Dorothy L. Tengler It may = be that=20 today=92s kids are the first generation to be raised by = parents who=20 target their heart rates, analyze their body fat, and buy = fat-free=20 cookies and ice cream. Why is it so shocking that so many = kids at=20 younger and younger ages are obsessing about flat stomachs, = thin=20 thighs, and bulging biceps? Even third-and fourth grade = girls are=20 afraid of getting fat, and by age 9 or 10, these same girls = are=20 appraising their own and each other=92s appearance and = comparing=20 themselves with one another. Boys are by no means immune, = falling=20 prey to body issues as they strive to be buff and muscular = and sport=20 =93six pack=94 abs. However, it is mainly young women = who develop=20 potentially life-threatening eating disorders such as = anorexia or=20 bulimia, and 1,000 die each year. About 90% of those = afflicted are=20 adolescent and young adult women. According to a Federal = Food and=20 Drug Administration consumer report, studies indicate that = by their=20 first year of college, 4.5 to 18 percent of women and 0.4 = percent of=20 men have a history of bulimia, and 1 in 100 females between = the ages=20 of 12 and 18 have anorexia. Although the incidence of = anorexia=20 usually begins in the teens, the incidence among 8-11-year = olds is=20 increasing. Anorexia nervosa is a dangerous condition = in=20 which young women literally starve themselves to death in = order to=20 be unrealistically thin and is characterized by a loss of = 15% or=20 more of original body weight. The body responds to this = starvation=20 by slowing or stopping certain bodily processes such as = blood=20 pressure, breathing rate, menstruation, and thyroid gland = activity=20 (responsible for regulating growth). Bulimia nervosa affects = 2 to 3=20 percent of young women who eat excessively, called bingeing, = and=20 then rid their bodies of extra calories through self-induced = vomiting and/or through the use of large amounts of = laxatives,=20 diuretics, or syrup of ipecac=96all of which upset the = body=92s balance=20 of sodium, potassium, and other chemicals. Why do so = many=20 young women go to these extremes to be thin? Many theories = abound,=20 including low self-esteem and feelings of helplessness as = well as a=20 need to reduce stress and relieve anxiety. However, other=20 influences=96both behavioral and environmental=96are also = thought to=20 play a major role. Families may play a key role in image=20 development: Mothers may be overly concerned with their = daughters=92=20 weight and physical attractiveness, and fathers and brothers = may be=20 critical of female family members=92 weight. And we all know = the=20 pressure of being the ideal thin woman portrayed by = magazines,=20 movies, and television. Another theory suggests that key = chemical=20 messengers in the brain may contribute to the development or = persistence of eating disorders. As these eating disorders = become=20 more entrenched in young girls=92 lifestyles, the damage = becomes less=20 reversible. Whatever the reasons for anorexia or bulimia, = early=20 treatment is vital. References: Eating=20 Disorders: On the Teen Scene: Eating Disorders Require Medical=20 Attention Eating=20 Disorders Awareness Week |