An eating disorder is an illness in which the person has started eating very less food or too much food. At some point of time, the control over how much food is consumed gets out of hand and leads to severe eating disorders. It is likely to occur in situations of stress and pressure regarding the body weight, shape and image. Children in their teens are more prone to eating disorders. It is common among adults too. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. A government research shows that more than half million U.S. teens have had eating disorder, but few have sought treatment for the problem. There are statistics, which show that nearly 2.7% of children between the ages of 13-17 have severe eating disorders. Girls and young women are more likely to develop eating disorders, compared to boys and men.
WHAT CAUSES EATING DISORDERS?
There are many factors which contribute much to the reason why teenagers have eating disorders. Some of them are as follows
- Biological Factors: Some personality types like obsessive-compulsive, sensitive-avoidant are more prone to eating disorders. A new research explains that genetic factors push some people into anxiety, perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors. In fact, people with mother or sister having anorexia nervosa are 12 times more likely to develop it themselves, even without a family history. And 4 times likeliness to develop Bolivia nervosa. (Eating Disorders Review. Nov/Dec 2002). Another research indicates that there is a biological contact between stress and drive to eat. Foods with sugar, fat and calories are considered as comfort foods, as they appear to calm the body’s response to chronic stress.
- Psychological Factors: People with eating disorders are said to behave as perfectionists, have unrealistic expectations of themselves and others, hyper tensed, avoid sexuality, always feel inadequate of themselves and worthless.
- Family Factors: Children in families which are overprotective seem to have eating disorders, and at the same time children who feel abandoned by their families also have eating disorders. According to a report published in April 1999 issue of International Journal of Eating Disorders, mothers with eating disorders handle food issues differently than the mothers who don’t.
- Social Factors: Sometimes friends and romantic partners with an obsession for appearances can create pressure and end up in eating disorders. People vulnerable to these disorders face more relationship problems and loneliness. Some others seem to be living exciting lives, but truly feel that they don’t fit into it.
- Cultural Pressures: In westernized countries where various forms of competition exist, women feel a cultural pressure for thinness. As quoted by Professor Alice Domar of Harvard Medical School for Parade Magazine, Oct 2003, “In order for a woman to consider herself happy, she has to be in a good relationship, be happy with her kids, her friends have to like her, her job has to be going well, her house has to look really good—and she has to be thin.”
Childhood obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in America since three decades. In 2010, nearly 18% of American children and young adults between the ages of 6-19 were considered obese. While genetics, individual behavior and surroundings play a role in obesity, rise in consumption of fast foods is partly to be blamed. Being obese in childhood has both short term and long-term impacts. Obese children are more prone to diseases like prediabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart diseases, bone and joint problems. Obesity does not affect physical health alone, but also affects the child’s mental health. They tend to have an inferiority complex and a sense of alienation from their peers.
INFLUENCE OF MEDIA
Advertisements have done most of the contribution for the social unrest in the 20th century. An average U.S. child is exposed to more than 30,000 commercials on an average in a year. Almost 21 hours of TV each week and magazines and many movies every year. All successful, happy people on TV and large screens are portrayed to be young, toned and thin. Majority of them are dressed in a stylish way. According to Health magazine, April 2002, 32% of female characters on TV are underweight, but only 5% of U.S. female audience fall under that category. On the contrary, evil, stupid, foolish characters are played by actors who are older, frumpier and many are fat. According to Health Magazine, only 3% of TV actors are obese, but 25% of U.S. females are obese. It is inferred that any person would psychologically want to appear and feel like the young, toned and thin actress. Similarly in men, they usually feel they are smaller than they have to be. So end up in eating disorders, in order to grow toned muscles like their star idols. The current media culture is very complicated and confusing. It teaches that women can and should “have it all”. The Royal College of Psychiatry criticizes media for using underweight models and airbrushing pictures to make them look physically perfect. The psychiatrists are concerned that many magazine articles are unbalanced and advice on dieting, without giving information about the risks of extreme dieting. Underweight models sported on magazines can more likely diminish the self-esteem of obese people. It can make weight loss a difficult task for obese patients.
Approximately 49% of the teenagers all over the world have access to internet. Therefore they are able to access health information and other resources on the internet. Experts claim that, in addition to the sites which include useful information, are also website which contain some harmful contents which are not suitable for teenagers. Such websites include pro-anorexia (“pro-ana”) and pro-bulimia (“pro-mia”) websites, which support and promote eating disorders. These websites encourage teenagers on how they can starve themselves and also how to prevent it from being detected by clinicians. These eating disorders are considered as a lifestyle in those sites, which are very dangerous. The numbers of these kinds of sites are more than the professional ones, which teach to recover from eating disorders.
A wide accepted opinion about media, prevail among the researchers who study about the relationship between media and eating disorders. They claim that thinness-depicting and thinness- promoting (TDP) media have a huge impact on teenagers. Young men and women develop eating disorders when they get exposed to TDP media more frequently. More women start dieting, when they start reading more TDP magazines rather than watching shows. On the other hand, men start dieting and exercising when they start watching TDP shows. They exercise and diet much both for themselves and for women. A study says that Facebook triggers eating disorders. Teenage girls who spend hours together on Facebook, flicking photos and albums have chances of developing body image related problems and lead to eating disorders. Doctors say that, posting selfies on the Facebook and constant sight of many photos and albums can make them think they are fat and hence have eating disorders. Researchers Evelyn Meier and James Gray reported: ‘It is not the total time spent on the internet or Facebook, but the amount of Facebook time allocated to photo activity that is associated with greater thin deal internalization, self-objection, weight dissatisfaction, and drive for thinness.’ The problem is that for almost all teenagers, Facebook has replaced the traditional way of meeting and talking to each other, said the researchers. Another trend which TDP has created among young women is the so-called ‘thigh gap’. This has caused a vast number of eating disorder cases. Experts blame the media for fuelling the idea of taking up diet plans with dangerous weight-loss goals, in the minds of young girls and women. They try to maintain a diet and become very slender, where the thighs do not touch one another when they stand. This trend has set from the time magazines, social media and TV started encouraging underweight models.
No discussion of body image and media would be complete without referencing to Becker’s landmark study comparing rates of eating disorders before and after the arrival of TV in Fiji in 1995. Ethnic Fijians have encouraged healthy appetite and round body shapes. However, in 1998 the concept of dieting skyrocketed from 0% to 69%. Most of them reported that they took TV models and actors as their inspiration for dieting and weight loss. For the first time, there were eating disorders in the island. This is a clear evidence that the media has a great impact on people to develop eating disorders.
BAD NUTRITION PRACTICES
When it comes to nutrition, all of us have some bad practices, which are more or less addictive. It is necessary to get rid of them and have healthy practices in order to live a healthy life. Some of the common bad practices are:
- Drinking too much coffee: Coffee can boost alertness, performance and concentration. Too much of caffeine in the body will result in risks of increased heart rate and blood pressure, dehydration.
- Eating after dinner: Many of us like to treat ourselves with some high calorie snacks after dinner. But late night snacking is a quick way to gain weight.
- Skipping breakfast: A research says, those who skip breakfast make poor choices of food all through the day and tend to gain weight compared to those eat healthy breakfast.
- The mid-day snack: It is usually in the late afternoons that people have a craving for sweets or anything starchy. This mid-day treat might give a good feel temporarily, but the cycle of energy and blood sugar fluctuation will kick-start and result in weight gain.
- Not drinking enough water: Most of the time, water is being replaced by a soda or a soft drink, which easily adds up calories to the body and result in dehydration.
Nutritionists blame the government for invoking bad eating habits. Reason behind it is that, we require more potassium, dietary fibers, vitamin D and calcium and get fewer calories from saturated fat and added sugar. But a research shows that an average consumer has to pay an additional $380 just to raise the consumption of potassium from current average of 2800 mg to the desired amount of 3500 mg. This is far cheaper to get fatty foods, sodium rather than fruits and veggies. Eric Schlosser in his book “Fast Food Nation” states that annual health care cost in United States stemming from obesity is almost $240 billion, which indicates a very risky future.
HOW TO BRING DOWN OBESITY RATES AND REDUCE EATING DISORDERS?
Policymakers state that an aggressive action is to be taken to control the obesity epidemic in United States. Ann Ferris, Ph.D., a professor in medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center and director for the Center for Public Health and Health Policy, is conducting a study to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among low- income preschoolers, who have higher consumption rates and higher rates of obesity compared to those of high- income families. A school recently established a policy banning vending machines, and limiting snacks to fruits and vegetables. “Students are not allowed to have soda, and teachers are requested not to use sweets as reward in class.”, said Giraud, one of the teachers. Many schools, local governments and hospitals around the country have implemented similar policies to reduce the increasing rates of obesity. Several state and local governments have started implementing an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. Researchers say, governments can help reduce obesity by providing supermarkets and farmers’ markets with incentives to offer healthier food in low-income areas, because low-income families are more prone to obesity.
Apart from the government policies and actions, each individual should take steps to reduce obesity or over weight. Some of the steps are:
- Take out time to set a plan for meals that can be quickly made at home
- Plan and have a set of healthy snacks on-hand
- Buy lean meat and fish. Try to eat fish at least 3 times a week
- Bring home fruits and vegetables.
- Gain knowledge and compare food labels (nutrition details)
- Find a good time of day to exercise. Exercise is essential for weight management.
In work places, health of employees can be taken care of by banning soda and coffee vending machines and replace it with fresh juice or green tea. Limit snacks to salt-free nuts, fruits, vegetables rather than fries and pastries. An awareness session can be arranged to educate all people about the risks of obesity and how to stay healthy.
A healthy, balanced diet is the key to healthy body. Eating a balanced diet means choosing food from all food groups. It also includes consumption of saturated fats, Trans fat, cholesterol, salt, sugar and alcohol in moderate quantities. Balanced diet is required to take in all the nutrients that the body needs at recommended levels. Obesity is not connected just with the physical body health; it is also connected to the mental health of a person. Stress and pressure can result in weight gain, though food consumption is less. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that there is no stress or any issues that bothers the mind and health. If under pressure, take time to calm down yourself by doing things, which you really enjoy. It may be activities like listening to music, going on a ride or holiday, speaking to someone, playing, exercising, spending quality time with family, etc., A healthy body and healthy mind keeps a person happy.
The key to success is to achieve a balance between the calories consumed and calories used up. Experts suspect that, a person gets more prone to diseases when the body weight is slightly more than the ideal weight. Some of these conditions have long-term effects on their health. Healthy diet and regular adequate physical activity are necessary for the maintenance of good health through the life course. Overall, 2.7 million deaths are due to low fruit and vegetable intake, and 1.9 million deaths due to physical inactivity. Unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are major factors for the likeliness of chronic diseases. The reasons for reduction in physical activity of people maybe blamed partially on the growing technologies and trends. Very few children walk or cycle to school. Most of the time is spent sitting at home playing games, eating, watching TV, using elevators, using cars for transportation, etc., There are also evidences to show that increasing levels of physical activity can reduce the risk of chronic diseases like osteoarthritis, diabetes, heart diseases, etc., to a considerable level. Physical activity need not necessarily be expensive. Walking is the most recommended form of physical activity, which is free, can be done in urban areas, parks or anywhere feasible rather than going to gym or pools or any other specific facilities. Experts recommend half hour of moderate-intensity walking on most of the days. It gives energy to work and keeps oneself active all through the day. Physical activity can also help preventing wrong habits and behavior with children and young adults.
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