St.
Clair County
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EXTENSION MATTERS
By Saralee Jamieson
WHEN DIETING BECOMES DANGEROUS
Many people make plans to go on diets to get rid of unwanted extra
weight. For some, what starts out as a desire to shed a few pounds turns
into an eating disorder.
According to the Eating Disorder Sourcebook by Carolyn Costin, dieting
is a risk factor for developing an eating disorder. Boys and men can be
diagnosed with an eating disorder but 95-97% of all cases are female
patients.
Eating disorders are complex conditions that are thought to be a symptom
of another issue such as low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, or
lack of control. The disordered eating is a way of nurturing or
protecting oneself. People with eating disorders turn to food or eating
rituals to meet their emotional needs. The eating behavior that they
adopt becomes necessary for the person to continue to feel whole. Our
society provides positive feedback for weight loss. It is unfortunate
that positive feedback is reinforcing unhealthy behaviors that lead to
eating disorders.
There may be other causes of eating disorders. Research is being done on
possible biochemical or biological causes. Medication has helped some
people but has not proven to be the answer for others. In some cases it
is thought that the chemical disturbance is caused by the eating
disorder rather than a cause of the disorder. Nutritional deficiencies
are also associated with eating disorders both as a cause and effect.
Research continues in this area.
Interpersonal and social factors can contribute to eating disorders.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, interpersonal
factors can include troubled family and personal relationships,
difficulty expressing emotions and feelings, history of being teased
about size or weight, or history of abuse. Social factors include
cultural pressures of being thin. Our society tends to idolize the tall
thin “model” body for women but only 2% of the population is actually
built that way. Another social factor is that our culture often values
people based on physical appearance rather than other qualities.
According to the Eating Disorder Sourcebook people who recover from
eating disorders attribute their success to having the loving support of
friends and family as the crucial factor. Knowing that someone loved and
cared for them and would not give up on them provided the incentive to
overcome the illness. If you know someone who is struggling with food
issues, it is advisable to get help from a medical professional.
Taken from an article by Tammy Roberts, Barton County Nutrition and
Health Education Specialist.
University of Missouri Extension is the local link between the resources
of the four University of Missouri campuses in Columbia, Kansas City,
Rolla and St. Louis; Lincoln University in Jefferson City; and people
throughout the state.
University of Missouri Extension does not discriminate on the basis of
race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age,
disability or status as a Vietnam-era veteran in employment or programs.
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University of Missouri Extension St. Clair County (417) 646-2419 stclairco@missouri.edu Updated 12/15/04 |
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