Archive for the 'Nutrition' Category

Baby Steps in the Wrong Direction? Increased Anxiety About Weight in the Very Young Child

Have we as a country gone too far in conjuring up a fear of fat?  Most eating disorder specialists and body image advocates would say we hit that milestone long ago – the proof being in our country’s continued and desperate reliance on dieting despite its 95-98% failure rate.  However, recent research seems to suggest a new low – one that we are concerned may spike unnecessary anxiety in new parents and could further distort our country’s relationship with food and eating, beginning with our youngest and most fragile generations.  That being said, we felt it was important to address this topic within our Nurture blog series.

This relatively new research, out of Eastern Virginia Medical School, proposes that a progression toward obesity begins as early as three months old.  Researchers have referred to their findings as a “tipping point”, suggesting we further scrutinize weight during the earliest months of life.  The study’s online abstract states, “that the critical period for preventing childhood obesity in this subset of identified patients is during the first 2 years of life and for many by 3 months of age.”

This raises a lot of serious concerns about how we might be encouraged to interpret these results.  Should worried parents or concerned childcare providers cut down on or restrict breast milk and formula out of fear for an infant’s future weight category?  Will parents of healthy, naturally larger babies be inclined to panic during weigh-ins at the pediatrician’s office or be made to feel they need to enforce low calorie diets to help their baby or toddler lose weight?  Not only do these things not work to prevent children from becoming overweight, they are also incredibly dangerous and can disturb a young body’s natural hunger and fullness cues, setting the groundwork for a harmful relationship with food later in life. The same disruption can happen when infants or children are persuaded to eat when not hungry or made to eat significantly past the point of fullness.  Ellyn Satter, a family therapist, registered dietitian and internationally recognized authority on eating and feeding speaks to this process on her website, stating,

“Children who eat and grow at the extremes make their parents so nervous that they often interfere. It backfires. In our weight-obsessed culture, parents may try to restrict a robust child with a hearty appetite because they assume that enjoying food and eating a lot means she will get fat. It doesn’t, and it doesn’t work. Children who don’t get enough to eat—or fear they won’t—become preoccupied with food and tend to overeat when they get a chance…

…Pressure on children’s eating always backfires. Trying to get a child to eat more than she wants makes her eat less. Trying to get her to eat less than she wants makes her eat more.”

Understanding the paradoxical outcome of restricting early feedings leads us to question the messages sent by this research study as well as those introduced by most childhood obesity prevention campaigns today.  As a country, we should pause and ask ourselves if increasing anxiety about infant and childhood weight might be hurting more than it is helping?  Promoting an even earlier vigilance and stigma around weight and bodies seems only to be muddying the water further, adding to the very “problem” that studies such as this one seem to be trying to address.

Negative messages about food and weight passed from our culture to our infants and children can lead to strained feeding and food relationships, a diet mentality, low self-esteem and negative body image.  All of these things are also risk factors for the development of disordered eating and eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder which is the most prevalent and is often associated with obesity.  For most adults concerned about a child’s weight or well being, the obvious next question would be, “well than what am I supposed to do?”

Consider moving away from a hyper-focus on weight, body type, BMI or any other calculator of weight. Like most efforts involved in parenting, it’s not an easy task to accomplish particularly when it seems like every newspaper article, concerned relative, or public service campaign is telling you to do the opposite.  Do your best to focus instead on your child’s overall health (remembering that weight does not = health).  Honor and accept your child’s natural body size and shape.  Create positive goals around eating that involve paying attention to your baby’s or child’s internal hunger and fullness cues instead of relying on external messages about how much is “too much”.  Positive goals might also include taking steps to decrease the stress related to feeding a family by learning about and adopting Satter’s Division of Responsibility (DOR) in feeding which can be utilized from the earliest stages of infancy throughout adolescence. As  stated on EllynSatter.com, our goals as parents and as a culture with regards to feeding should be to:

“emphasize competency rather than deficiency: providing rather than depriving: and trust rather than control.” *

We would add that providing education rather than stigma; positive goals rather than “tipping points”: and fostering tools rather than anxiety will go a long way in helping to nurture a culture that cares more about health and less about size.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

*Quotes are copyright © 2010 by Ellyn Satter. Published at www.EllynSatter.com. For more about raising children who eat as much as they need and get bodies that are right for them (and for research backing up this advice), see Ellyn Satter’s Your Child’s Weight: Helping Without Harming, Kelcy Press, 2005. Also see www.EllynSatter.com/shopping to purchase books and to review other resources.

photo courtesy of  pediatrics.about.com

Published by Kate Clemmer
August 13th, 2010 in Body Image, Editor's Picks, In the News, Nurture. Blog Series, Nutrition
0 Comments

“Brave Girl Eating” – Q & A with Harriet Brown, Part I

On August 25th, 2010, The Center for Eating Disorders will welcome Harriet Brown – journalist, professor and parent of a child who almost died from an eating disorder.  Harriet Brown will be traveling to Baltimore to speak about her oldest daughter, Kitty’s difficult struggle with anorexia and  how their family used love, persistence and Family-Based Treatment (FBT) to help her recover.  In anticipation of her presentation and the upcoming release of her new book (left), we asked Harriet to share a little bit about her family’s experience in this three-part blog series. Her strikingly honest and insightful responses are sure to resonate with and empower countless other families who’ve been impacted by an eating disorder.

Harriet Brown’s presentation on Aug. 25th at The Center for Eating Disorders is FREE and open to the public. More information is available on our Events Page.


Q & A with Harriet Brown: Part I

Before your family went through this very personal experience with anorexia nervosa, what knowledge did you have of eating disorders and the treatment process?

HB: Probably about what most people know, which is basically nothing. I bought into all the usual myths: Anorexia affected white girls from rich families. Anorexia was a bid for attention, a way to act out in a dysfunctional family. I had no idea what I thought about treatment—I probably never gave it a thought, honestly.

When and how did you first become aware that your daughter was struggling with an eating disorder?  What were your initial reactions?

HB: We’d been aware of the possibility for a while—Kitty was a gymnast, and she’d always been on the thin side. I’d even asked her pediatrician about six months before she was diagnosed whether Kitty was maybe too thin; she’d grown half an inch and not gained any weight in a year, at age 13. The pediatrician reassured us, which in retrospect was a mistake; all adolescents need to be growing and gaining weight, and failure to gain can be as much a symptom as losing weight.

My husband and I first noticed an uptick in anxiety, but no weight loss. That’s why I was confused—I thought there had to be sudden dramatic weight loss. Kitty developed some obsessive tendencies around food and other areas, and her anxiety bloomed to the point of interfering with daily life. By now my husband and I were very alarmed. Around then Kitty lost a few pounds—4 or 5—and suddenly we put 2 and 2 together and realized we were dealing with anorexia.

Our first reaction was to push her to eat. That’s when we began to understand what we were dealing with. The harder we pushed her to eat, the more she resisted, and that was not like Kitty. By the time she was formally diagnosed, three weeks later, we were in a state of utter shock and panic. That sense of panic persisted for several months as we tried and failed to get her to eat, as her physical condition deteriorated; she landed in the hospital for dehydration and bradycardia at one point. That hospitalization was a turning point for all of us. We’d been trying to get her to eat, and failing; she was insisting she wasn’t hungry, she’d already eaten, her stomach hurt, all the excuses an individual with an eating disorder offers up. And part of us believed her, because we’d always been able to believe her. I think I was in denial. I know I was, actually. There was a moment, in the hospital, when after 4 hours of re-hydration, her heart rate still didn’t come up. The doc transferred her to the peds ICU. I remember distinctly running alongside the bed and arguing with the doctor about why she didn’t need to be in the ICU. I look back on that moment with horror, because it shows how much in denial I was that this was a life-threatening illness. No parent really wants to think that. And in retrospect I think all families pass through a stage of denial like this, and the best thing you can do is hurry them through it so they can get to the hard work of helping their child recover.

We flailed around unsuccessfully from June to August, when we stumbled on the notion of family-based treatment and decided immediately to try it. That’s when we started to make progress.

…to be continued.

Check back to read more of Harriet’s incredibly poignant account of her daughter’s illness and recovery.  In part II, Harriet talks about the most important thing she learned in the process of parenting a child with anorexia and the critical steps her family took along the way.

If you’d like to comment on this blog, or you want to receive updates when Parts II and III of this blog are posted, please join in the discussion and become a fan of CED’s Facebook page.

You can learn more about Harriet Brown and the upcoming release of her book, Brave Girl Eating: A Family’s Struggle With Anorexia, by visiting her website, www.harrietbrown.com.


Published by Kate Clemmer
August 9th, 2010 in CED Events, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks, In the News, Nutrition, Recovery
0 Comments

What is Reality?

 

A plethora of news stories developed overnight, placing “Real Housewife”  TV Star, Bethenny Frankel in the media spotlight for her drastic post-pregnancy weight loss three weeks after giving birth to her daughter via cesarean section.  Most sources are speculating that these rapid changes to her body are unrealistic, are the result of unhealthy behaviors and set an undeniably dangerous and negative standard for everyday, non-celebrity moms.  Even while suggesting the danger in this, magazines and news shows continue to flaunt photos of her in a bathing suit, promote her books and products, and proclaim her diet, exercise and weight loss to the world as though it is something to emulate.  Subsequently, the public is greeted with more mixed messages about health and weight loss that are confusing and difficult to sort through.

Our questions amidst this media frenzy differ from the slew of inquiries into how much weight was gained and lost or what Bethenny was eating or not eating.  We would rather ask why reporters and news media feel its appropriate to provide readers and viewers with the specific details of Bethenny’s weight loss regimen while simultaneously questioning its safety?  And why would someone who has publicly discussed a “former” unhealthy obsession with food, weight and exercise, support a publicity storm focused on weight just three weeks after the premature birth of her child? 

Its time to focus on reality instead of reality TV and on healthy moms and babies instead of weight loss.  Want some real-life tips for avoiding “the numbers game” of pregnancy and post pregnancy weight? Check out our newest guest blog from the authors of Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? The Essential Guide to Loving Your Body Before and After Baby.  Click here to read, “Adding Up, Weighing In, and Counting Down: Five Ways to Cope with the Numbers Game of Pregnancy,” by Claire Mysko and Magali Amadei

Published by Kate Clemmer
June 4th, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News, In the News, Nurture. Blog Series, Nutrition
0 Comments

Do I Really Have Binge Eating Disorder?

Q: A close friend of mine recently told me that she believes I may have a binge eating disorder.  Some weeks I don’t binge at all and other weeks I binge daily.  Do I really have a binge eating disorder?

A: You ask a very interesting, and common, question.  It also happens to be a complicated one!  First off, are you really binge eating?  Some people may feel like they’ve binged after eating one candy bar, a handful of peanuts or a single ice cream cone.  For these people, a binge involves eating any amount of something they consider to be a “bad” or “dangerous” food.  Technically, this is referred to as a SUBJECTIVE binge because it relies on each individual’s own, sometimes inaccurate, definition of how much food is “too much”.  On the other hand, while difficult to precisely define, a formally defined, or OBJECTIVE, binge consists of 1) eating a significantly larger amount of food than an average person might eat,  2) doing so in a relatively brief period of time (less than two hours) and 3) sensing a loss of control over eating during the episode.  Distinguishing between a subjective binge and an objective binge is an important part of helping you to answer the question about whether you have a binge eating disorder (BED). 

That being said, episodic, or occasional binge eating alone does not constitute BED.  Current diagnostic criteria indicates that an individual is bingeing at least twice a week for six months and experiences that “out of control” feeling during the binge in order to be diagnosed as having BED.* 

People with BED tend to eat quite rapidly, binge even though they’re not hungry, and often eat until they are feeling exceptionally full.  At the emotional core of BED is a sense of shame, and possibly disgust, about one’s eating behavior and, consequently, binges are apt to occur secretively.  Around 2-3% of the general population meets the criteria for BED and interestingly, women are somewhat more likely to have BED than men.  Some research suggests that upwards of 50% of people with BED are not obese, contrary to what people may assume.  

Its important to point out that even if you don’t think you meet full criteria for BED, it doesn’t mean you don’t have an eating disorder or that you shouldn’t seek help.  Any problematic disordered eating behaviors, including infrequent binges, could be symptoms of an eating disorder.  Regardless of the specific diagnosis, early assessment and intervention will significantly help to improve your chances for recovery.

Blog answer contributed by David Roth, Ph.D. 

Dr. Roth is a psychologist and therapist at The Center for Eating Disorders.  He specializes in the treatment of individuals with Binge Eating Disorder. 

* It is important to note that new diagnostic criteria for BED and its inclusion as a separate disgnosis is currently being developed and will likely be updated in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, scheduled to be released in May of 2013.

Published by Kate Clemmer
March 23rd, 2010 in Editor's Picks, Glossary Definitions, Nutrition, Therapies
0 Comments

Should People With Binge Eating Disorder Try to Lose Weight?

Many people with binge eating disorder (BED) are obese and may have health problems related to their eating disorder.  Often times, people who are obese attempt to lose weight by joining a weight loss program or trying various diets; they may even be urged to do so by a medical professional who is unfamiliar with appropriate treatment for eating disorders.  While weight loss can sometimes be a by-product of recovery from BED, it should not be the primary goal.  In fact, attempts at controlling one’s weight through dieting, can exacerbate the binge eating symptoms by triggering a deprivation-binge cycle that ultimately results in weight gain and decreased metabolism. 

At The Center for Eating Disorders we recognize that the health problems which can accompany BED are a result of behaviors, not a direct effect of one’s weight.   Additionally, we find it of great importance to acknowledge and remind others that people can be healthy at every size and shape.  In fact, research shows that focusing on improving health behaviors – without regard to weight or the number on the scale –consistently leads to better physical health outcomes1.

That being said, people with BED, whether they are obese or not, can benefit physically and emotionally from seeking treatment for their eating disorder.  Treatment for BED includes working towards self-acceptance and focusing on the normalization of eating patterns.  This involves incorporating a wide variety of foods from all food groups and working through detrimental beliefs about food and eating.  People in recovery often find that once they are able to maintain a balanced pattern of eating and incorporate a healthy amount of physical activity that they enjoy, their body will naturally find and settle at its own appropriate set point.  This set point – the weight range at which one’s body is genetically programmed for optimal functioning - is different for every individual.  Focusing on balance and stability, rather than a specific weight or pant size, honors the health and well-being of the individual above all else. 

Questions about BED?  Join in the discussion on our Facebook page or visit our website for more information about BED and treatment options.

 

References:

1 Bacon, L., et al., (2005). Size Acceptance and Intuitive Eating Improve Health for Obese, Female Chronic Dieters.

Published by Kate Clemmer
March 19th, 2010 in Body Image, Editor's Picks, Nutrition, Therapies
0 Comments

Parties and Presents and Resolutions, Oh My!

The end of a calendar year brings with it endless conversations of new year’s resolutions.  Setting these notoriously lofty goals is often an attempt to pull oneself out of the seasonal funk that can settle in with shorter days, colder weather and a barrage of holiday stressors.  When people make resolutions, it is often with the intent to completely overhaul their life.  They look to make a sweeping change that will fix all that is wrong, and get them back on the “right track”.  Unfortunately, this particular type of goal setting usually backfires – as evidenced by the fact that most people end up making the same exact resolutions year after year.  

New year’s resolutions also send a message that today doesn’t count – it gives us permission to stay unhappy or unhealthy ”just a little bit longer” until January 1st rolls around. This could mean different things for different people depending on whether you are working towards recovery from an eating disorder, still struggle with chronic yo-yo dieting or are trying to quit smoking.  So, how do you pull yourself out of the winter blues without jumping on the resolution bandwagon?  Here are a few ideas to get you started…

1.  Don’t wait.  Start making small adjustments today that have nothing to do with food, eating, or your weight. Creating small but positive disruptions in your daily routine can help you stay grounded and may even help to break a cycle of negative thoughts or eating disorder symptoms that are associated with certain places or a time of day.

  • Try taking a different route to work or school.  This small change could open up new possibilities, even if its just observing the new scenery or discovering a park along the way that you never knew existed!  Who knows, you may even find out that your new detour involves less traffic or fewer lights.
  • Do some interior designing.  Consider rearranging some furniture or updating a picture wall inside your house or apartment.  Visible changes such as these can offer a sense of renewal without the obligation or pressure.
  • These are just a few examples…you can come up with your own ideas for “minor adjustments” and share them on our Facebook page.

2. Setting goals is a great thing but not if the goal is unrealistic, unhealthy, too vague, or involves intense pressure to succeed.  All of these charactersistics can make it very difficult to follow through with a resolution.  Instead, focus on taking small, concrete steps forward in the direction of balanced living.    

  • If you tend to make resolutions that are unrealistic and unhealthy…“I have to get myself to the gym.  I’m going to purchase a membership and force myself to go everyday, no matter what.”
    • Try this instead: “I will commit to going to one or two community yoga classes by the end of the month and work on developing a positive and supportive relationship with my body.”
  • If you tend to make resolutions that are vague and counterproductive… “I need to lose weight by the summer so I’m really going to stick to my diet this year!”
    • Try this instead: “I give myself permission to stop dieting and to trust my body. If I need the help of a professional nutritionist to do this, I will seek one out.”
  • If you tend to make resolutions that leave no room for error and put a lot of pressure on you to succeed…“As of January 1st, I am never going to act on my eating disorder symptoms again.”
    • Try this instead: “Before the week is over, I will call and schedule an appointment to begin seeing a therapist.” This is an example of a small but very meaningful task that can result in long-term change.  If you already see a therapist, consider this instead: “In the next week, I will use at least one new support or coping skill that I’ve never tried before.”  Examples include: attending a support group, journaling, or enrolling in art therapy.

3. Now that you’ve resolved NOT to make a resolution, how are you going to cope with everybody else who feels inclined to talk about resolutions, weight loss and diets all of the time? 

  •  Be the bearer of accurate news.  When your friends start discussing the new diet they will begin on January 1st, inform them about why diets don’t work.  If you’re not sure why, stay tuned for our upcoming blog that will convince you once and for all that dieting is NOT the way to go.
  • Try out the “shock and awe” technique. As others start to bemoan their hips and curse their thighs while resolving to change their bodies in the new year, employ the element of surprise – say something  NICE about yourself and your body. Body bashing has become such an accepted form of conversation (especially around the holidays) that when someone (You!) is able to reflect positively on their own body, people are seriously caught off guard and may think twice about their own statements.  Try one of the comments below or come up with a few of your own!
    • “I am so grateful for all of the things my body allows me to accomplish.” 
    • “I’m much more concerned about feeling strong and healthy than I am about fitting into a particular size.”
    • Even if you are not at a point in your life, or in recovery, where you actually believe these statements, say them anyway!  Saying them out loud helps move you in the right direction toward real change.  You will not only have helped yourself, but you will steer the conversation away from a negative place and become a role model for positive body image.  This is particularly important if children and adolescents are within earshot of the conversation.

Here’s to a happy and balanced end of 2009 and continued hopefulness in 2010! 

If you have any questions about eating disorders, please call our admissions coordinators at (410) 938-5252 to speak confidentially about your concerns and treatment options.  Additionally, you can visit our website at  www.eatingdisorder.org for more information, including an interactive on-line quiz that can help determine whether you, or someone you care about, might have an eating disorder that requires professional treatment.   

Photo courtesy of grandhoteloceancity.com

Published by Kate Clemmer
December 22nd, 2009 in Body Image, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks, In the News, Nutrition
0 Comments

Tips for Overcoming Holiday Stress & Anxiety – Part II: The Stress

Thanksgiving, a holiday of gratitude and hopefulness, can also come with a large dose of frustration, worry and woes.  In an attempt to make this Thanksgiving a positive one, especially for those who are also struggling with an eating disorder, we’ve offered some ideas for overcoming and embracing the holiday season.  Yesterday, we posted Part I: The Food, the first in a holiday blog series that addresses unique challenges associated with eating and socializing during the holidays. Today, Part II in the series offers even more constructive ideas and concrete steps you can take to make your Thanksgiving a success, while still prioritizing your recovery.

Part II: When it comes to the STRESS…

If the place where you are staying is particularly stressful or triggering, carving out time for yourself is a necessity.  Try finding a quiet room to be alone for several minutes in order to clear your head and re-energize yourself for encounters with others around you. Taking five minutes out to breathe and re-center can make a big difference in your ability to maintain your composure and keep you focused on your goals of having a healthy and positive holiday experience.  If you’re worried that you will seem rude if you leave or have a hard time finding the time to be alone, consider offering to pick up or drop off elderly family members who can’t drive themselves.  

  • Depending on your preference, try to let those around you know what is helpful and what isn’t. The holidays are an important time to practice being assertive.
  • Reach out - we all know one or two people who can’t travel to their own family’s Thanksgiving event or just don’t have a place to go for the holiday – invite them along to share in your festivities.  
    • Bonus - An extra support person for you before, during and after the meal!  
  • Focus on the kids!  Get the younger generation involved in your support plan.  Round up the youngest family members for a post-dinner game of  Pictionary or puzzles.  Often, kids can be the most positive and least triggering family members.
  • In the event that someone makes a triggering food/body comment to you, have a plan for ways to quickly shift attention away from you in a positive way…respond strategically to the comment and then ask your cousin how her new job is going, or mention that your parents should tell everyone about their recent vacation.
  • Just because it is a holiday doesn’t mean you have to clear your social calendar – think about making plans with a friend to see a movie right after your holiday gathering so you can have something to look forward to regardless of how well your Thanksgiving meal goes. 
  • The same goes for your pre-meal schedule.  Sitting around, smelling food and just waiting for the meal to be ready can be a very triggering or anxiety-provoking time.  Consider offering to run a last minute errand or employ yourself as the family photographer!  Make it your goal to snap some great pictures of your family members arriving and socializing together. 
    • Bonus – The resulting photos could make great gifts when the next holiday rolls around!

Although the holidays can be difficult, try to place them in perspective and remember that no single day determines your worth, value, or potential as a person.  Regardless of what you hear from others, keep in mind that this is a season of hope and thanks-giving, so try to focus less on the stressors and more on the ability that you have to give thanks and receive joy this holiday season.

Find even more holiday coping skills by reading last year’s blog, Thanksgiving with an Eating Disorder: 10 Tips to Help You Get Through the Holiday.

photo courtesy of bhg.com/holidays

Published by Kate Clemmer
November 24th, 2009 in CED Events, Editor's Picks, In the News, Nutrition
0 Comments

Don’t Weigh In On This Technology!

On the heels of the Smartphone controversy, another piece of technology is further enabling people to obsess and lament over their weight.  The difference this time is that, instead of a private obsession with the number on the scale, this piece of modern equipment broadcasts a person’s weight for all to see over their twitter page. 

The technology in this case, happens to be a bathroom scale with a wireless connection to the internet.  The company behind this gimmick, contends that by automatically programming your bathroom scale to share results of each weigh-in with your entire social network via a twitter page or website, you will be more motivated to lose weight.  This technology gives unwarranted and unhealthy power to the number on the scale.  Even the LA Times Online article addressing the issue, touches on the questionable utility of this product but goes on to imply that one’s weight, as told by the scale, may be equally, or even more, relevant and revealing than how much debt a person owes or whether one has achieved their life dreams.  We, at The Center for Eating Disorders strongly disagree.  Weight is not a good indicator of health, beauty, or self-worth and should not be a determinant of success in a personal OR public forum. 

The weight-tweeting bathroom scale gets a big thumbs down from us.  Read the article and tell us what you think on our CED facebook page or CED twitter page.  We’d much rather hear from YOU than your bathroom scale! 

photo courtesy of whitezine.com

Published by Kate Clemmer
November 13th, 2009 in Body Image, Editor's Picks, In the News, Nutrition
0 Comments

Application Awareness

Dr. Harry Brandt, Director at the Center for Eating Disorders, was recently quoted in a blog entry on ChicagoTribune.com.  The article discussed the negative impact that some smart phone applications can have on those individuals who are suffering from or are at-risk for developing an eating disorder. In light of this article, we’re re-posting an earlier entry we wrote on the subject in an attempt to generate awareness about this potentially dangerous trend.

     

They can navigate you safely to your destination, identify a song playing in the background, and keep you busy with endless games while riding the bus to work or school, but some Smart Phone applications are not so helpful and could become harmful to their users.  Eating disorder experts have observed that new handheld applications, designed to aid users in reaching weight loss goals, can easily perpetuate a serious eating disorder (ED) or become the catalyst for the development of an ED in those who are at-risk.  

One of these weight monitoring applications boasts in an advertisement that it is, “a tool for people who are serious about tracking their weight…you can’t control your weight unless you are aware of how it is changing.”  This ability to track minute details of nutritional intake 24 hours a day from the palm of your hand, and the desire to establish, the always elusive, ”control” over one’s eating and weight could be easily abused by anyone with disordered eating patterns.  In fact, many of the application’s features promote or even mimic actual signs and symptoms of a serious ED.  Frequent weighing, micromanaging food intake, and excessive monitoring of calories spent during exercise are all signs that someone may have an ED.  These potentially dangerous actions are encouraged by the applications which assign technical names to the disordered eating patterns such as the setting of a “daily caloric budget” and the use of a “nutritional database”.        

What may be most dangerous about these applications is the illusion they create that this level of excessive monitoring of food, weight, and exercise represents a normal, healthy lifestyle.  At the Center for Eating Disorders, we strive to help people develop healthy relationships with food and an appreciation for their bodies, regardless of weight or size.  Unfortunately, applications such as the ones described above, seem to be doing the exact opposite.

Tools like this may be benign, although time-consuming and unnecessary, in the hands of people who are not vulnerable to EDs.  However, the thoughts and behaviors they encourage could be life threatening to someone with an ED or to someone who is at-risk for developing one.  It is increasingly important that we, as a community and as individuals, are aware of the risks associated with our ever-expanding world of technology and the effects it may be having on the people in our lives. 

If you are concerned about a friend or loved one who is struggling with disordered eating or you would like more information about eating disorders, please call us at (410) 938-5252 and explore our website at www.eatingdisorder.org .

Published by Kate Clemmer
October 26th, 2009 in Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks, Glossary Definitions, In the News, Nutrition
0 Comments

Dieting Pressures Start Early & Last a Lifetime

The Wall Street Journal ran an informative article yesterday by journalist, Jeffrey Zaslow, as a follow-up to a front-page story he did in 1986 on the dieting pressures and body ideals facing 9 year-old elementary school students.   Over twenty years ago,  Zaslow’s questioning found that over half of the girls surveyed reported that they were on a diet and 3/4 of them claimed they were too heavy. Additionally, the fourth-grade boys that were interviewed had negative things to say about the girls in their class who were not thin, which added to the pressures girls felt to lose weight .

Back then, the 1986 article helped to shed light on the problem of America’s obsession with thinness.  Unfortunately, the weight loss pressures have only gotten worse and the rates of eating disorders have risen dramatically since the ’80s.  Zaslow’s follow-up article hoped to answer questions about whether those fourth graders would somehow outgrow the image-focused mentality of their early childhood,  or “would these girls be burdened by the dieting culture as they grew into women?”

In his recent piece, Zaslow writes, “Those girls I interviewed are 32 and 33 years old now, and when I got back in touch with some of them last week, they said that they and their peers have never escaped society’s obsession with body image…some told stories of damaging diets and serious self-esteem issues regarding their weight.”

He also spoke with a researcher about the consequences of disordered eating on children at such a young age and reported that “A preoccupation with body image is now showing up in children as young as five, and it can be exacerbated by our culture’s increased awareness of obesity, which leaves many non-overweight kids stressed about their bodies.  This dieting by children can stunt growth and brain development.”  

As parents of young children it is important to be reminded that the issue of body image and weight is not one of vanity or something to be ignored.  It is serious and has serious consequences. This article shows very clearly that there are long-term effects and ongoing battles with food and weight that can stem from disordered eating and distorted body image in fourth grade and even earlier.       

It’s never too early.  Talk with your daughter.  Talk with your son.  Find out what they think and believe about weight and size and whether they feel pressured (or are putting pressure on others!) to look a certain way or to lose weight.  The conversations you have with them now, could prevent another generation of weight-obsession and rising numbers of eating disorders.

The Center for Eating Disorders’ Outreach Department is available to work with local parenting groups and organizations on how to foster healthy eating and positive body image in your children.  Call (410) 427-3886 for more information.

photo courtesy of newsroom-magazine.com

Published by Kate Clemmer
September 3rd, 2009 in Body Image, Celebrity Topical News, In the News, Nutrition
0 Comments