Understanding Body Image and Eating Disorders 8 th Grade FCE Health Unit

Statistics National Eating Disorders Association,  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 borderline eating disorder 5-15% of those individuals that have anorexia are males & 35% of individuals with a binge-eating disorder are male 30-55% of girls report trying dieting while in middle school for the first time In a study of 10,000 teens, less than ½ of the boys and approximately 1/3 of the 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  Academy for Eating Disorders website, a multidisciplinary professional organization that provides training and education for eating disorders.  ANRED (Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc). Website  National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders website  The website for National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)   tivesites.htm tivesites.htm  ctors_for_Eating_Disorders.htm A wonderful source of useful and current information on Eating Disorders. ctors_for_Eating_Disorders.htm