Anorexia Tips.......................................

The complete cure of anorexia goes a long way than simply weight gain of patients. Anorexia stricken patients who gain weight during treatment often spiral back into the eating disorder. New studies shed light on why relapse rates are so high.

The study shows that women who seemed to be getting better while participating in a hospital-based behavioral treatment program continued to show disturbed eating behaviors when their food intake was not carefully monitored.

The participant may have regained much of their lost weight with treatment along with improvements in depression and other psychological symptoms. However, they ate fewer calories when given an unrestricted test meal than women without anorexia.

“We saw a lot of psychological changes over the course of hospitalization,” researcher Robyn Sysko of the Rutgers University Eating Disorders Clinic, tells WebMD. “But when given more control over their eating, these patients still tended to eat less than they should.”

Examining eating behaviors
Most patients developed anorexia during their years as preteens, teens, or young adult. Nine out of 10 anorexics are female which research suggests that one in three women treated as inpatients for the eating disorder experiences a relapse within two years of discharge from the hospital.

Improvements in psychological symptoms and weight have been documented during hospitalization for anorexia nervosa. There is no clear evidence that similar improvement in eating disorder occurs. Sysko and colleagues write in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The tests were done with participants of 12 hospitalized women with anorexia and 12 women without eating disorders the same number of calories at breakfast followed by an unrestricted-calorie test meal at lunch.

The test meal consisted of a large strawberry yogurt shake. Study participants were told to drink as much or as little as they liked. The anorexic patients were given the test both early in their hospital stay and later, after they had gained back a good deal of weight.

The non-anorexic study participants ended up drinking about half of their shakes, taking in approximately 500 calories. Early in treatment the anorexic patients took in about 145 calories at the test meal, and later in treatment they took in 240, which is still less than half of that eaten by the women without anorexia nervosa.

During both test meals, the hospitalized patients took in fewer calories than they would have if they had been eating their regular, supervised lunch.

“The fact that these patients didn’t show as much improvement in eating behavior as they did in other aspects of their treatment illustrates the importance of continuing care once hospitalization ends,” Sysko says.

Follow-Up is a must
The research concluded that weight gain is merely an initial step towards anorexia recovery. Follow up care and treatment is emphasized to avoid relapse that ultimately hampers recovery from the said eating disorder.

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Anorexia leaves significant bone loss that is not reversed by any conventional treatment.

A study of 130 anorexic women in 20s, found that 92% had ostopenia or bone loss in the spine or hips. Almost 38% of the women suffered bone loss that is serious enough to be categorized as osteoporosis.

A research team in Massachusetts General Hospital found out that hormone supplements such as calcium or vitamin D did not improve bone density of anorexic patients.

Lead researcher, Anne Klibanski, director of the hospital’s neuroendocrine unit shared: “Some of these young women are experiencing bone loss comparable to that of women many decades older, despite estrogen therapy.”

The severity of osteoporosis among women who suffers form anorexia puts more emphasis of the importance of screening.

Irreversible and permanent damage

Signs of bone loss as a direct complication of anorexia nervosa could be permanent.

The mentioned study yielded the strongest predictor of bone loss is shown by the woman’s height, with those weighing least showing greater levels of osteopenia.

One quarter of the participant is undergoing estrogen therapy while more than half had been prescribed estrogen.

Another expected outcome of weight loss is amenorrhea or absence of menstrual period. The absence of menstrual period was reversed in some of the women taking estrogen but the research team found that the hormone had no positive effect on bone density.

Vitamin D supplements with calcium as a treatment had no effect to help counteract the effect of anorexia on the bones.

The study concluded that regaining and maintaining a healthy weight is the key to prevent or reduce bone loss.

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Having a thin body does not mean you are healthy.

Back in the ancient Greek and Roman times when statues were made, curvy and chubby women were depicted to be ideal body image. A few extra pounds on women who look healthy are perceived as beautiful. Fast forward in our modern society, we can’t help but ask how did we end up looking up to an ultra thin body as a norm in our society?

The image of wafer thin models is dominantly seen in the media such as television and magazines. It has been the norm for too long. Actresses and models all strive to achieve the standard and perfect body. Given such preoccupation on body image, it is not surprising for eating disorders to be on the rise. Teenagers are known to be susceptible to eating disorder. By now, they are not the only ones affected by anorexia. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, almost 7 million women and 1 million men are affected with eating disorders in some ways. Anorexia nervosa can turn fatal if not detected and treated. There are anorexics that have to be hospitalized complete with a Peg tube surgically inserted in their stomach in order to have nourishment.

The glamour of modeling tends to encourage young women, and men, to consider eating disorder to have a quick slim down plan. Teenage girls see these extra thin models as their ideal body size. Realistic weight loss are often disregarded in favor of a more drastic and unhealthy slim down plan. We need to remember that not everyone can achieve that super thin body. We should not push our bodies to copy a slim model’s look. It is not just healthy to dramatically lose weight in a short span of time.

The media transmits confusing and terrifying messages to children and parents, alike. Some children start to dislike their bodies and desire to be thin. At a tender age, children are focused on resorting to drastic measures such as food restriction that often compromises their well being and even their lives.

An expert on eating disorder, Abigail Natenshon, writes on her website:

“Camp counselors report that 6 and 7 years olds studying nutritional labels on food items as they empty their lunch sacks. A US Department of Health and Human Services task force reports that 80% of girls in grades 3 to 6 have bad feelings about their bodies, an issue diverting their attention from schoolwork and friendship.”

Parents should foster positive images of their children. Children need to know that it is normal for a teenage body to change and grows, as they get older. Media have a way of presenting unrealistic body image that children should not be striving for.

Here are some suggestions:
• Don’t dwell on physical appearance. Point out to children the necessity of being healthy, not being thinly. Empower your children to know their personality, talents, and skills as significant physical attributes.
• Teach your children to use their critical point of view when it comes to media images. Kid-friendly TV shows can promote ideal images. A researcher on eating disorder, Dr. Linda Smolak, shares that parents should ” Limit television viewing and watch with your children.” “This way you can instantly discuss any positive or negative images both you and your child see simultaneously.”
• Be a good role model. The mind of children is similar sponges, which means that they pick up things that you say or do. It does not matter if you are being subtle or intentional. Simple comments such as complains about your flabs, why you should not have ordered chocolate cake, how you need to exercise an extra hour to burn off the cake; all of these comments have an effect to your children. Your kids are listening and start to view food, exercise, and their bodies like you do. Turn things around by giving positive comments rather on negative ones.
• Encourage an active lifestyle. Teach your children that exercise is a fun activity, not something that you do to keep a slim figure nor for weight loss.
• Encourage healthy food choices. Do not tell your kids that dieting and counting calories are fundamental in life. You can opt to promote moderation such as portion sizes of food. In this way, you aren’t labeling foods as either “good” or “bad”.
• Tune in and listen to what your kids say about their bodies. You should not ignore the complaints your kids say about his or her appearance. You should listen and discuss it with them. Embrace this as a perfect opportunity to talk to your child about why he or she feels this way.
• Emphasize that there are different body shapes; there is not a single ideal body image. It is based on age, genetics, lifestyle, and metabolism.

Share us your thoughts on how to empower your children and steer them away from eating disorders. Feel free to drop comments.

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