Fitness
Articles
Teen Eating
Disorders
| Teen Eating
Disorders
Dorothy L. Tengler
It may be that
today�s kids are the first generation to be raised by parents who
target their heart rates, analyze their body fat, and buy fat-free
cookies and ice cream. Why is it so shocking that so many kids at
younger and younger ages are obsessing about flat stomachs, thin
thighs, and bulging biceps? Even third-and fourth grade girls are
afraid of getting fat, and by age 9 or 10, these same girls are
appraising their own and each other�s appearance and comparing
themselves with one another. Boys are by no means immune, falling
prey to body issues as they strive to be buff and muscular and sport
�six pack� abs.
However, it is mainly young women who develop
potentially life-threatening eating disorders such as anorexia or
bulimia, and 1,000 die each year. About 90% of those afflicted are
adolescent and young adult women. According to a Federal Food and
Drug Administration consumer report, studies indicate that by their
first year of college, 4.5 to 18 percent of women and 0.4 percent of
men have a history of bulimia, and 1 in 100 females between the ages
of 12 and 18 have anorexia. Although the incidence of anorexia
usually begins in the teens, the incidence among 8-11-year olds is
increasing.
Anorexia nervosa is a dangerous condition in
which young women literally starve themselves to death in order to
be unrealistically thin and is characterized by a loss of 15% or
more of original body weight. The body responds to this starvation
by slowing or stopping certain bodily processes such as blood
pressure, breathing rate, menstruation, and thyroid gland activity
(responsible for regulating growth). Bulimia nervosa affects 2 to 3
percent of young women who eat excessively, called bingeing, and
then rid their bodies of extra calories through self-induced
vomiting and/or through the use of large amounts of laxatives,
diuretics, or syrup of ipecac�all of which upset the body�s balance
of sodium, potassium, and other chemicals.
Why do so many
young women go to these extremes to be thin? Many theories abound,
including low self-esteem and feelings of helplessness as well as a
need to reduce stress and relieve anxiety. However, other
influences�both behavioral and environmental�are also thought to
play a major role. Families may play a key role in image
development: Mothers may be overly concerned with their daughters�
weight and physical attractiveness, and fathers and brothers may be
critical of female family members� weight. And we all know the
pressure of being the ideal thin woman portrayed by magazines,
movies, and television. Another theory suggests that key chemical
messengers in the brain may contribute to the development or
persistence of eating disorders. As these eating disorders become
more entrenched in young girls� lifestyles, the damage becomes less
reversible. Whatever the reasons for anorexia or bulimia, early
treatment is vital.
References:
Eating
Disorders:
http://www.medscape.com/govmt/NIMH/patient/Eatingdisorders.html
On the Teen Scene: Eating Disorders Require Medical
Attention
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/catalog/eatdis.html
Eating
Disorders Awareness Week
http://www.medscape.com/medscape/psychiatry/journal/2000/v05.n01/mh0214.kenn/974779.html
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