Get Real about Eating Disorders

Get Real Imagine… A favorite loved one A break from mirrors and media What is “self-improvement?”

Get Real Goals of this presentation: Understand social pressures and how they influence body image and eating concerns Challenge dieting, fat and fitness beliefs Provide resources to learn more about eating disorders

Get Real Expectations Social Pressure to be Thin 42% of 6-9 year old girls want to be thinner 80% of women in the U.S. are dissatisfied with their appearance Half of teenage girls are dissatisfied with their bodies 25% of men and 45% of women are dieting on any given day

Media Messages influence attitudes and behavior Get Real Role Models Media Messages influence attitudes and behavior 3,000 ads per day! 1/3 contain appearance ideals Models are thinner than 98% of American women Americans spend $40 billion/year on diet products Girls aged 5½ to 7½ reported less body esteem and a greater desire for a thinner body after exposure to images of thin dolls (Barbie™) compared to girls who saw images of dolls with a healthy body size (Emme™) or no dolls.

Get Real Information Genetics influence body shape and size Like eye color and skin color, body shape and size is strongly influenced by genetics Experiment: Eating and exercising the same amount would not make everyone the same shape and size Eating and exercise habits cannot be determined based on appearance

Get Real Information Weight gain during adolescence is normal and should be expected On average girls ages 11-14 will gain 40 pounds as they go through puberty Boys grow taller before they gain muscle, this process can take several years Some kids grow out then up, others will grow up then out…everybody is different! Puberty and late teen/early adult years are the two most common times of onset for an eating disorder