anorexia

A new study has found that the death of a loved one, abuse, sexual assault and relationship problems are triggers for anorexia and bulimia. Transition life events that are often highly stressful, such as changing jobs or schools, can also be triggers.

University of Minnesota researchers studied 26 women and one man between the ages of 17 and 64 who were undergoing treatment for eating disorders. The results of the study, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing, identified six key events that triggered eating disorders in the test subjects:
•    Death of a family member. The people in the study who had undergone this traumatic event mentioned not knowing how to deal with their grief and feeling a lack of support in their time of need.
•    Illness, including hospitalization. Weight loss was seen as a positive side effect of illness by some of the study members. Others felt a loss of control following hospitalization, leading to a need to control their eating and the onset of an eating disorder episode.
•    Changing relationships. Divorce of parents and breakup of romantic relationships left some of the study participants with feelings of abandonment.
•    School transitions. Adapting to a new school environment, such as beginning middle school or going away to college, was perceived by several people in the study as being a time of acute loneliness.
•    Home or job transition. Having a parent lose their job and family relocation left some of the study subjects feeling lonely and without support. The lack of close relationships when starting a new job was an additional cause of stress.
•    Abuse, including sexual abuse and incest. Victims of abuse felt isolated and unable to turn to anyone for help, especially when a family member or partner was involved.
A common theme that runs through this list of eating disorder triggers is a lack of support during periods of life-altering change. One participant in the study described the transition to junior high school this way: "Nobody knew who I was. I was incredibly lonely with no support and I just stopped eating."
The study included nine patients who were suffering from anorexia, three with bulimia, one with both and 14 with eating disorders that fall into a category known as "eating disorders not otherwise specified" (EDNOS). This category includes disorders are not diagnosed as anorexia or bulimia. The most common EDNOS disorder is binge eating.

The study underlines the need to provide support to people who are at risk of eating disorders, especially following traumatic events. Family members, friends and partners of people who are at risk of developing an eating disorder or suffering a relapse need to be especially aware of the need for emotional support during times of transition and stress. 

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, suicide is the cause of death for as many as half of anorexia sufferers, surpassing the number of deaths from starvation. The Medical Center also reports that up to one in five anorexics attempt suicide while they have the disorder. 

Researchers have found that when a person with anorexia decides to end their life, they will often use a highly lethal method that will guarantee death. A study completed by researchers at the University of Vermont and reported in Time indicates that anorexics attempt suicide because they have a genuine desire to die and not because they are seeking attention. Jill Holm-Denoma, lead author of the study, states that one of the defining characteristics of anorexia is a wish to die.

The study analyzed the cases of nine anorexics who had committed suicide and found that the patients isolated themselves before taking their own lives, apparently to reduce the chances of receiving life-saving help. The suicide methods used by the test cases included jumping in front of a moving train, ingesting poison, drug overdose, carbon monoxide poisoning and hanging. The methods had little to do with the anorexics' eating disorder and could have ended anyone's life. 

One of the most striking aspects of this statistic is that between 85 and 95 percent of people with anorexia are women, yet among the general population men are four times more likely to commit suicide. The implication is that women with anorexia are far more likely to attempt and succeed in committing suicide.

An earlier study completed at Harvard University concluded that women with anorexia have self-destructive tendencies that lead them to abuse alcohol and drugs as well as attempt suicide. It has also been suggested that anorexics become accustomed to pain and immune to the fear of death. Between 25 and 50 percent of anorexics engage in self-harm practices like cutting and self-induced vomiting.

According to Holm-Denoma, "Anorexia is one of the most serious psychiatric problems our society faces. Our work shows even further that more needs to be done to prevent it." Until more is known about how to prevent anorexia, treatment providers and family members of anorexics must be on the alert for signs of suicide among patients who are suffering from eating disorders. Addressing the underlying psychiatric issues of anorexics should take priority even over their issues with food.

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.

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.

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.
 

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.”