so successful that we’ve decided to do it again.

The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt recently kicked off this year’s poster campaign at Artscape. In connection with the Maryland Art Therapy Association, the center hosted a booth where festival goers could create their own “Love Your Tree” drawing. The booth was such a popular attraction at the festival that approximately 150 individuals created posters. Of those individuals, more than half chose to submit their artwork to the competition. With approximately 75 beautiful posters already submitted, our campaign is off to a great start and its time for you to get started on your poster.

The contest is open to all Maryland middle, high school, and college students and all entries will be accepted September 15 - December 12, 2008. Posters entries must be no smaller than 9″ X 12″ and no larger than 18″ X 24″. Only two-dimensional media will be accepted. Selected posters will be put on display during the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, which runs from February 22-28. Of those selected, one winning poster will be chosen for reproduction.

“Love Your Tree” is a body image campaign based on the work of Eve Ensler, the author of the award-winning play “The Good Body.” For more details, contest rules, and a registration form, please click below

Downloads:

Love Your Tree Registration Form

Love Your Tree Contest Poster

Published by CED Editor
August 1st, 2008 in Body Image
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Food Rituals: When Weird Becomes Harmful

The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt partnered with Seventeen Magazine to conduct a survey to look at disordered eating among young women between the ages of 13 and 20-years-old. Seventeen’s recent article, Are You a Freaky Eater?, published in the August 2008 issue, brings to light results gathered from the survey and also explores the nuances of, and behaviors associated with, “freaky eating” - systematic eating patterns categorized as “weird” and most frequently used as a coping mechanism to mask underlying mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety.

Certain experiences can trigger the onset of ritualistic eating patterns, such as a trauma or stressful event in a person’s life. One way an individual may cope with personal issues is by developing coping mechanisms like the one known as “freaky eating.” If not treated, these bizarre, yet calculated eating habits can spiral out of control, resulting in full-blown eating disorders.

When determining if an individual has developed obsessive regimented “rules” for eating, it’s best to look for common signs and symptoms that characterize their love/hate relationship with food. Recognizing these specific signs and symptoms can help individuals and families identify the need to seek appropriate professional treatment. “Freaky” eating behaviors and patterns to look out for include:

Cutting food into tiny pieces
Showing discomfort when eating in front of others
Labeling certain foods as good and other foods as bad - strictly avoiding the ‘bad’ foods
Not allowing certain foods to touch each other on the same plate
A desire to keep food habits or patterns as secretive or low-key as possible

A tumultuous relationship with food can cause an individual to experience low self esteem, cause social isolation due to avoidance of eating with others and can impair an individual’s mood as a result of decreased intake and/or concerns about intake.

If you’re concerned that a friend or family member may be developing an eating disorder as the result of unusual eating patterns, please take our online assessment.

Published by CED Editor
July 21st, 2008 in Editor's Picks, Body Image
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“Do More and Talk Less” – Dianne Neumark-sztainer, University of Minnesota

Parents always want to do the right thing for their kids. In this culture of obesity, that generally means helping them make the right food choices and teaching them about healthy diet and exercise - right? Well, that all depends on your definition of “diet.” According to a study by researchers at the University of Minnesota, parents who encouraged their overweight adolescents to diet (the most common strategy used when dealing with an overweight teen) reported five years later that their children were still overweight, further supporting that the dieting strategy is prone to backfiring.

With parents’ increased concern about their children’s weight, researchers of this study decided to focus on weight-related parenting behaviors, focusing on parents who accurately saw their children’s weight, as well as those who did not. The results of the study indicated that even if parents accurately understood that their child was obese, they were not more likely to engage in behaviors which might help their child to develop healthier habits in relation to food and exercise.

While some experts believe that school evaluations assessing a child’s weight are key components in fighting the rising rates of obesity, the Minnesota research study shows otherwise. The tried-and-true are still the best methods to help kids build healthy habits:

Provide and eat healthy foods in the house
Have regular family meals
Be physically active with your kids

For more information on this study, check out the Pediatrics Journal.

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Published by Sarah Blake
July 2nd, 2008 in Body Image
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Don’t You Judge Mii, Wii.

Last month, Nintendo launched Wii Fit, which uses the Wii Balance Board^TM to monitor a player’s movements during the wide variety of health-related games, including aerobic exercise, muscle conditioning, yoga and balance games.

Upon first setting up Wii Fit, the player is asked to enter his/her height and date of birth, and the Balance Board measures the player’s weight. This information is used to calculate the player’s Body Mass Index (BMI). This, along with the player’s Wii Fit Age - which is determined by the Balance Board measuring the player’s center of balance, body control and BMI - is used to chart a player’s progress in reaching a desired BMI. Once the BMI is calculated, the player’s Mii - a virtual caricature - physically changes shape as the player is categorized as being either “obese,” “overweight,” “normal” or “underweight.”

Our Take: The BMI is widely regarded as a limited measurement of health, as it does not take into consideration factors such as gender, family history, body frame size or muscle mass. As with the BMI health report cards, which have been implemented in public school systems in some states, the Wii Fit can harm an individual’s self esteem and body image. These factors can add to the immense pressure he or she already faces in today’s society of unrealistic perceptions of beauty.

An individual’s fitness should not be based on his/her BMI, as this reinforces the lack of size acceptance in society and negatively impacts an individual’s sense of self. We believe that Nintendo should change the program, as the premise of Wii Fit - helping people become fitter, while having fun - can still be obtained without the BMI and “obese” or “overweight” labeling.

Do you agree that this use of the BMI is another way that our culture is forcing unrealistic expectations of beauty?

Published by CED Editor
June 24th, 2008 in Body Image
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Muscle Dysmorphia: the Misconceived Notion of Not Measuring Up.

Muscle dysmorphia, a disorder most commonly experienced in males, is the obsession of feeling “too small” or belief that one has inadequate muscles. However, those with the disorder are usually not small, and have very well-developed muscles, but most are too self-conscious to recognize their muscular bodies.

Often referred to as “bigorexia” or “reverse anorexia,” those with this disorder constantly worry about how others perceive their appearance. They suffer from low self-esteem and a misconstrued body image, inflicted with constant self-doubt, causing them to exercise compulsively and adhere to a strict diet. These behaviors can even result in developing an eating disorder, such as bulimia. Those with this disorder can also experience depression or an anxiety disorder. Other risky behaviors employed to build bulk includes the use of steroids.

Muscle dysmorphia is attributed to genetics, psychological factors and/or societal pressures. The media barrage of images at all levels of our society send misguided messages that pressure individuals to try to measure up. The men who struggle with this illness view images that lead them to believe that “real men have muscles,” even in something that seems as innocuous as a toy like G.I. Joe. Women see similar messages, but most of the messages targeted towards women depict a different body, one that states that “beautiful women are thin,” with images like Barbie.

Signs and Symptoms:

Checking themselves in a mirror up to 12 times a day.
Becoming distressed if they miss a .
Constant comparison of their own body to the bodies of others around them.
The use of anabolic steroids - check out Powered by Me for information about the side effects of anabolic steroids use.
Worrying about their percentage of body fat.
Psychological symptoms - Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or hiding away for days at a time due to embarrassment about their body shape.
Unlikely to come forward for treatment as they rarely see themselves as having a problem.

Diagnosis and Treatment: The disorder can be difficult to diagnose because patients often appear healthy. Many people with this disorder resist getting help as they are happy with the way they are, similar to individuals with Anorexia Nervosa. One way to help a family member or friend is to bring to their attention the negative impact the disorder has had on their lives, such as placing aspects of their personal lives on the backburner, like their career or relationships.

Studies have shown positive responses from individuals treated with a combiniation of antidepressant medication and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps the patient to analyze their problem using logical steps to understand the thought process behind their behaviors and make changes in their thinking, which will allow them to subsequently change the behaviors that follow.

To begin to make changes, our culture needs to take a look at our priorities and the messages that it is imposing on its youth.

Published by CED Editor
June 20th, 2008 in Editor's Picks
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A Perfect 10.

(Photo from NYMag.com)

Just look at her. Whitney Thompson is stunning, she’s poised, she’s a size 10…. and she’s the winner of America’s Next Top Model. Although this shouldn’t be shocking, with the recent onslaught of extremely thin fashion models in the media, it is unusual for a size 10 model to come out of ANTM. Whitney Thompson is already making strides in the modeling industry and is proving that an emaciated body isn’t the necessary ingredient for a great photograph.

Already, Whitney has received letters from boys and girls, claiming that she has motivated them to seek help for eating disorders and body image issues. She is working to further debunk the wildly popular belief that a young woman’s body should be altered to fit the clothes, rather than the clothes altered to fit the woman.

We’re glad ANTM has selected a woman who is more representative of the typical American woman. But positioning Whitney as plus size is simply inaccurate. Size 10 is not plus-size! While we applaud Whitney for being comfortable in her own skin, we would urge her to distance herself from the plus-size label she has received and seems to accept. As she states in the interview linked above: “It’s about being healthy. Being obese is no better than being emaciated, and I have to keep telling people that. I don’t sit around and eat donuts all day. I still wear bikinis and look good in them. It’s just about being the best you can be, and you can’t do anything other than that. Another myth is that being a plus-sized model means you’re fat. Guess what: it doesn’t. It means that you’re normal…”

It’s clear that Whitney plans to knock down barriers within the fashion industry, but we’d like to see her start by first breaking herself out of the plus-size label. When clothing size dictates beauty and defines a person, it undermines individuality and uniqueness. Why must Whitney be referred to as a “plus size” model and not just a model?

Published by CED Editor
June 3rd, 2008 in Editor's Picks, Body Image, Celebrity Topical News
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Eating Disorder Epidemic: We Want to be FREED.

There’s been a lot of international news about eating disorders. From the French moving toward legislation to prosecute any promotion of extreme thinness, to former British deputy prime minister, John Prescott, coming forward about his past struggles with bulimia. And now, The Eating Disorders Coalition and Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) are working on The FREED ACT, a Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders, the first piece of comprehensive Eating Disorders legislation in U.S. history.

The FREED Act will serve to address eating disorders through research, treatment, education and prevention. Among a number of action items, the FREED Act is structured to determine the prevalence of eating disorders within today’s society. Additionally, it will work to determine mortality rates associated with all eating disorders and provide a public report of this data annually. In an effort to increase training opportunities for research, fund research programs, and coordinate the development of a research infrastructure nationwide, centers will be established through an integrated system. The bill will also aim to educate health and higher education professionals and will serve to inform society about eating disorders through Public Service Announcements.

We applaud the actions of Rep. Kennedy and the Eating Disorders Coalition in bringing eating disorders to the attention of our national leadership through the FREED Act. The FREED Act will enable countless individuals to receive early diagnosis and treatment to bring greater chances for survival and complete recovery. Now, we like the sound of that.

More information about the FREED Act and what you can do to support it can be found at www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org.

Published by CED Editor
May 30th, 2008 in Editor's Picks, Body Image
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Dr. Brandt & Dr. Crawford Publish Research Articles in May Issue of International Journal of Eating Disorders

The International Journal of Eating Disorders May issue features two articles that highlight findings from the recent multi-site Anorexia Nervosa study, of which the Center for Eating Disorders was one of the sites participating.

The research sought to identify genetic variants and personality features that are linked to an increased risk for developing Anorexia Nervosa, attempting to answer the question, “What in our genetic background makes us predisposed to an eating disorder?”

This article highlights that binge eating and purging behavior in Anorexia Nervosa increases the likelihood of additional problems such as depression, alcohol and/or drug abuse and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The second article examined the influence of overanxious disorder on Anorexia Nervosa. It investigated childhood anxiety and its relationship to the onset of Anorexia. The research also explored attitudes and personality traits associated with eating disorders.

While prior research did not demonstrate a consistent relationship between anxiety disorders and increased severity of eating disorder symptoms, the findings from the genetic study did highlight a strong correlation between Overanxious Disorder of Childhood and more extreme eating disorder behaviors.

Drs. Brandt and Crawford are pleased that the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt has contributed to such important research. It is believed that the findings from these studies will lay the groundwork for improving early identification of at risk individuals and available treatment options.

Published by CED Editor
May 23rd, 2008 in Editor's Picks
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Family and the signs of eating disorders

Sarah Blake, Social Worker and Outreach Coordinator at the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, offers insight on what factors may cause eating disorders, and associated with signs and symptoms.

Eating disorders can develop for a number of reasons, and loved ones should be watchful for the signs that may lead to a family member developing such a condition.

Although the physical signs of having an eating disorder may vary depending on which condition your child or family member may have, here are some potential characteristics, or historical personal issues, that may lead to the development of an eating disorder:

Interpersonal signs
• Troubled family and personal relationships
• Difficulty expressing emotions and feelings
• History of being teased or ridiculed based on size or weight

Psychological signs
• Low self-esteem
• Feelings of inadequacy or lack of control in life
• Depression, anxiety, anger or loneliness

It’s important to note, that while all of these signs should be closely monitored, there’s no exact recipe that dictates which specific factors may lead to an eating disorder. The more we can do to build awareness of the causes and risks, the better.
The following are tips for parents to help prevent eating disorders among their children:

• While it is wonderful to praise your child, it sends a mixed message when you tell them they are beautiful and then negatively critique your own body in front of them
• Do not allow family members to tease one another or those outside the family about body size, shape or appearance
• Encourage and engage in healthy eating
• Educate your children about the media images they see, and teach them to be informed consumers

Most importantly, get help and support for yourself and if necessary, for your child and/or family. Getting into a treatment program at an early stage of the disorder, increases ones chances of a positive experience in the recovery process.

Please call the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt at 410-938-5252 to speak with someone in confidence.

Published by CED Editor
April 23rd, 2008 in Body Image
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