According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), as many as 10 million women and 1 million men in the United States are fighting for their lives as they struggle with anorexia and bulimia, while binge eating is estimated to affect 15 million people.

In recognition of the impact of eating disorders on so many lives, the last week in February has been designated as National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. This is the 25th year that the awareness week has been held.  The goal of the week is to educate both the public and health care professionals about the serious nature of eating disorders and to dispel some common myths about these diseases. To emphasize the widespread nature of eating disorders, this year's theme is "Everybody Knows Somebody."  

Not Just about Food and Not a Lifestyle Choice

One of the biggest myths about eating disorders that NEDA hopes to dispel is the belief that they are only about food and that they are lifestyle choices.  Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating are complex conditions that can involve psychological, biological and sociological issues.  A fixation on food and body weight is often rooted in the need to feel in control of one's life.  Many people with eating disorders need to feel in control because they suffered a trauma at some point in their life that made them feel out of control.  

Eating disorders can also be caused by a poor body image, a condition that is fueled by media images that connect beauty and desirability with a low body weight.  Although media messages about the importance of being thin may not cause eating disorders, the play a part in creating an environment where people become fixated on the size and shape of their bodies.  

Another common belief about eating disorders is that they are diseases of choice that can be easily overcome.  Like other mental illnesses such as depression, people who are affected by eating disorders did not choose to become ill.  Although people with eating disorders often appear to have many advantages in life, they are suffering from an illness that requires treatment.

Eating disorders are not always viewed as serious conditions, but in reality they have a higher mortality rate than any other mental illness.  Anorexia is the most deadly eating disorder, leading to death for 20 percent of people who have the disorder for more than 20 years.  People who don't die from eating disorders may experience dental problems, heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, infertility, organ failure and other severe medical complications from purging and starving. 
The misconceptions about eating disorders can prevent patients, family members and doctors from recognizing the illness and seeking treatment.  Through education and greater public awareness, NEDA hopes that more people will receive early and effective treatment for these deadly disorders.

In an effort to remove toxins from the body and lose weight, a dieter will adopt a regimen that includes limiting food intake to a liquid formula that promises to cleanse the body and cause rapid weight loss.  According to nutrition experts, these extremely restrictive diets actually can cause a variety of physical and mental health problems.  They are especially dangerous for people who are susceptible to eating disorders.  

One of the most popular liquid detox diets is the Master Cleanse, which was also known for more than 50 years as the Lemonade Diet.  During a cleanse period of three or more days, the dieter consumes a drink made from water, lemonade, cayenne pepper and maple syrup.  This concoction, which is lacking in essential vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber, is consumed up to six times per day.  No other food or drink except water is allowed during the cleanse.  Many dieters will also take laxatives and herbal supplements and undergo salt enemas to empty the intestines as part of a Master Cleanse diet.

According to Dr. Katherine Zeratsky, Mayo Clinic nutritionist, there is no scientific basis to detox diets.  Most toxins are removed from the body by the kidneys and liver and there is no evidence that additional toxins need to be removed by a detox diet.  The juice blend consumed during a detox diet is lacking in basic calories and nutrients that the body needs to thrive.  Instead of contributing to better health, detox diets like Master Cleanse can cause these side effects:

•    Increased lethargy that makes normal activities difficult.
•    Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance caused by flushing fluids from the body.
•    Lightheadedness, fainting, slowed heart rate
•    Increased risk of depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and emotional stress.
•    Development or worsening of eating disorders including pathological dieting and binge eating.
•    Weakening of the immune system and increased risk of infection and disease. 

For many people, using a starvation diet for rapid weight loss is part of a yo-yo diet pattern that includes repetitive cycles of losing and gaining weight.  According to the National Eating Disorders Association, yo-yo dieting can lead to serious health complications that include heart disease and changes to the body's natural metabolism.  People who have blood sugar disorders like diabetes should never attempt a starvation diet.  Dieters who reduce their intake of calcium over the long term can lose muscle mass and are putting themselves at risk of developing osteoporosis.  In addition, many studies show that people with eating disorders were dieting when they first developed symptoms of their disorder.

Starvation diets continue to be popular due in part to celebrity endorsements.  Victoria's Secret model Adriana Lima recently described her preparation for a televised fashion show as including a 3-week cleanse accompanied by twice-daily workouts.  After discussing her diet in an interview with the London Telegraph, she quickly backtracked and released a statement advising teenagers to avoid the type of diet she had just undergone.  

According to Melinda Johnson, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, fasting and detoxing should be avoided.  This type of diet plan does not work long-term and helps perpetuate an unhealthy relationship with food.  To slim down quickly for a special occasion, Johnson recommends getting more aerobic exercise and reducing calorie intake as part of a well-balanced diet plan.  For help with anorexia or help with bulimia, please call our treatment center.

The result of photo re-touching is an almost impossible standard of beauty that can have a negative impact on the self-image of millions of "average" women and men.  Numerous studies have linked photo retouching with eating disorders, body-image anxiety and other serious health problems.

Commercial photo retouching can range from smoothing out a model's or celebrity's skin tone to reshaping a nose or shaving inches off the waist.  The bust may be increased in images of women while muscle tone is added to images of men.  Critics of the beauty industry in the U.S. and Europe have long opposed radical photo retouching because of the effect it can have on the psychology of women, men and especially teenagers.  According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, a significant number of teenage girls and boys use unhealthy measures such as bulimic binging, fasting, vomiting, taking laxatives, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol to control their weight.  

At the 2011 annual meeting of the organization acknowledged that retouched photos in the media create unrealistic expectations of beauty, especially for impressionable children and teenagers.

The AMA called on advertisers to adopt new guidelines for altering images, especially in publications that target the young.

Adobe Photoshop is the software application that is often used to digitally alter photographs.  Now researchers at Dartmouth College have developed a software tool that can measure how much a photo has been altered by Photoshop.  The tool assigns a score of 1 to 5 to indicate the scale of the alternations (with a lower score indicating less retouching).  Dr. Hany Farid, a Dartmouth Computer Science professor, came up with the idea for the tool after reading about a movement among European legislators to put a uniform photo labeling system into place.  

Dr. Farid is hoping that the tool will provide an incentive for self-regulation among magazine publishers and advertisers.  With his Photoshop rating tool, publishers and advertisers would print a retouch score with every photo.  Readers could consult the score to determine whether the subject depicted in a photograph was untouched or had been heavily Photoshopped. 

Lesley Jane Seymour, former editor of Marie Claire magazine and current editor of More (a magazine targeting women over 40) stated in a New York Times article that surveys show that most readers want celebrities to look great but to also look real.  Most readers are aware that images are digitally altered and would like publishers and advertisers to use restraint when retouching photos. The involvement of technologists like Dr. Farid indicates that concern about the problem of using Photoshop to create false images seems to be growing.


 

Actress Tracey Gold will be sharing her experience with anorexia and bulimia as the host and producer of a new reality series called Starving Secrets.  The unscripted show, which premiers on Lifetime on December 2, could be the source of controversy since it will focus on a very private health issue.  The show is produced by GRB Entertainment, the makers of an A&E reality show about addiction called Intervention.  

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 8 to 10 percent of American women are affected during their lifetime by anorexia, bulimia or binge eating.  The NIMH also reports that 10 to 25 percent of these women will die from their disorder. 

As a child star, Tracey Gold developed issues with eating at age 11.  Her problem escalated while she was a member of the cast of the popular 1980s sitcom Growing Pains, where her character was often the brunt of jokes about weight (even though Tracey was not seriously overweight).  By the time she was 19 she had developed a dangerous eating disorder that caused her weight to drop from a high of 133 pounds to just 80 pounds.  She nearly lost her life before checking into a treatment center for eating disorders and learning to live in recovery in the mid-1990s.

Starving Secrets will follow a group of women aged 19 to 43 who travel to Los Angeles for intensive treatment for an eating disorder.  Gold and a camera crew will visit each woman every few weeks and chart her progress towards recovery.  As one of the first celebrities to go public with an eating disorder, Gold understands what it's like to attempt recovery in the public eye.  Gold claims that recovering from her disorder was aided by the knowledge that she had public support.  In an interview with Ramin Setooodeh of The Daily Beast, she expressed hope that the women appearing in Starving Secrets will also be helped by the support of the show's audience.

Although many reality shows are exploitive, some (like The Biggest Loser) have helped their participants while educating their audience about treatment for psychological and physical problems.  Tracey Gold will be working with a team of specialists to help the women on Starving Secrets confront and overcome their eating disorders.  If handled correctly, the show could help expose the seriousness of eating disorders and show that that there is hope for recovery through treatment.  According to Gold, future episodes may also focus on men who suffer from eating disorders.  A 2007 study found the 1 in 4 people with an eating disorder is male.
 

An eye opening report from CNN highlights how prevalent ED is in our culture.

The report uses a 10 year old girls' body dysmorphia to highlight how a young impressionable girl (or guy) might slip into unhealthy disordered eating. (article is here)

"Shae" felt pressured by older peers to lose "a few extra pounds."  Her mom panicked and did what she thought would be the best thing for Shae - tried to entice her to eat more and then tried to force her to do so.

 The gradual weight loss was not immediately noticeable to Shae's mom, even the pediatrician stated Shae was still in the "healthy" weight range for a girl of her age and height (at a checkup that was still in the early stages of the eating disorder).

 Eventually, beyond the physical symptoms, her personality went though a change as she became withdrawn, anxious and depressed.

 Shae eventually was hospitalized numerous ties until she started to turn to healthier eating patterns while in treatment at Remuda ranch.

Social Pressure Leads to Distorted Self Body Image (or Body Dysmorphia)

 Younger and younger children are being affected by societal pressures to lose weight.  Kids today are exposed to many more messages about body image - even when those messages are couched in a positive campaign like one about "fitness" or an "anti obesity campaign."

- even if they are victims of the "most dangerous disorder in the DSM -IV"(the treatmetn practitioner's "bible" of psychological issues).

Eating Disorders are Somewhat Hereditary 

 There are certain genetic traits that are passed along to children that might make them more prone to anorexia.  Examples of these include:

• perfectionism
• high levels of anxiety
• obsessive-compulsive tendencies
• depression
• addiction

What to Do If your Tween is Exhibiting Symptoms of Bulimia or Anorexia

 GET HELP.  It is very important that you get help quickly from an Eating Disorder professional.

  Feel free to contact our treatment center for a referral in your area.

In a move that may be followed by other states, New York has instituted new restrictions on the sale of ipecac syrup, a drug that is used to induce vomiting in poison victims.  Ipecac, which is derived from a South American plant, has a history of abuse by people with eating disorders.  The bill that was signed by Governor Cuomo will not outlaw ipecac, but it will require pharmacies to move the syrup from open shelves to behind the counter.  The hope is that making the drug less accessible will limit its availability to people suffering from bulimia, anorexia and binge eating.

A New York mother named Debbie Begeny was instrumental in getting the bill before the legislature.  Her daughter Heather, who suffered from anorexia and bulimia, died at age 22 from cardiac arrest.  After her daughter's death, Begeny found 20 bottles of ipecac in Heather's room and realized that she had been using it to induce vomiting in the final weeks of her life. 

Begeny would have liked to have seen ipecac become available by prescription only, but that restriction was removed from the final legislation.  Instead, customers will have to ask a pharmacist or store manager for ipecac.  While Begeny doesn't think this will stop ipecac abuse, she concedes that it's a step in the right direction. 

For years, pediatricians and child-care experts recommended keeping ipecac in the family first aid kit to aid in treating accidental poisoning.  However, the administration of ipecac carries some risk since vomiting should not always take place when a poison is caustic.  Because of the risks in administering ipecac for poisoning and the potential for irreversible damage to the heart when ipecac is abused, in 2003 the American Academy of Pediatrics changed its position on ipecac and no longer recommends that it be kept in the home.

The most famous victim of ipecac poisoning is Karen Carpenter, an American pop singer who died of heart failure in 1983.  Carpenter, who was 32 at the time of her death, had suffered from anorexia for several years.  Although her family thought she used laxatives rather than ipecac to maintain a low body weight, the Los Angeles coroner pronounced the cause of her death as complications from anorexia nervosa and heart damage brought on by emetine, a chemical that is present in ipecac.

According to New York Senator Patrick Gallivan, sponsor of the new bill, ipecac has proven to be only marginally useful in cases of accidental poisoning but is a serious public health concern because of the high rate of abuse.

According to a new eating disorder study, people who are suffering from anorexia nervosa are five times more likely to die each year compared to other people.  The study, which was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, also reported that people with bulimia are twice as likely to die compared to those without an eating disorder.  

People with anorexia have a distorted body image that causes them to restrict their diet and over-exercise to reduce their weight to unhealthy levels.  The complications that are associated with the disorder include bone and hair loss, anemia and loss of muscle mass.  The heart, kidneys and gastrointestinal system can be seriously damaged by anorexia.  Death due to malnutrition is another risk of anorexia.

For the study, researchers in the U.K. looked at three dozen previous studies published between 1966 and 2010.  The studies tracked over 17,000 people with eating disorders.  The studies did not record the exact cause of every anorexia-related death, but the health problems associated with the disorder were most likely a major factor.   The study also found that 20% of people with anorexia take their own life.

The American Journal of Psychiatry has previously reported that eating disorders in the U.S. have the highest death rate of any mental illness.  In total, 24 million Americans suffer from some type of eating disorder.  This includes anorexia, which strikes nearly one in every 200 women.   Among teenagers, anorexia is the third most common chronic disease.  Females between 15 and 24 who have anorexia are 12 times more likely to die from the disorder than from any other cause.     

Anorexia is a complex disorder that includes both physical and psychiatric symptoms.  Although it involves a preoccupation with food, the roots of the problem are much deeper.  People with anorexia try to control their food intake in order to compensate for overwhelming emotions.  These emotions may be associated with psychiatric problems that can include anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.  Only one in 10 people who are affected by anorexia ever receive treatment.

Women in the fashion industry as especially susceptible to anorexia.  The NY Daily News recently reported on four fashion models who have died from anorexia in the past few years.  The most famous was Isabelle Caro, who passed away in 2010 at age 28 after struggling with the disorder for more than 15 years.  In 2007, Caro allowed a photograph of herself at 68 pounds to be published as part of a "No Anorexia" public service campaign.  She wanted to use her suffering to convey the message that the danger of extreme thinness is death.
 

 After numerous complaints to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) about a Yoplait yogurt commercial that contains eating disorder triggers, Yoplait has agreed to pull the ad.  

The commercial depicts a slender woman's internal battle as she peers into an office refrigerator at a delicious cheesecake.  "OK. What if I had just a small slice? I was good today, I deserve it!" she says.  Then she wonders if eating a small slice with some celery sticks or having a large slice while jogging will cancel out the effects of the cheesecake.  Her turmoil is interrupted when a thinner co-worker appears and reaches for some cheesecake-flavored Yoplait that she's been "thinking about all day."  The first woman comments on the fact that the second woman has lost weight and then grabs her own carton of yogurt.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, NEDA president Lynn Grefe said that standing in front of an open refrigerator can be like stepping off a bridge for those with eating disorders.  Seeing the inner debate about "good" and "bad" foods depicted on TV appears to endorse the anxiety and self-doubt that are at the root of eating disorders.  According to author Jenni Shaeffer, who has written two books on her own experiences with anorexia and bulimia, the Yoplait commercial "nailed it on the head."  She admits to putting herself through the same mental gyrations during the period in her life when she was obsessed with food.

General Mills, the maker of Yoplait, said they had no idea that the commercial would strike a chord with those suffering from eating disorders and voluntarily agreed to stop airing it.  According to NEDA, up to 10 million females and 1 million males in the U.S. are fighting a life and death battle with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and other eating disorders.  One of the missions of the non-profit NEDA organization is to educate companies like General Mills as well as the general public about the impact of the media on those suffering from eating disorders.

NEDA has fought similar campaigns against other advertisers who send the wrong message about weight and food.  Their attempts are not always successful.  Skechers shoes recently launched an ad campaign for Shape-ups for Girls, telling preteen girls it's time to shape up with Skechers Shape-Up shoes.  The shoes have a rounded platform sole that Skechers claims will tone the legs and back side.  The adult versions of ads for Skechers Shape-ups emphasize the rounded back sides of slim models.  However, fitness experts say the shoes are not a suitable replacement for sneakers or athletic shoes that should be worn by a child when running or playing.  

Despite protests from NEDA and other groups, the Skechers Shape-up for Girls ads continue to air during children's television shows.  Although some may see no harm in the commercials, a recent study published by the Journal of American Pediatrics reports that the number of preteens hospitalized for eating disorders has more than doubled in the past decade.


 

In October, Lovato spent three months in an inpatient rehab facility in Illinois after her parents staged an intervention and told her that she needed help. Her parents got concerned after they noticed Lovato had a nervous breakdown.

Lovato’s nervous breakdown peaked while she was on tour with the Jonas Brothers in November. Lovato punched another dancer in the face while on a flight to Peru over a misunderstanding. 

In April, Lavato quit her popular Disney show and wants to focus on her singing career. After she quit, Disney representatives said in a statement, “We respect Demi’s decision to focus full-time on her music and not immediately return to her acting career.”

In an interview with 20/20 she said her disease started when she was a little girl. At school she said she was a victim of bulling. Lovato said that she did not know why the kids where so mean to her and the only excuse they would say is because she was fat.

Lovato told People magazine that she stopped eating at 12-years-old. She lost 30 pounds and weighed 95lbs at 5ft 3in. When she was 15 she was only eating two meals a week, but her body had become adjusted and was no longer losing weight.

Then Lovato tried other forms of unhealthy weight loss. She started using laxatives and during the filming of Disney’s Camp Rock she began suffering from bulimia. Lovato said, “At my worst, I was doing it five times a day. I threw up so hard and so much it was just blood in the toilet.”

Her eating disorder was also accompanied by self-mutilation. Lovato would take blades and cut her wrists as a way, as she said, “relieving pressure when I was stressed and had anxiety.”  She said that she was 11-years old when she first cut her self. “It was a way of expressing my own shame, of myself, on my own body” Lovato said.

Lovato would hide her scares and new wounds with bracelets and makeup until one red carpet pose showed her scares for the first time. After her scares were exposed she assured her family that everything was alright, but continued cutting herself in other places. She said she was being sneaky.

Now after eating disorder rehab she said it’s the first time she has been able to feel good. She recently got a new tattoo across her wrist that reads “stay strong”. The tweet that followed her bikini body exposure read, “I've been working so hard to get healthy and fit… I want any girl/guy out there who struggles with body image or confidence to know that it IS possible to find peace with yourself.”

Government estimates state that about 5.3 million women in the U.S. drink in a way that threatens their safety, health and well-being.  Fewer women than men are heavy drinkers, but female alcoholics die from their disorder at 50 to 100 percent higher rate.  This includes deaths from cirrhosis of the liver, stroke, heart attack, accidents and suicide.
Women’s issues related to alcohol are quite a bit different from men’s.  Women tend to have different drinking patterns than men, including hiding their drinking from family and friends.  In addition, women’s bodies react differently to alcohol.  Because women in general weigh less than men do, they can begin to have alcohol abuse problems at lower drinking levels.  Another factor is that men have more water in their bodies, meaning alcohol is dispersed more quickly.  Other differences in body composition between the sexes, such as hormones, also contribute to women experiencing higher blood alcohol concentrations compared to men.

Women’s Health Risks from Alcohol

The National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has identified alcohol as an important women’s health issue.  Women who are heavy drinkers are more susceptible to liver damage and heart disease than men who drink comparable amounts.  There is an increased risk of developing breast cancer for women who consume as little as one alcohol drink per day.  Studies also suggest that women are more susceptible to alcohol-related brain damage than men are.  

For women of child-bearing age, heavy drinking has been found in some cases to disrupt the normal menstrual cycle, contributing to infertility.  Drinking any amount of alcohol during pregnancy puts the fetus at risk of birth defects and learning disorders.  It also increases the risk of premature birth and miscarriage.
What Amount of Alcohol is Safe for Women Drinkers?

Due to the differences between men and women in terms of the consequences of alcohol abuse, government agencies such as the NAAA have created separate guidelines for women’s consumption of alcohol.  For women, moderate drinking is defined as no more than one drink per day, as compared to two drinks per day for men.  In addition to causing the health problems listed above, drinking in excess of this amount increases the risk of automobile crashes, suicide and of being victimized by violence.  

Treatment for Women’s Alcohol Problems

The most effective alcohol treatment for a woman depends on the severity of her problem.  Women who are not yet addicted may be able to curtail their drinking with counseling.  Those who have developed alcohol dependence or addiction should seek professional help.  Heavy drinkers who abstain from alcohol may undergo extreme withdrawal symptoms.  Detoxification should take place under a doctor’s supervision, followed by therapy that focuses on a woman’s personal issues and helps her begin a new life of sobriety.

In reality, more than 10 million American from all walks of life suffer from eating disorders that include anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.  According to a recent article in The New York Times, a surprising percentage of people with eating disorders are women in mid-life or older.

Judith Shaw, a 58-year-old yoga instructor, was approaching the age of 40 when a need for validation caused her to become obsessed with diet and exercise.  She began to spend hours each day working out at the gym, sacrificing family time in favor of exercise.  Even though her weight dropped to 85 pounds, no one in her life said anything about her weight loss and exercise obsession.  Her doctors praised her efforts at avoiding weight gain as she got older.  Finally, after two falls left Judith with a broken arm and pelvis, another yoga instructor begged her to start eating and get help.  Due to years of malnourishment, Judith had developed osteoporosis as well as anemia.

Some women over 40 with eating disorders were first diagnosed as young women and overcame the problem, only to suffer a relapse as they age.  An even greater number are like Judith Shaw and develop an eating disorder problem later in life.  For these adult women, gaining control over their weight and becoming stronger through exercise begins as a positive activity but becomes life-threatening when carried to an extreme. 

The Eating Disorders Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has seen a shift in its patients from mostly adolescents to an even mix of teens and adults.  According to program director Cynthia Bulik, women in their 50s and 60s are influenced by American culture’s emphasis on slimness and the perfect body.  When it comes to anorexia, older women abuse their bodies in the same ways as teenagers.  Laxatives, a restricted diet and constant exercise are used to slim down and maintain a low body weight.

Eating disorders are often triggered by anxiety-inducing life changes.  For young women, this could be a divorce in the family or going away to college.  For more mature women, having a baby or seeing grown children move out of the house are stressful events that can lead to eating disorders.  Because these women appear to be functioning well in other areas of their lives, their eating and exercise problems go undetected.  Judith Shaw commented on her situation, “It was no one’s job to fix me, but I wish someone had said to me: ‘I miss you. You’re gone. You’re so obsessed.’ ”

Fortunately, most adult women with eating disorders respond well to the same type of treatment that is used for adolescents and young women.  It’s important to get help early in order to avoid the effects of bone loss and osteoporosis.  By working with therapists and nutritionists, a woman over 40 can begin to understand the origins of her illness and develop a more realistic body image.  Nutritional counseling will help her adopt healthier eating habits. 
In the case of Judith Shaw, art therapy helped her overcome her eating disorders.  Her art work related to body image is currently on display at Columbia University’s Center for Eating Disorders.  She is now 30 pounds heavier, but has shed the emotions that led to her anorexia. 
   

A new study has found that teenagers who suffer from eating disorders are more likely to harbor suicidal thoughts.  According to research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, adolescents with eating disorders are also more likely to suffer from substance abuse and anxiety disorders.  Additionally, the research surprised even experts in the field when it revealed that more than half a million U.S. teens admit to having the symptoms of eating disorders. 

These findings come from a survey of more than 10,000 teenagers, the most comprehensive survey of its type ever completed in the U.S.  Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health analyzed the survey data and reported these findings:

•    1.6% of teens surveyed suffer from binge-eating.  A binge-eater will compulsively consume large amounts of food without feeling hunger, then experience depression and guilt.
•    0.9% suffer from bulimia nervosa, which involves binge-eating with purging through self-induced vomiting, consumption of laxatives and over-exercising.
•    0.3% suffered from anorexia nervosa, which is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. 

Each of these eating disorders involves a preoccupation with body image and weight.  Depression is often a trigger for binge-eating disorders, while anorexia and bulimia may begin with a concern about being made fun of for being overweight.  The disorders affect both males and females.  While more girls than boys were found to have bulimia and binge-eating, an equal number of males and females suffering from anorexia. 
One of the most shocking findings of the research is that one third of the teens with bulimia reported having attempted suicide.  The research also revealed the link between eating disorders and substance abuse, a topic that has been studied by other researchers. As many as 50% of people suffering from anorexia and bulimia have been found to have substance abuse problems.  Alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines and tobacco are the most commonly abused substances among people with eating disorders.

Risk Factors for Eating Disorders

The Eating Disorders Coalition has reported that eating disorders have a higher mortality rate than any other mental illness, with about 20% of people with eating disorders eventually dying from their condition. 
Parents of teenagers should look for these risk factors for eating disorders:
•    Depression
•    Low self esteem
•    Negative peer pressure or bullying
•    Anxiety, inability to manage stress
•    Obsessive compulsive tendencies
•    History of abuse or trauma
•    Family history of eating disorders
•    Impulsiveness 

Seek Help for Teens with Eating Disorders

Many teenagers feel that there is a stigma associated with eating disorders.  Despite the support of friends and family, they may cover up the symptoms of their condition for years.  Parents who suspect that their teenager is suffering from an eating disorder should seek professional help immediately.  With professional rehabilitation, the odds of recovering from an eating disorder and any associated substance abuse disorders are greatly increased. 

The Victorian Recovery Rocks Community - Irvina is amazing and keeps us up to date on cool happenings.

The Victorian Twitter - Also run by Victorian Alum who are plugged in to the SoCal (and global) ED network

ABA - Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous - 12-Step based recovery for ED sufferers

Overeaters Anonymous - Overeaters Anonymous 12-Step based recovey

AOCYPAA - All Orange County Young People in AA - AA is the most prominent 12-Step Program that a lot of our girls take advantage of