Eating disorders are on
the rise in our society
today, afflicting
ever-younger children
and teens. The bad news
is that anorexia and
bulimia are the most
lethal of all the mental
health disorders. The
good news is that these
diseases are preventable
in most instances and
fully curable in 80% of
cases when treated in an
effective and timely
fashion. In seeking the
cause of eating
disorders, research has
shown that genetics,
brain chemistries, and
temperament are the
critical precipitating
factors in disease
onset. Though genetics
"loads the gun," it is
environmental influences
that ultimately pull the
trigger.
A recent study found
that reading magazine
articles about dieting
and weight loss strongly
predicts unhealthy
weight-control behaviors
in adolescent girls five
years later; diet,
fashion and celebrity
magazines have been
recognized as
significant
environmental triggers
to disordered eating.
Disordered eating is
imbalanced, immoderate
and irregular eating,
including such behaviors
as dieting, skipping
meals, eating only when
hungry, avoiding certain
foods, or eating in an
inflexible or compulsive
manner. The significance
of disordered eating
lies in its potential to
trigger the onset of a
clinical eating disorder
in a genetically
susceptible youngster.
In fact, most triggers
to the onset of clinical
eating disorders lie in
elusive and otherwise
benign factors. As an
example, the most common
trigger to dieting and
eating disorders in
young girls is the start
puberty. At around the
age of 9, many girls
begin to diet in
response to the natural
weight gain that
accompanies this life
event. In fact, the
pubescent girl should
gain 20% of her weigh in
fat in order to prepare
her body for healthy
reproduction one day.
This is an example of
how society's values
conflict with biology.
The role of parents
Despite the commonly
held misconception that
parents are to blame for
their child's eating
disorder, this is not
the case. Quite the
contrary, the influence
of enlightened and
proactive parents is
capable of shielding the
child from the harmful
influences of the media
which is no match for
the healthy values,
attitudes and behaviors
that come out of the
home.
The media is
inescapable; whenever we
turn on the television,
see a movie, or stand in
line at the supermarket
we are reminded that
thin is in. We become
victims of distorted
messages about thinness
being central to a happy
and successful life. In
actual fact, the key to
healthy living lies not
in thinness itself, but
in the process of eating
and living healthfully,
of developing a healthy
eating lifestyle that
leads to fitness, good
health and ultimately,
to thinness.
Though parents cannot
protect their child from
exposure to harmful
media messages that are
all around us, they CAN
teach their children how
to recognize such
influences, and not be
taken in by them. Kids
need to be taught to
become critics of the
media, rather than
victims of it. They need
to recognize distortion
when they see it, to
understand that the
models they see are
thinner than 98% of
women viewing them
because of technology
such as computerized air
brushing and special
effects.
In protecting children
from developing an
eating disorder, parents
need to learn to
recognize red flags...
In detecting early
warning signs of an
eating disorder,
parents may notice that
their child might begin
to;
1. Lose weight
precipitously
2. Disappear into the
bathroom during or after
meals
3. Hide food or evidence
of eating
4. Become reluctant to
eat with the family
5. Show signs of
depression, moodiness,
or social withdrawal.
6. Try on many outfits
before choosing one to
wear.
7. Ask you for
reassurance that she
does not look fat.
8. Skip meals or start a
diet.
9. Become a vegetarian
for the wrong reasons
10. Spend a significant
amount of time reading
diet magazines. When a
child seeks out such
influences, it is a
prime opportunity for
parents to notice, to
question, to intervene
and to educate!
11. Exercise to lose
weight, rather than to
have fun and enjoy
herself.
To prevent eating
disorders in their child;
1. DO applaud your
child's accomplishments
rather than focusing on
his or her appearance.
2. Learn what healthy
eating is. Healthy
eating is eating three
balanced and nutritious
meals each day, without
fear. Healthy eating is
moderate eating. Eating
no Oreos at all can be
more harmful to the
child than eating too
many Oreos.
3. Educate kids; not
enough children know
that kids who diet are
more prone to becoming
overweight adults.
4. The best teaching is
in parental role
modeling healthy eating
and a healthy exercise
lifestyle. Monkey see,
monkey do.
5. Provide and cook
healthy meals and eat
them together with
children. Only 50% of
American families eat
dinners together.
6. Stay emotionally
connected with their
child, attentive to
their child's interests
and concerns. If a child
shows signs of becoming
obsessed with her body
image or preoccupied
with food, weight, or
appearance, parents
should inquire about
those concerns and
regard these signs as
opportunities for
teaching.
7. Be proactive. Begin
the dialogue with your
child and then get
professional help to nip
problems in the bud.
1. DON'T criticize your
own weight in front of
your child.
2. Don't be critical of
others for what they
look like.
3. Don't subscribe to
popular fashion, diet,
or celebrity magazines.
These bring harmful
media messages too close
to home.
4. Know that the best
way to lose weight is to
eat differently, not
less. Dieting and food
restriction are the
worst ways to lose
weight and keep it off.
5. Parents need to be
aware that their own
seemingly "healthy"
behaviors, when mimicked
by a genetically
susceptible child, could
show up in the child as
a clinical eating
disorder. The mother of
one of my 13 year old
bulimic patients told
her daughter one night
over dinner that she was
"about to sin." She
explained, "I am going
to order dessert but
will exercise like crazy
tomorrow to burn it
off." Considering
herself the picture of
health, this mother did
not see why she was
anything but a positive
influence on her
daughter.
6. Remember that eating
disorders exist along a
continuum of otherwise
healthy eating and
exercise behaviors. In
certain instances where
there may be genetically
propensities towards
eating disorders, the
very same behaviors that
represent self
discipline, control and
physical fitness in one
person, could become the
stuff of a lethal,
clinical disease in
another.
Abigail Natenshon, MA
LCSW, GCFP is a
psychotherapist who has
specialized in the
treatment of eating
disorders with
individuals and families
for the past 37 years.
Natenshon is the founder
and director of Eating
Disorder Specialists of
Illinois, and the author
of the book When Your
Child Has An Eating
Disorder: A Step-by-Step
Workbook for Parents and
Other Caregivers. As a
Guild Certified
Feldenkrais
Practitioner, Natenshon
pioneers in using
body-centered techniques
to augment and promote
body image awareness,
acceptance and healing.
For free articles and
resources, to have
Abigail speak at your
next parental or
professional group, for
information about
Abigail's new 6-part
audio CD "workshop" for
parents of children with
eating disorders, and/or
to sign up for her live
educative/support
Internet "webinars" for
parents, go to
http://www.empoweredparents.com
