Eating Disorders

Eating disorders among children and adolescents appear to be on the rise, especially among younger kids. This report published online Monday in Pediatrics estimates that 0.5% of adolescent girls in the U.S. have anorexia and 1% to 2% meet the criteria for bulimia. It also says more boys and more children younger than 12 are being diagnosed with eating disorders. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to heading off serious medical problems. Parents who think their child may have a problem might want to check out this screening test from PsychCental.

April Dunlap was 17 and weighed 165 pounds when she began a diet and exercise regimen. After three months, the 5-foot-5 teen had lost the 20 pounds she had hoped to shed. But she kept going. "It was like a drug," she said. "I always wanted to lose a little more. " When she hit 120 pounds, Dunlap's mother worried that April was losing too much weight. The family's doctor agreed. Four months after Dunlap's diet began, she found herself in a treatment program for anorexia nervosa. After only 10 days, she had gained enough weight to be discharged from the hospital.

Eating disorders among teens is dangerous enough. Now researchers say these teens face a higher likelihood of having more psychological problems, including suicidal thoughts. There’s no sure-fire cure for any of these self-destructive and potentially fatal behaviors, but learning how to identify them is the first step. Friends may be the first to be aware that something's wrong. People with anorexia nervosa, for example, don't eat enough because they think they're too fat -- even though they may be very thin.

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details. The Israeli Parliament's move to ban skinny models from appearing in that nation's media may be less momentous than its efforts to thwart Iran's bid to build nuclear weapons. But to the Israeli politicians who sponsored the measure, which won approval in Tel Aviv on Monday, and to American experts on eating disorders, the measure is a clear step toward a key goal: promoting more realistic body images among girls and women.

April Dunlap was 17 and weighed 165 pounds when she began a diet and exercise regimen. After three months, the 5-foot-5 teen had lost the 20 pounds she had hoped to shed. But she kept going. "It was like a drug," she said. "I always wanted to lose a little more. " When she hit 120 pounds, Dunlap's mother worried that April was losing too much weight. The family's doctor agreed. Four months after Dunlap's diet began, she found herself in a treatment program for anorexia nervosa. After only 10 days, she had gained enough weight to be discharged from the hospital.

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details. The Israeli Parliament's move to ban skinny models from appearing in that nation's media may be less momentous than its efforts to thwart Iran's bid to build nuclear weapons. But to the Israeli politicians who sponsored the measure, which won approval in Tel Aviv on Monday, and to American experts on eating disorders, the measure is a clear step toward a key goal: promoting more realistic body images among girls and women.

Eating disorders and the proper way to deal with issues related to food will be discussed at a seminar led by two marriage, family and child counselors Wednesday at Pierce College. The free program, to be held from noon to 2 p.m. in the campus center, 6201 Winnetka Ave., will be given by Linda Sherman, who is also a dietitian, and Ellen Mayer, director of Joint Advocates on Disordered Eating.

When we first meet the character of Sam, he's staring down at his breakfast of half a grapefruit and yogurt with a familiar look of dissatisfaction. In disgust, he chucks it in the garbage -- then begins to root around in the trash. Suddenly, an ordinary morning ritual takes on a disturbing cast as Sam pulls out a soggy, misshapen piece of chocolate cake coated with white flakes of detergent. Undeterred, he eats around the soap, smearing icing over his face in the process.

They could be called victims of the fitness boom, casualties of a siege to their self-esteem by a generation of flat stomachs, rippling muscles and glowing good looks. They aspire to this sometimes impossible body ideal and, say psychiatrists and psychologists, turn away from--or toward--the one substance on which they believe their self-respect hinges: food.

The Duchess of Windsor was wrong. You can be too thin. Just ask Cathy Rigby. Better yet, if you (or a friend or a loved one) suffer from anorexia nervosa or bulimia--potentially fatal eating disorders characterized by a fanatic dedication to losing weight--pick up a copy of the $24.95 videotape "Faces of Recovery." The tape is a not-for-profit effort by College Hospital in Cerritos, Rigby (who narrates) and her husband, Tom McCoy.

Alyssa Kitasoe studied herself in the mirror, and the image was shocking. She had been standing near the bathroom sink, vomiting into a plastic container. When she looked up, through eyes blurred with tears, she was disgusted by what she saw. "It was like seeing a ghost of yourself, or a monster," Kitasoe recalled. "I remember just staring at myself. " A year earlier, Kitasoe viewed herself very differently. A striking young woman with long black hair and a radiant smile, she was strong and proud — the UCLA gymnastics logo on her clothes providing instant respect around campus.

Admitting you have an eating disorder after living with it for years is no easy task -- but that's exactly what Demi Lovato told Ryan Seacrest in an interview. The 18-year-old Disney Channel alumna, who said her family had known about her eating issues for six years, has had the words "stay" and "strong" tatooed over self-mutilation scars on her wrists. Why does it all too often take so long to recognize and deal with a problem such as an eating disorder? Lovato called her situation the "elephant in the room.

Eating disorders among teens is dangerous enough. Now researchers say these teens face a higher likelihood of having more psychological problems, including suicidal thoughts. There’s no sure-fire cure for any of these self-destructive and potentially fatal behaviors, but learning how to identify them is the first step. Friends may be the first to be aware that something's wrong. People with anorexia nervosa, for example, don't eat enough because they think they're too fat -- even though they may be very thin.

Teens suffering from anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders are more likely to suffer from suicidal thoughts, anxiety disorders and substance abuse -- but how much they suffer may depend on the type of eating disorder they have. That’s according to an analysis published online Monday in the Archives of General Psychiatry that, with 10,123 adolescents surveyed, is the largest and most comprehensive study of eating disorders in teens in the United States. About 0.3% of the teens surveyed reported suffering from anorexia nervosa, and 0.9% from bulimia nervosa.

With so much attention focused on rising rates of obesity among children and teens, it can be easy to overlook kids who eat too little or purge after they binge. But government data suggest that eating disorders are actually on the rise among children, for reasons researchers are still working to understand. Dr. David S. Rosen, professor of adolescent medicine, pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, is an expert on eating disorders in kids. He discussed this growing problem in a recent Web chat hosted by Chicago Tribune health reporter Deborah L. Shelton.

Eating disorders are increasing among children, particularly those younger than 12. And the answer isn’t to tell kids to start (or stop) eating. Disorders like anorexia and bulimia signal serious behavior problems. Here's an expert who can help explain why. Dr. David S. Rosen, professor of adolescent medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, will be the guest at a live Web chat Tuesday (1 p.m. Eastern, noon Central, 10 a.m. Pacific) to discuss eating disorders with Chicago Tribune health reporter Deborah Shelton.

Eating disorders are increasing among children, particularly those younger than 12. And the answer isn’t to tell kids to start (or stop) eating. Disorders like anorexia and bulimia signal serious behavior problems. Here's an expert who can help explain why. Dr. David S. Rosen, professor of adolescent medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, will be the guest at a live Web chat Tuesday (1 p.m. Eastern, noon Central, 10 a.m. Pacific) to discuss eating disorders with Chicago Tribune health reporter Deborah Shelton.

Eating disorders among children and adolescents appear to be on the rise, especially among younger kids. This report published online Monday in Pediatrics estimates that 0.5% of adolescent girls in the U.S. have anorexia and 1% to 2% meet the criteria for bulimia. It also says more boys and more children younger than 12 are being diagnosed with eating disorders. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to heading off serious medical problems. Parents who think their child may have a problem might want to check out this screening test from PsychCental.

Body Image 101: Like it or not, studies show attractive people have an edge in everything from being hired to being set free (yes, they are less likely to be found guilty at trials), according to a report from the Social Issues Research Centre in Britain. But aspiring to an unrealistic standard of beauty can lead to destructive eating disorders, which is what happened to actress Portia de Rossi. Phoebe Flowers of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reflects on the buzz around De Rossi's new book, "Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain," which hit bookstores Monday.