Understanding Body Image and Eating

Disorders

8th Grade FCEHealth Unit

StatisticsNational Eating Disorders Association, www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

Over 50% of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control practices.

81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat.

In a national survey, 1 out of 3 girls said they changed something about their appearance to look like a person on T.V.

More Statistics on Eating Disorders and Body Image…

10% of female college students have a 10% of female college students have a borderline eating disorderborderline eating disorder

5-15% of those individuals that have 5-15% of those individuals that have anorexia are males & 35% of individuals anorexia are males & 35% of individuals with a binge-eating disorder are malewith a binge-eating disorder are male

30-55% of girls report trying dieting while 30-55% of girls report trying dieting while in middle school for the first timein middle school for the first time

In a study of 10,000 teens, less than ½ of In a study of 10,000 teens, less than ½ of the boys and approximately 1/3 of the the boys and approximately 1/3 of the girls were happy with their bodies.girls were happy with their bodies.

Body Image

Body Image is… The emotional and psychological perception of your physical appearance.

Body image impacts self esteem A person can have a:

Positive Body Image Negative Body Image Distorted Body Image

Body Image Disorders

Muscle Dysmorphia or Bigorexia Obsessed with building muscle

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Preoccupation with an imagined

defect on your body

Compulsive Exercising Feels guilty and exercises to

control any calorie intake

Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia

Bulimia

Compulsive Overeating

Binge Eating Disorder

Definitions, Symptoms, and Warning Signs

Anorexia Nervosa

Illness characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.

SYMPTOMS of ANOREXIA

Primary Symptoms

Resists maintaining or adding weight to body – always needing to lose weight

Fear of weight gain although already thin

SYMPTOMS of ANOREXIA

Loss of menstrual periods in girls and women post-puberty.

Denial of weight loss. Unable to see true image.

WARNING SIGNS of ANOREXIA

Dramatic weight loss Extreme focus on weight issues,

calories and food Refusal to eat certain foods,

progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food

Denies hunger Uses food rituals (organizing food on

plate, counting chewing) Comments on own weight Withdrawing from others

WARNING SIGNS of ANOREXIA

Loss of body fat and muscle mass Difficulty dealing with cold

temperatures Fatigue/Problems with anemia Irregular heartbeats Osteoporosis Organ failure Death

Definitions, Symptoms, and Warning Signs

Bulimia Nervosa

Disorder characterized by periods of extreme eating and purging of foods through either vomiting, laxative use or exercise

SYMPTOMS of BULIMIA

Primary symptoms

Periods of extreme food consumption

Regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic abuse, fasting, and/or obsessive or compulsive exercise.

Extreme concern with body weight and shape.

WARNING SIGNS of BULIMIA

Evidence of binge-eating--- large amounts of food disappearing in short periods of time, wrappers and containers indicating the consumption of large amounts of food

Evidence of purging behaviors--- frequent trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or smells of vomiting, presence of wrappers or packages of laxatives or diuretics

Discoloration or staining of the teeth

WARNING SIGNS of BULIMIA

Excessive, rigid exercise routine Unusual swelling of the cheeks or jaw area. Calluses on the back of the hands and

knuckles from self-induced vomiting Creation of complex lifestyle schedules or rituals to

make time for binge-and-purge sessions Erosion of esophagus and/or stomach Inflammation of salivary glands Fatigue and muscle weakness Seizures

Definitions, Symptoms, and Warning Signs

Compulsive Overeating: Individuals cope with negative or unhappy feelings by eating food, causing them to eat during moments when their body doesn’t require calories

WARNING SIGNS of Compulsive Overeating

Eating outside of typical meal times even when no longer hungry

Seeming withdrawn or depressed Carrying/hiding snacks/prepackaged foods

with them throughout the day Diets consistently but with weight gain Displays feelings of guilt about what they

eat Other health problems

Eating Disorder NOS, continued

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)Recurrent binge eating without the regular use of compensatory measures to counter the binge eating.

Eating Disorders NOS, continued

Binge Eating Disorder includes the following

behaviors: Frequent episodes of eating large quantities of

food in short periods of time. Feeling out of control over eating behavior. Feeling ashamed or disgusted by the behavior. Eating when not hungry and eating in secret.

Risk Factors and Personality Traits Common in Eating Disorders

Genetics Biochemical Psychological Early Puberty in

Females History of Sexual,

Physical, or Emotional Abuse

Cultural Influence/ Societal Pressure

Criticism of One’s Weight by Peers, Parents, Coaches

Perfectionism Low Self-Esteem

Being a Good Friend

Be aware of our own attitudes, behaviors, and comments about food, exercise, dieting, and self-image.

Avoid making negative comments about one’s size or appearance, including your own.

Focus on “health” when discussing food/diet and exercise versus “fattening” foods or exercise for the sake of body size/weight.

Gold Ticket Reflection

Using complete sentences, address one of the following quotes that reflects ideas about body image. You can write whether you agree or

disagree with the statement, and why. You can reflect about the statement

using knowledge you have learned while discussing body image and eating disorders.

Quotes…“Beauty is only skin deep”“It’s what’s inside, that counts”“The mirror doesn’t lie”“Beauty is in the eye of the

beholder”“Thin, is in”“You can never be too rich or too

thin”

Resources: Websites

www.eatingdisorderinfo.org Academy for Eating Disorders website, a multidisciplinary professional organization

that provides training and education for eating disorders.

www.anred.com  ANRED (Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc). Website

www.anad.org National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders website

www.nationaleatingdisorders.org The website for National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

www.something-fishy.org http://eatingdisorders.about.com/od/riskfactors/p/

negativesites.htm http://eatingdisorders.about.com/od/riskfactors/

Risk_Factors_for_Eating_Disorders.htm A wonderful source of useful and current information on Eating Disorders.