Our society is obsessed with weight loss, diets, and the desire to achieve the perfect body image. TV shows and magazines are plastered with beautiful models, actors, and actresses that have "perfect," thin bodies. Children, especially teenagers, are influenced by what they see on TV and in magazines. As a result, millions of teen girls and guys struggle with body image issues, which can lead to teen eating disorders.
According to the 2009 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 33 percent of teen girls and 23 percent of teen boys described themselves as slightly or very overweight. However, the survey indicates that only 16 percent of the respondents were actually overweight.
More shockingly, in the 30 days before taking the survey, close to 15 percent of teen girls and 7 percent of teen guys reported starving themselves for 24 hours or more in order to lose weight.
Stress, a negative body image, and the pressure to be skinny can lead teenagers to develop eating disorders. Eating disorders are considered psychological illnesses, and they are characterized by extremely abnormal eating habits - which can range from excessive food intake to a very restrictive diet.
If not treated, eating disorders can take a devastating toll on your health. Health consequences of teen eating disorders include digestive problems, tooth decay, kidney damage, delayed growth, hair and bone loss, anemia, seizures, heart palpations, and a loss of menstrual cycle for girls.
Fortunately, with comprehensive treatment, a majority of teens can control their disorders. Treatment usually requires individual and family therapy. Nutritionists and primary care physicians are also involved in treatment. Patients sometimes require medication for the underlying causes of the eating disorders.
Teen eating disorders are often coupled with other teen health problems, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
Eating Disorder Statistics and Risk Factors
An estimated 8 million people in the United States have eating disorders. Seven million of these sufferers are women. According to the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, an estimated 10 out of 100 young women (ages 12 to 25) suffers from an eating disorder in the United States.
Though more common in teens and young adults, an increasing number of young children also suffer from eating disorders. In fact, eating disorders can start in children as young as 7 years old!
Eating disorders have the highest rates of death, compared to other mental illnesses. Sadly, only 1 in 10 people with an eating disorder will receive treatment for their illness.
Risk factors for developing teen eating disorders include:
Female Gender. Though boys and men can also develop eating disorders, a majority of sufferers are girls.
Poor self-esteem. Teens with low self-esteem may feel that achieving the perfect body will make them feel better about themselves.
High parental expectations. Teens who have parents that have high expectations of them and their appearance are at an increased risk of developing teen eating disorders.
Lack of Control in Life. Being a teen is stressful. Some teenagers may feel like they do not have control over their lives. They may use food to feel like they are more in control in their life.
Certain personality traits. Teens who have a need to please others, those who are perfectionists or high achievers, and those who have problems with identity are at risk for developing an eating disorder.
Participation in certain sports and activities. Teens who participate in sports and activities that promote keeping fit and lean are more likely to develop eating disorders. These activities include running, ballet, and wrestling.
Genetics. Eating disorders can sometimes run in families.
The two most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
Anorexia Nervosa
Teen girls with body image issues are at high risk of developing anorexia nervosa, a common eating disorder that is characterized by self-starvation. This disorder typically starts in early to mid-adolescence, and it is seen more in Caucasian girls who are high academic achievers (perfectionists) and who either have a goal-oriented personality or come from a goal-oriented family.
Girls who suffer from anorexia have an extreme fear of gaining weight, and they have a very distorted view of their body, believing that they are fat but in reality, they are dangerously skinny. As a result, they either restrict their food intake or they exercise excessively. Many anorexics starve themselves to lose weight.
Food becomes an obsession, and they scrutinize the small amount of food that they actually eat. Some anorexics binge eat and purge - eating a lot of food, then trying to get rid of the extra calories by vomiting, using laxatives, or exercising excessively.
Around 1 percent of Americans suffer from anorexia, and it is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women (under age 25). Over 90 percent of anorexics are girls and women.
Because anorexia involves self-starvation, it has devastating effects on the body. Not only is your body starved of all the nutrients that it needs for normal functioning, starvation also slows down your body's processes in order to conserve energy. This can lead to an abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure (which increases your risk of heart failure), osteoporosis (dry, brittle bones that break easily), muscle loss and weakness, severe dehydration that can result in kidney failure, hair loss, loss of lanugo (the downy layer of hair that keeps your body warm), and overall weakness. Girls with anorexia also can have irregular periods or they can stop menstruating (called amenorrhea).
It is estimated that up to 20 percent of anorexics will die from their condition, and the probability of death increases with the time of the disease.
It is important for teen girls who are suffering from anorexia receive treatment. The first step is to try to restore a healthy weight for the anorexic. This may require hospitalization. Next, the anorexic sufferer will require individual psychotherapy and often family therapy. Self-help groups and supportive group therapy are also important.
Bulimia Nervosa
Similar to anorexia, bulimia is a common eating disorder that affects teen and adolescent girls. These teen girls also have a fear of gaining weight, and they are extremely unhappy with their body size and shape. Like anorexics, bulimics may suffer from depression, anxiety, and substance abuse problems. However, unlike anorexics, bulimics are often a regular weight for their age and height.
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by binge eating and pursing. Bulimics often eat an unusually large amount of food, then compensate by purging (either vomiting or using laxatives), fasting, and excessive exercise. This cycle of binging-purging often repeats several times a week, and it is done in secret. Bulimics often feel disgust and shame for their behavior.
When bulimics binge eat, they often have the feeling that they can't stop or control their eating. They purge to get rid of the fear, guilt, and shame of their binge eating.
Teen bulimics often hide their disorder by spending long periods of time in the bathroom and by running the tap water to hide the sound of their vomiting.
The purging from bulimia comes with many health consequences. The acid in the vomit can wear down your teeth enamel and give you sensitive or decaying teeth. It can also enlarge the glands near your cheeks, making you look like you have swollen cheeks. Frequent vomiting can also cause damage to your stomach and possible rupture of your esophagus.
Frequent purging can cause electrolyte and chemical imbalances in your body. This can lead to irregular heartbeats, possible heart failure, and even death. For bulimics who abuse laxatives or diuretics, they can end up with intestinal distress, irritation, and kidney problems.
Between one and two percent of adolescent and young adult women suffer from teen bulimia. Treatment often involves nutritional counseling, psychotherapy, and prescribed medication.
