Eating Disorders:
- A collection of interrelated
eating habits: Weight management, attitudes about food, and psychological
imbalances that become disordered.
- These attitudes and behaviours result in a inability to function in
“normal” life, misery, withdrawal from society and self-absorption.
- Eating disorders can devastate not only the victim of the disorder,
but the entire family.
It is our hope that the information provided here will
help to make individuals and communities more aware of what eating disorders
are (in this instance Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa), to share
a few of the significant things that we have learned from our experience,
have helped us to survive the ordeal and assisted in easing our daughter
into recovery.
Note: The following is a summary of information
collected from our years of research and first hand experience with
eating disorders which we utilize in our presentation. It is intended
for general information and should be read in context with the whole,
not in part, and should not be interpreted for diagnostic purposes. If
you have any questions or concerns, consult your family doctor... and
do further extensive research of your own.
WHY FOOD?
- “Food” (and issues surrounding
it) is something children can control without parental interference.
- A parent may dictate MANY things...but NO ONE can make her eat or or
stop vomiting.
- We live in a culture that glorifies thinness and our society’s instructions
to women contradict the physiological dictates of nature. Just
as women’s bodies begin to crave and produce increased fat in order to
sustain rising levels of estrogen in preparation for child birth, they
are asked to grow smaller. This is not the case for men who account
for about 10 to 15 percent of the eating disordered population.
- Society is not kind to people whose bodies do not fit the culturally
dictated "norm".
HOW FOOD
WORKS
- Every food has its own distinct
chemical makeup.
- Every body has its own unique chemical requirements and needs.
- Certain types of food are brain altering - releasing endorphins which
for some become a “biochemical fix”
- Certain individuals may develop specific cravings.
- Food-related rituals evoke empowerment - controlling food creates an
illusion of controlling ALL things.
- A healthy lifestyle is determined by how food is used and for what
purposes, NOT by how much food is consumed.
ANOREXIA NERVOSA
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by:
- Irrational fear of weight
gain and or/food
- A relentless determination
to become ever thinner
- Strong misperception of
body weight and size
SOME SYMPTOMS
OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA
- Refusal to maintain body
weight
- is at less than 85% of ideal weight
- Loss of 3 consecutive menstrual periods
- Denial of dangers of low weight
- Withdrawal from friends
- Obsession with recipes and cooking
- Excessive exercising
- Veganism or Vegetarianism
- Ritualistic eating habits
SOME MEDICAL
CONSEQUENCES OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA
- Reduced rate of metabolism
- Irregular heart beat
- Amenorrhea - cessation of menstrual cycle
- Dehydration - kidney stones, kidney failure
- Muscle atrophy
- Bowel Irritation
- Loss of calcium leading to osteoporosis
- Reduction of circulation causing the extremities to be cold and numb
- Development of lanugo (fine, downy hair - body’s response for ensuring
warmth)
BULIMIA NERVOSA
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by:
- Periods of uncontrolled binge
eating followed by purging to rid the body of unwanted calories.
Purging may take one of several
forms:
- (or several forms in combination):
excessive exercising, self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic use,
skipping meals
The binge-purge cycle is
:
- often accompanied by self-deprecating
thoughts and depression.
And...persons with bulimia nervosa
:
- are not often easily distinguishable
since it is possible to have this eating disorder in its most severe
form without significant outward presentment of physical symptoms.
NOTE: It is also possible for a person
to have a combination of anorexia nervosa AND bulimia nervosa at the
same time sometimes called “bulimarexia”.
SOME
SYMPTOMS OF BULIMIA NERVOSA
- Weight is commonly within
a normal range
- Frequent dieting
- Extreme concern with body size and shape
- Belief that self-worth requires being thin
- Makes frequent trips to the bathroom after meals
- Unusual swelling around the jaw
- Unexplained disappearance of food in the home
- Drinking of large amounts of water with a meal or after a meal
- Need for secrecy
SOME
MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES OF BULIMIA NERVOSA
- Electrolyte imbalance leading
to arrhythmia (irregular heart beat)
- Erosion of tooth enamel
- Ruptures of the esophagus, throat and stomach
- Laxative dependence
- Stress ulcers
WHO IS
MOST VULNERABLE?
“You can adjust to anything....until you hit puberty” (I.M. Zacker
1987)
Males and females of all socio-economic classes, races and intelligences
can be affected; however, those most often stricken with this illness
over the past decade are white, middle to upper class females between
the ages of 13 and 30. We are aware of girls as young as 8
years old that have been diagnosed. Cases of males with eating disorders
are increasing dramatically.
WHAT
CAUSES EATING DISORDERS?
- No one singular emotional
or physical disturbance can be held responsible.
- Multiple factors come together over time and through life experience.
- Some individuals are biochemically and psychologically susceptible.
FACTORS
THAT DISPOSE INDIVIDUALS TO EATING DISORDERS
- DIETING precedes the onset
of almost all cases
- Culturally dictated desired feminine (masculine) form
- Genetic and family factors: size, family history of mood disorders,
substance abuse and eating disorders
- Brain chemistry - imbalances may account for, or contribute to, personality
traits such as obsessiveness, frequent depressive moods and perfectionism
(serotonin)
- Psychological and personality factors
PSYCHOLOGICAL
AND PERSONALITY FACTORS
- Involved in a field that
places high emphasis on thinness
- Previous history of being overweight or being teased about weight
- Family history of weight consciousness
- Perfectionism
- Low self-esteem, high achievement expectations ( many persons who develop
an anorexic condition are, in general, unusually talented intellectually
and have been marked out at an early age as being high-achievers)
- Social insecurity
- Hyper-sensitive, overly cautious
- Families which may be over-protective
- Struggle with identity formation
- Mood instability
- People pleasing
- Large discrepancy between how an individual presents themselves and
how they actually feel about themselves.
TRIGGERS
- A predisposition may ripen
into a full-blown eating disorder by various
kinds of circumstances....or “triggers”
- A trigger could be an event,
a feeling, or a set of circumstances. A
trigger for one person may be a benign life event for another.
- Whichever it is, it ignites
the specific factors that altogether make a
person vulnerable to disease.
Some examples of triggers for
disease:
- certain feelings:
happiness, depression, anger or powerlessness
- specific life situations:
on an athletic team, being invited to the prom, suffering the death
of a friend or loved one, or reaching puberty, studying for exams...
- life transitions
- elementary school to junior high (middle school), dating, family breakup,
new home.
- contact with
key people: anorexic roommate or critical coach, relative or friend
- starting
a diet
- specific
environments: ie. university residence, the track or health club
HOW DO PARENTS MISS THE CLUES?
It must first be said that.....
“Parents are NOT to blame. Parents do not cause their child’s
eating disorder,
parents cannot control it and cannot cure it.”
A.H. Natenshon,
1999
Persons with
eating disorders are experts in:
-
SECRECY - sufferers become experts
at hiding symptomsand
behaviours ESPECIALLY from parents
- Control -
it is about a need to control everything in their lives
- Teenage complications
- it is often difficult to differentiate what is
“normal” teenage angst and eating disorder behaviour
- Always are
plausible explanations for behaviours
- Lack of awareness
of symptoms and behaviours of eating disorders
- We are ALL
a little eating disordered
- Some parents
are resistant to acknowledging this disease
WHAT CAN WE ALL DO?
- Be informed and
aware; develop a clear understanding of how anorexia
and bulimia develop and how these disorders can involve dangerous
medical and psychological complications - know warning signs.
- Examine our
own attitudes about food, weight and body image
- Be role models
by accepting and listening to our own bodies
- Learn about
SET POINT THEORY of weight loss...and gain....and loss...
- Celebrate
uniqueness, difference and diversity
- STOP FAMILY
TEASING ABOUT WEIGHT AND APPEARANCE
- Be aware
of the impact of multiple changes at one time (ie. move to new
community/school combined with marital breakup and other issues)
- Avoid the
language of “Good Food/Bad Food” with young people
- Develop good
lines of communication from an early age.
- Avoid criticism,
contradiction and judgement especially in the area of
appearance.
- When communicating,
use “I” statements. “You” statements tend to be
judgmental. ie. You can say: “I am worried about you” instead
of: “You’re too thin!
What are you trying to do to yourself!!??”
- Give space,
comfort, caring, love and respect and don’t ever give up!
SELF ESTEEM!
- LISTEN....be
empathetic: ie. try to understand something exactly
the way SHE understands it, as opposed to the way YOU think she
should understand it
- Celebrate
natural body size
- Be an advocate
of media literacy....but understand that blame is not the
issue.
- Take issue
with issues that bother you, become an advocate for change
- Choose children’s
toys, books, magazines and wardrobe carefully
- Be aware
of the dangers of internet sites which promote eating
disorders - THEY ARE OUT THERE!
- Know that
no one person alone causes an eating disorder
- Learn to
make “WHO” compliments - ie. instead of ...”I like that
outfit...it’s very slimming!......Say...”I’m so glad to see you!”...it’s
what you really
mean.
- Avoid, in
any way you can, asking or answering the question: “Does
this make me look fat?”
- Adopt the
habit of eliminating the word “look” from ALL occasions
when you greet someone....don’t say....”Hi....you look...”
- Do not advocate
the DIET MENTALITY that is so prevalent in our
culture
- Take care
of yourself. Be good to you.
Once the
eating disorder is diagnosed, here are some additional things to consider:
(we refer to “her” meaning “him/her”) Some are difficult!
- I
t is possible to love her and dislike her eating disorder. Love
unconditionally.
- Avoid simplistic
solutions such as “just eat”
- Avoid discussing
what, how, or when she should eat or you will wind up
in a power struggle
- Accept that
there is nothing that you can do to force her to eat, stop
bingeing or stop purging
- Avoid trying
to control her food intake and avoid making judgements
about her choices and behaviour
- Focus on
things which do not relate to food, weight and exercise. Be
there just for company.
- Try not to
worry about saying the ‘wrong’ thing. You will not have an
irreversible impact on her recovery. Better to say something
with the intention
of being supportive than to say nothing and have the silence
interpreted as lack of caring.
- Encourage
her to be human, not perfect. (Monika H. Ostroff 1997)
“Learning to understand and overcome anorexia,
bulimia and bulimarexia is difficult. When these eating disorders
affect our families, friends, colleagues, or students, relationships
can become strained. Other important issues can be neglected
for years while you struggle to cope with a disorder that can compel
a person to literally die to be thin.”(I.M. Sacker, M.A. Zimmer
- “Dying to be Thin”)
Sharing information is a step towards prevention.
That is what Kathy and Jim have worked to do here and with their
touring Edcoms Presentations.
Hopefully you are now a little better equipped
to share these insights with other people in the course of your everyday
life by finding suitable ways to mention this disorder.
“If you are a teacher, sports coach or music instructor......or a parent
or grandparent, know that every time you believe in a youngster
without expecting him or her to be perfect, you are actively participating
in prevention. As adults we have enormous power but
we must channel that power so that our children are assured to have
a positive self-image. We can be proud, but we want to ensure that
all of our children’s’ successes are their own - not ours.
Self-esteem and self-confidence are SO vitally important and cannot
be overemphasized.” (I.M. Sacker, M.A. Zimmer)
If you are a parent of a younger or older child
who you think is already anorexic or bulimic or at risk of developing
such a disorder, immediately do your best to find help and support.
Take advantage of the strength you have to affect the situation
even while you understand that you cannot make your child recover.
Consult a professional and if you are not satisfied, keep searching.
Time does matter. The longer you wait the harder it will for
the young person to be empowered to change and the harder it will be
for other people to change themselves as well.
In memory of Andrea who has suffered and passed, in support of
her parents who continue to suffer, with love, pride and respect
for our incredible daughter who has worked so hard to get to where
she is today, our precious son who has suffered with his sister immeasurably
but who is still “a rock”, and with gratitude to everyone who has
supported us in our journey,
Kathy and Jim Stockman
“There is power in a caring community....
imagine the power
in a caring and informed community.”
K.M. Stockman