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The Rising Prevalence of Eating Disorders: What Is Our Role?

This presentation explores the various types of eating disorders, including the female athlete triad, and discusses the influence of media and other factors. It also focuses on identifying individuals with eating disorders and provides information on treatment and prevention options.

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The Rising Prevalence of Eating Disorders: What Is Our Role?

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  1. The Rising Prevalence of Eating Disorders: What Is Our Role? Dr. Lisa Alastuey University of Houston Dr. Tara Tietjen-Smith Texas A&M University – Commerce Presented at a TAHPERD Convention

  2. Objectives: • TLW: • Describe the various types of eating disorders including the female athlete triad. • Discuss media and other influences on disordered eating. • Identify individuals with an eating disorder. • Identify treatment and prevention options for individuals with diagnosed eating disorders.

  3. Something To Think About… • “As many as 8 out of 10 adolescent females are fighting an unhealthy battle with food that could destroy their emotional and physical well-being, and ultimately lead to a full-blown eating disorder.” • -Ira Sacker, M.D., author of the book Dying To Be Thin.

  4. Something To Think About… • “Girls who restrict calories, constantly watch their weight and live in fear of getting fat are in the majority.” • -Sharlene Hesse-Biber, Ph.D., author of the book Am I Thin Enough Yet?

  5. Prevalence of Eating Disorders • In the United States, 5 to 10 million females suffer from an eating disorder. • The first case was identified medically in 1668.

  6. General Definition • A disturbance in eating behavior that places a person’s physical and/or psychological health at risk. • Seen more in women. (But the statistics are growing for men.) • Denial of illness

  7. Types of Eating Disorders • Anorexia • Bulimia • Compulsive Overeating • **One can have a combination of eating disorders. • **Most often seen in today’s Westernized Culture.

  8. Types of Eating Disorders • There are other eating disorders that are not clinically defined. • Eating the same thing every day • Completely avoiding fat • Extreme dieting • Etc.

  9. Anorexia Nervosa (Anorexia) • An inaccurate perception of one’s own nutritional state. • Literally means “loss of appetite”. • A person with anorexia nervosa is hungry, but he or she denies the hunger because of an irrational fear of becoming fat.

  10. Anorexia: Warning Signs • Deliberate self-starvation with weight-loss • Intense, persistent fear of gaining weight • Refusal to eat, except tiny portions • Continuous dieting • Denial of hunger • Periodic bingeing and vomiting • Compulsive exercise and hyperactivity • Abnormal weight loss • Sensitivity to cold • Absent or irregular menstruation • Increased hairiness

  11. Anorexia: Physical and Psychological Problems • Malnutrition sets in, & physical changes become more visible • Amenorrhea (stop menstruation) • Extreme sensitive to cold (low body fat) • Hair and skin problems (peach fuzz, dry) • Fluid and electrolyte abnormalities (irregular heart beat) • Injuries to nerves and tendons • Abnormalities of immune function • Damage to vital organs (heart & brain) • Dehydration Depression • Mood Swings Shame and guilt • Low self-esteem Withdrawal • Perfectionism and more…

  12. Anorexia: “Nervous Loss of Appetite” • Food is the most important thing in life. • 97% of anorexics are white • Ages 11 to 60 most common between 13 to 22 • 1 out of every 250 girls • In 80% of the cases the anorexic is the 2nd born child • Low intake of calories 300-600 per day • Exercise beyond reason

  13. 2 Stages of Anorexia • Acute Stage • Continuing weight loss • Multiplying symptoms of nutritional deprivation • Consolidating recently formed eating and drinking patterns that allow only minimal consumption • Timing and privacy

  14. 2 Stages of Anorexia • Entrenched Stage (long-term anorexia) • Patterns affect personalities • Hopelessness accepted • Cynicism about psychotherapist and other professional who failed them (tailored her environment to her illness)

  15. Bulimia • Recurring periods of binge eating, during which large amounts of food are consumed in a short period of time – sometimes as many as 20,000 calories during the course of a single binge. • Occurs at least twice a week • Bulimia is more prevalent than anorexia

  16. Bulimia: Warning Signs • Preoccupation with food • Frequent binge eating, usually in secret, followed by vomiting and fasting • Abuse of laxatives, diuretics, diet pills, or drugs to induce vomiting • Compulsive exercising • Swollen salivary glands and pancreas • Broken blood vessels in the eyes

  17. Bulimia: Physical and Psychological Problems • Malnutrition • Serious heart, kidney, and liver damage • Intestinal ulcers • Ruptured stomach • Tears of the esophagus • Dehydration • Tooth/gum corrosion • Depression Low self-esteem • Shame/guilt Withdrawal • Mood swings Perfectionism • Impaired family and social relationships

  18. Compulsive Overeating (Binge Eating Disorder) • Uncontrolled binging beyond one’s energy needs, accompanied by shameful and guilty eating. Repeated failures to gain control of food and weight further sabotage self-esteem.

  19. Fast Facts… • The average model is 5’11” tall and weighs only 117 pounds. • The average woman is 5’4” tall and weighs 140 pounds. • The average plus size model wears a size 10-12. • The number one wish for girls ages 11 to 17 is to be thinner. • 40% of nine and ten-year-olds are on diets; girls as young as five have expressed fears of getting fat. • Researchers have attributed the eating disorders prevalence to society’s constant pressure to be thin. Thinness is often equaled with physical attractiveness, success, and happiness.

  20. Influences • T.V. (1960’s Twiggy, etc.) • Magazines (supermodels, Kate Moss) • Barbie • Parents • Peers • Job • “Yourself”

  21. More Influences • Adolescent girls’ discontent about body image is directly correlated to how often they read fashion magazines, which are filled with ads featuring underweight models. • Viewing television commercials leads to increased body dissatisfaction for both male and female adolescents. • After television was introduced in Fiji, there was a significant increase in eating disorders among adolescent girls. • A study of 500 female models found that almost half were malnourished according to the World Health Organization standards.

  22. Eating Disorders Among Athletes • Very prevalent among athletes, even males. • Sports in which a certain body type or build has been described or required for a competitive edge, especially cycling, running, dancing, gymnastics, figure skating, and wrestling.

  23. Female Athlete TriadDisordered Eating/ Amenorrhea/ Osteoporosis • Young women who train strenuously can: • Exhibit amenorrhea • Practice abnormal eating behaviors • Be susceptible to stress fractures & osteoporosis • The identification of any one ailment in the triad requires prompt screening for the other two disorders.

  24. Men and Eating Disorders • The increasing muscularity in toy action figures helps set unrealistic body ideals for boys. • More than half of boys ages 11 to 17 chose a physical ideal only possible through the use of steroids.

  25. Treatment Approaches • Eating disorders are very complex and usually have underlying psychological factors that are not associated with eating. • They should be diagnosed and treated by qualified professionals.

  26. Treatment Approaches • Individualized Interventions • Family Counseling • Psychological Treatment • Antidepressant drug therapy • Working with a team of health professionals: • Physician, registered dietician, nurses, health/physical educators, etc.

  27. References • Adolescent Medicine Committee of CPS (2004). Eating disorders in adolescents: Principles of diagnosis and treatment. www.cps.ca • www.anred.com • Anspaugh, D. J. & Ezell, G. (2004). Teaching today’s health. Pearson Benjamin Cummings: San Fransisco. • www.eating-disorders.com • www.empoweredparents.com • Focus Adolescent Services (2005). Help you daughter create a healthy body image. www.focusas.com/BodyImage.html • Hoffman, R.P. (2001). Eating disorders in adolescents with Type I diabetes. Postgraduate Medicine, 109(4), 1-8. www.postgradmed.com • McCardle, W.D., Katch, F.L., & Katch, V.L. (2005). Sports & exercise nutrition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Baltimore. • Society of Adolescent Medicine (2003). Eating disorders in adolescents: Position paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. Journal of Adolescent Health, 33, 496-503.

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