Preventing Negative Body Image and Eating Disorders

We live in a society that is extremely pre-occupied by body image where we are bombarded everyday about how we should look, how we should dress, how we should act.

We hope that if we understand more about how to resist some of these pressures, we can feel better about our bodies and can all work together to promote a healthier social environment that can decrease at least some of the risk factors that can lead to problems like eating disorders.

•Amongst American high school students, 44% of the females and 15% of the males were attempting to lose weight, and 28% of the males were attempting to gain weight by building muscles

•50% of American women are on a diet at any one time

•Between 90% and 99% of fat reducing diets fail to produce permanent weight loss

•2/3 of dieters will regain the weight within a year. Virtually all will regain it within five years

75% of American women are dissatisfied with their weight.So are 41% of American men.

•There are three main types of eating disorders:

Bulimia

Anorexia

Binge Eating

• Frequent episodes of “BINGE-EATING•A rapid and sometimes automatic consumption of food in a discrete period of time

•A feeling of LACK OF CONTROL•Powerlessness felt during the binge, often followed by an anxiety about anticipated weight gain and mood swings

•Recurrent “PURGING•Attempts to undo the effect of the binge by dangerous methods like self-induced vomiting, diet pills, excessive exercise, and/or laxatives or diuretics

•Frequent, intense, and DISTORTED CONCERNS ABOUT SHAPE AND WEIGHT

•Including: a conviction that body shape and weight are crucial factors determining self-esteem, and a strong drive for thinness and a fear of fat.

Warning Signs of Bulimia NervosaThe chances of recovery increase the earlier Bulimia is detected. Therefore it is important to be aware of some of the warning signs--you could be in the position to really help someone!Possible evidence of BINGE-EATING:

•Appears to eat large amounts of food (esp. high calorie food) without gaining weight

•Large amounts of food purchased or shop-lifted

Evidence of SELF-INDUCED VOMITING:

•Catching the person in the act

•Leaves the table immediately after eating and goes to the bathroom. Glands under the jaw are swollen.

Evidence of PURGING:

•Enthusiastic discussion of ways to eat a lot without gaining any weight. Possession of large amounts of laxatives or diuretics

•Unexplainable paleness and complaints of dizziness

•Unexplainable muscle cramps, or heart and kidney problems that are unusual for teenagers

Unhealthy body image can start at an early age.

ANOREXIA ANOREXIA NERVOSANERVOSA

Major characteristics might include:•Extreme and irrational fear of becoming fat

•Strong determination to become increasingly thinner

•Significant weight loss

•Distorted perception of body shape

•Difficulty in accurately interpreting and managing hunger and other internal impulses like anger

•Abnormal hormonal functioning

•In females: absence of 3 or more menstrual cycles

•In males: significant lowering of sexual function and desire (due to lowered levels of testosterone)

BINGE EATING BINGE EATING DISORDERDISORDER

Several primary symptoms:•Frequent episodes of of eating large quanitties of food in short periods of time often secretly, without regard to feelings of “hunger” or “fullness”

•Feeling of being “out of control” during binges

•Eating food rapidly without really tasting it

•Eating alone

•Feelings of shame, disgust, or guilt after a binge

Causes of Binge Eating:

Research is still being done on binge-eating

disorder, but doctors estimate that about

25% of obese individuals suffer from frequent episodes of binge eating. More and more research shows that a chemical imbalance in the eating centers of the brain may be responsible. Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT an issue of will power.

People suffering from binge-eating disorder can be either average or above average weight.

Binge-eaters often express distress, shame, and guilt over their eating disorder. Many have a history of depression.

What Causes What Causes Eating Eating

Disorders?Disorders?

Social Factors• Cultural pressures that glorify “thinness” and place value on obtaining the “perfect body”• Narrow definitions of beauty that include only women and men of specific body types and weights• Cultural norms that value people on the basis of physical appearance and not inner qualities and strengths

Psychological Factors•Low self-esteem•Feelings of inadequacy or lack of control in life•Depression, anxiety, anger, or loneliness

Interpersonal Factors•Troubled family or personal relationships•Difficulty expressing emotions or feelings•History of being teased or ridiculed based on size or weight•History of physical or self-abuse

Biological Factors

•Scientists are still researching possible biochemical and biological causes of eating disorders. In some individuals with eating disorders, certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite, and digestion have been found to be imbalanced. The exact meaning and implications of these imbalances remains under investigation.

Men must be:

• lean

• muscular

• broad shouldered

• narrow through waist

and hips

Men are under growing pressure to conform to impossible body standards. The body proportions set out by the artificial ideal are as impossible to meet as the “Barbie standards” set for women. Because of this societal pressure, we are seeing a growing number of men who are unhappy with their bodies.

•41% of all males in the US report being dissatisfied with their weight.

•Many of these men would like to lose weight but a significant portion of them would like to gain muscle.

Prevention: Working Prevention: Working TogetherTogether

Males need to be part of the Males need to be part of the prevention effortprevention effort

They can help to change societal They can help to change societal ideals and minimize the pressures to ideals and minimize the pressures to conform to impossible weight ideals, conform to impossible weight ideals, not only for themselves but also for not only for themselves but also for women. women.

Societal Weight Prejudice (“Weightism”)Societal Weight Prejudice (“Weightism”)• Thin is good, beautiful, moral, powerfulThin is good, beautiful, moral, powerful

• Fat is ugly, lazy, sloppy, morally weak, undesirableFat is ugly, lazy, sloppy, morally weak, undesirable

• Style, impression, and image Style, impression, and image >> substance and character substance and character

• Your appearance (weight, shape) is the most important thing about youYour appearance (weight, shape) is the most important thing about you

There is a strong social message that somehow thin is good and fat is bad. We are taught to judge a person’s character by how they look physically.

•In Western cultures, slenderness is a criterion for attractiveness, success, control, and “being good.” This is particularly true for women. Muscular bodies are criteria for strong, mature, and capable men.

•Fat and overweight people are judged as ugly, a failure, out of control, lazy, and responsible for their own badness.

These irrational judgments are a form of prejudice and discrimination, just as racism and bigotry are. The prejudice against fat and toward thinness is called weightism and is an

unfair and sad aspect of our culture.

An important part of an individual’s self-An important part of an individual’s self-concept is “body image.”concept is “body image.”

• Visual ComponentVisual Component: How you “see” yourself when you look in the mirror: How you “see” yourself when you look in the mirror– With poor body imageWith poor body image, you might have a distorted, unrealistic perception of , you might have a distorted, unrealistic perception of

your shape. You might perceive parts of your body as larger or smaller than they your shape. You might perceive parts of your body as larger or smaller than they actually areactually are

• Mental ComponentMental Component: What you believe and think about your appearance.: What you believe and think about your appearance.– With poor body imageWith poor body image, you might believe yourself to be ugly or unattractive , you might believe yourself to be ugly or unattractive

because you are convinced that only certain types of features are attractive. Or because you are convinced that only certain types of features are attractive. Or you believe that what you like is irrelevant, and all that matters are the you believe that what you like is irrelevant, and all that matters are the characteristics of which others approve.characteristics of which others approve.

• Emotional ComponentEmotional Component: How you feel about your body, including your : How you feel about your body, including your height, weight, and shape.height, weight, and shape.– With poor body imageWith poor body image, the combination of your distorted perceptions and your , the combination of your distorted perceptions and your

self-rejecting ideals leads you to feel ashamed, self-conscious, and anxious about self-rejecting ideals leads you to feel ashamed, self-conscious, and anxious about your body.your body.

• Kinesthetic ComponentKinesthetic Component: How you feel : How you feel inin your body, not just your body, not just aboutabout your your body.body.– With poor body imageWith poor body image, you might not feel comfortable in your body. You do , you might not feel comfortable in your body. You do

not express yourself with and through your body, for example in sports or dance.not express yourself with and through your body, for example in sports or dance.

ROLE OF THE MEDIAROLE OF THE MEDIAOne thing we can learn to do is fight the messages sent to us by the media industry…

…Media messages like advertising and celebrity spotlights more and more are defining what is beautiful and what is “good.” If we buy into their unrealistic ideals, we give the media great power over our self-esteem and body image.

A study of 4,294 network television commercials revealed that 1 out of every 3.8 commercials send some sort of “attractiveness” message, telling viewers what is or is not attractive. These researchers estimate that the average adolescent sees over 5,260 “attractiveness” messages per year. Often the goal of these messages is to make you viewers feel inadequate so that they will buy products to “fix” their “problems.”

TIPS FOR BECOMING CRITICAL TIPS FOR BECOMING CRITICAL

VIEWERS OF THE MEDIAVIEWERS OF THE MEDIA Advertisers create their message based on what they Advertisers create their message based on what they thinkthink you you

will want to see and what they will want to see and what they thinkthink will affect you and will affect you and compel you to buy this product. Just because they compel you to buy this product. Just because they thinkthink their their approach will work with people like you doesn’t mean it has approach will work with people like you doesn’t mean it has to work with to work with youyou as an as an individualindividual. .

RECOMMENDATIONS for COMBATTING RECOMMENDATIONS for COMBATTING EATING DISORDERSEATING DISORDERS

•Don’t look at body magazines, look at REAL women.Don’t look at body magazines, look at REAL women.•Athletics: Focus on what your body can do rather than how it looks.Athletics: Focus on what your body can do rather than how it looks.•Fight weightism. It’s a form of bigotry, intolerance, prejudice and is socially unjust.Fight weightism. It’s a form of bigotry, intolerance, prejudice and is socially unjust.•Develop perspective. What really matters? It’s not just about looks.Develop perspective. What really matters? It’s not just about looks.

PREVENTING EATING PREVENTING EATING DISORDERSDISORDERS

A ROLE FOR ALL OF US

LEARNING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE ALL CAN PLAY A ROLE IN PROMOTING

AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS RESPECTFUL AND WHICH PRMOTES

RESISTANCE AGAINST SOCIAL PRESSURES TO BE THIN

PRINCIPLES OF PREVENTIONPRINCIPLES OF PREVENTION

1)1) Every student can play a role in Every student can play a role in prevention. We all can help prevention. We all can help promote an environment which is promote an environment which is respectful and resists social respectful and resists social pressures to be thin.pressures to be thin.

2)2) Prevention and treatment are not Prevention and treatment are not “just a female issue” or a “youth “just a female issue” or a “youth issue”—they are a community issue”—they are a community issue that involves boys and men, issue that involves boys and men, as well as girls and women, in as well as girls and women, in many ways.many ways.

A job for everyone…

What To Say to a Friend

Set a time to talk privately where you won’t be interrupted

Avoid placing shame, blame or guilt

Avoid giving simple solutions.

Express your continued support and let them know you care about them. This is the most important thing you can do. Then be patient. It takes time, it isn’t easy. You are not trying to “cure them”. You are helping them through difficult times, being a true friend in a time of need.

1. Be sensitive to shame...It can look like defensiveness and denial.

WHAT TO DO: STEP BY STEP

2. Focus on emotions, stress, isolation…not on appearance and weight. They already worry too much about both.

3. Focus on what is going on for your friend emotionally.•Express your concerns using “I” statements rather than “you” statements.

•“I am worried about you.”

•“Is there anything I can do to help you?”

•“I don’t like it when we act as if nothing is wrong, because my sense is that something is very wrong.”

4. Avoid lecturing about the medical dangers of eating disorders. It will likely backfire.

5. One conversation is rarely enough. Repeated connection and nonjudgmental listening is usually needed for a person to feel safe enough to actually talk about what is going on and then do something about it.

•Encourage your friends to get help, but don’t force them.

Loving Supportive FriendsAlways Help

Some “DO’s” in Reaching Out

Speak to the person in private

Tell them how you feel

Tell them what specifically has made you concerned

Let them have time to respond

Listen carefully and nonjudgementally

Some “DON’Ts” in Reaching Out

Don’t speak to an adult with out speaking to the person whom you’re concerned about

Don’t give advice about appearance

Don’t confront the person with a group of people

Don’t diagnose

Don’t get into an argument

Don’t be judgmental

Private Practitioners

Free Community Eating Disorders Support Group

Web Sites

Overeater’s Anonymous

Books

Teachers, Counselors,

School Nurse

Conclusions

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead