I have been lucky enough to have been blessed with an amazing support system in my life, and have always been an active person.  I have 2 loving parents who have always encouraged me to continue being active, whether it be ski racing, highland dancing, cheerleading, or just working jobs that include the physical aspect that I need.  I also have 4 sisters, who, even though have different body types than me have always been supportive of anything I do.  I have always seen myself as being the different one in my group of siblings.  Them: tall and skinny with minimal chest (sorry guys…but it’s true ), me: tall and bigger, more athletic body, with a large chest.  From the start this has kept me from borrowing clothes from them, and had made me feel different from my whole family.  I have since learned to accept my body for the way it was.  Sure, I could stand to be more fit, and that could help me to excell in the sports I do play. 

I believe the media has a huge impact on the way girls see themselves today.  Most designers will only make their clothes for the runway in a size 0, and expect their models to change their bodies to fit the clothes they are modelling.  One of my favourite movies has a quote in it that shows just how designers are hardly willing to change their clothing sizes to fit regular women:

“You do not alter a Vera to fit you, you alter yourself to fit Vera.”

-Bride Wars, 2009

Girls and young women who have not yet accepted their bodies will hear this and think that they need to alter their bodies to fit clothes, not buy clothes that fit and accentuate the bodies that they have been blessed with. 

This assignment has really given me some insight on different eating disorders, and what effect things like moving away from home, and the media have on the youth today.  It has encouraged me to think, and be aware of what the media and ads I see around the city around me are trying to portray, and go against their ideals.  While looking at the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty I came across a quote that really shook me:

“Only 1% of Australian women describe themselves as looking beautiful.”

I believe that most of these women are seeing the photoshopped images and fully comparing themselves to these pictures.  The Campaign for Real Beauty is a campaign that I really accept and have always encouraged.  Their main goal is to “encourage young people everywhere to embrace a more positive body image.” This body image that they are encouraging is a healthy body image.  One that is your own, and one that should be cherished, and not damaged. 

-Lauren

Source: Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

The symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of men with eating disorders are slightly different than that of women:

Symptoms/Criteria:

-”fear of fat”

- wanting to be muscular

- obsess over attaining a low body fat percentage

- focus their efforts on excelling at a sport (prompting some to abuse steroids and exercise excessively)

Diagnosis:

- more likely to be diagnosed as suffering from depression with associated appetite changes

Treatment:

There are several barriers to treatment among men with eating disorders.  One is the stigma associated with the image.  Since eating disorders are seen as a woman’s disease, men might be embarrassed to seek treatment, worried that they would be seen as less of a man.  Many treatment centres do not have separate services that treat men, because male eating disorders have only recently received attention.  Therefore men going into treatment centres with eating disorders may not get the proper treatment that they need.

Source: ED Statistics, Eating Disorders in Men

Source: youtube

I had an eating disorder for about a year, however, the official criteria for anorexia nervosa requires that the patient be below 85% of a normal body weight for their height. I was not this emaciated until I restricted my food consumption for about 8 months. This spiraled downhill exponentially in the months leading up to this, and I ended up consuming about 600-1000 calories per day and running about 7 miles per day. I was quick to be diagnosed, however, because of a strong support system and several friends and family members who expressed concern over my lack of energy, always being cold, and emaciated appearance. Recovery rates are low – I attribute mine to a longer-than-usual stay in an eating disorder facility (because we have “premium” insurance, it was mostly payed for, unlike other people in the clinic – one of my friends was paying $1,000 a day!), a strong support system, and a desire to do other things with my life (I am now in school to become a dietitian and I hope to help people who struggle with eating disorders).

Video:

Senior Inquiry Video – What It Feels Like For A Girl

Source: relative

NEDIC, the National Eating Disorder Information Centre, has started a campaign targeting select fashion leaders who are guilty of promoting an impossibly thin look at the exclusion of others.  The following greeting card and t shirt (seen in the video) were sent to select fashion leaders and marketers around the world.  They were invited to sign a pledge to cast responsibly and retouch minimally.

(Thanks)

(Thanks  for helping to make me such a successful anorexic)

(Your ads and fashion spreads are an inspiration to many girls and women.  We look at your ultra thin models and thing- if I’m skinny, I’ll be perfect just like her.  This sort of intense media pressure to be thin helps drive 27% of teenage girls in Canada to fast, binge and purge, and over half of all Canadian women to diet.  We don’t mean to preach or point fingers.  All we ask is that you think before you cast and that you consider inspiring us with a look that’s both beautiful and attainable.  We urge you to visit the website below to make a difference.

Tagline: Cast responsibly. Retouch minimally

nedic.ca/pledge)

Source: National Eating Disorder Information Centre, youtube

Source: Bring Change 2 Mind

Youtube

When someone has an eating disorder, their weight is the prime focus of their life. Their all-consuming preoccupation with calories, grams of fat, exercise and weight allows them to displace the painful emotions or situations that are at the heart of the problem and gives them a false sense of being in control.

There is no single cause. An eating disorder generally results from a combination of factors. Psychological factors include low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy or lack of control, depression, anger or loneliness. Interpersonal factors include troubled family and personal relationships, difficulty expressing emotions and feelings, history of physical or sexual abuse. Media promotion of unrealistic images and goals, along with its tendency to equate a person’s value with their physical appearance is another contributor.

The possibility of biochemical or biological causes is being studied. Some people with eating disorders have been found to have an imbalance of chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite and digestion, possibly as a result of the disorder.

Treatment for eating disorders

The sooner someone seeks help, the sooner they will benefit from treatment. However, people with an eating disorder usually work very hard to keep it secret, and find it very difficult to acknowledge that they have a problem. Diagnosis can be difficult, since the symptoms of eating disorders often occur in combination with depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

A multi-disciplinary approach is the most effective treatment route. This involves a thorough medical assessment, nutritional guidance, support, medical follow-up, individual, group and family therapy. Because eating disorders have a profound negative impact on all family members, the entire family may need counselling.

Source: Canadian Mental Health Association

Source: Youtube

Anorexia is an eating disorder where individuals starve themselves of food, because they have an obsessive longing to be thin. This disorder tends to affect mainly teenage girls, but can also affect men, and it is serious and sometimes even fatal. About half of the people with anorexia who have hospital treatment still struggle with the disorder and have symptoms for a long time afterwards. One trait of sufferers seems to be a lack of self-esteem.

Bulimia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa, usually shortened to bulimia, is an eating disorder where individuals have a binge-eating session; this is usually then followed by them making themselves sick. This self-induced vomiting is because of feelings of guilt at having eaten so much. People with bulimia tend to suffer from an unnatural preoccupation with their own body, and as with anorexic patients they have a fear of gaining weight. Individuals who suffer with bulimia will devour huge quantities of food in an attempt to reduce stress, and help them deal with feelings of anxiety.

Binge eating disorder

Binge eating disorder involves bouts of overeating high calorie foods on a regular basis, but unlike bulimia sufferers, they don”t make themselves vomit. People with this disorder not surprisingly, are usually overweight. This disorder was first recognized about 45 years ago; but it is only in recent times that it has been seen as a widespread problem. Studies have shown that binge eating disorder seems to run in families, so it looks like there is a genetic link.

The rather worrying news is that the big three eating disorders – anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, are reported to be on the rise all around the world.

Source: TFL

Anorexia nervosa is eating disorder characterized by low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Anorexia nervosa is a serious, often chronic, and life-threatening eating disorder defined by a refusal to maintain minimal body weight within 15 percent of an individual”s normal weight. Persons with this disorder may have an intense fear of weight gain and a distorted body image. Inadequate eating or excessive exercising results in severe weight loss. Other essential features of this disorder include an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, and amenorrhea. In fact, people with anorexia nervosa ignore hunger and thus control their desire to eat. This desire is frequently sublimated through cooking for others or hiding food that they will not eat in their personal space. Anorexia nervosa usually occurs in adolescence or young adulthood. It is more common in females. People with anorexia nervosa usually lose weight by reducing their total food intake and exercising excessively. Anorexia is also linked to reduced blood flow in the temporal lobes, although since this finding does not correlate with current weight, it is possible that it is a risk trait rather than an effect of starvation.

Anorexia nervosa often starts between the ages of 15 and 25, but it can develop in children as young as 10 and in older people. Anorexia nervosa” is frequently shortened to “anorexia” in both the popular media and scientific literature. Many persons with this disorder restrict their intake to fewer than 1,000 calories per day. Most avoid fattening, high-calorie foods and eliminate meats. The diet of persons with anorexia nervosa may consist almost completely of low-calorie vegetables like lettuce and carrots, or popcorn. Persons with anorexia nervosa develop strange eating habits such as cutting their food into tiny pieces, refusing to eat in front of others, or fixing elaborate meals for others that they themselves don”t eat. Food and weight become obsessions as people with this disorder constantly think about their next encounter with food. Dieting. People who lose weight by dieting are often reinforced by positive comments from others and from their changing appearance. Symptoms may include is weight loss of 15% or greater below the expected weight , inappropriate use of laxatives, enemas, or diuretics (water pills) in an effort to lose weight.

Anorexia nervosa is the result of a complex interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors, which tend to affect women more than men, and adolescents more than older women. More than 90% of cases occur in females. However, it should be emphasized that males represent approximately 10% of anorexia nervosa cases, a fact that often is overlooked. Anorexia nervosa is primarily a phenomenon of puberty and early adulthood. Eighty-five percent of patients have onset of the disorder between the ages of 13 and 18 years. Drug treatments, such as SSRI or other antidepressant medication, have not been found to be generally effective for either treating anorexia. Nutritional therapy. A dietitian offers guidance on following a healthy diet. A dietitian can provide specific meal plans and calorie requirements to help meet weight goals. Group therapy is often advised so people can share their experiences with others. Family therapy is important particularly if the individual is living at home and is a young adolescent. Supportive care by health care providers, structured behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, and anti-depressant drug therapy are some of the methods that are used for treatment.

Anorexia Nervosa Treatment Tips

1. Nutritional therapy. A dietitian offers guidance on following a healthy diet.

2. Group therapy is often advised so people can share their experiences with others.

3. Family therapy is important particularly if the individual is living at home and is a young adolescent.

4. Medications-antidepressants or other psychiatric medications can help treat accompanying mental disorders, such as depression or anxiety.

5. Nutritional therapy-A dietitian offers guidance on following a healthy diet.

Source: TFL