Two-thirds of American girls have been on a diet before age 10. Nearly half of 9-year-olds to 11-year-olds are “sometimes” or “very often” on diets, according to a study by Colgate University. Forty-two percent of first to third grade girls said they wanted to be thinner, another national study showed.
Why this national obsession with thinness? Lori Feldman-Winter, M.D., an Adolescent Medicine expert from the Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper, agrees with the common theory that exposure to unusually thin images on television and in magazines may contribute to girls’ distorted body images, especially in the face of a growing trend toward obesity. In addition, Dr. Winter suggests that family dynamics also play a role in girls’ self-perception and their ideas about healthy body weight and a healthy diet.
“Today’s families have become very fragmented,” explains Dr. Winter. “The family dinner table is virtually non-existent in some households as evenings often consist of kids being shuttled to games, practices, lessons, etc. This makes it difficult for parents to demonstrate good eating habits and monitor what their kids are eating.” Dr. Feldman-Winter adds that moms’ and dads’ own obsessions with dieting and their weight can have a significant influence on how their children perceive healthy body types, and she stresses that parents need to “walk the walk” when it comes to healthy eating.
Poor body image can lead to many unhealthy, dangerous behaviors, especially for girls. Conseulo Cagande, M.D., an adolescent and adult psychiatrist at Cooper University Hospital, stresses the importance of developing a healthy body image for adolescent girls.
“Girls' fixation with the appearance of their bodies can contribute to a variety of issues. These include poor eating patterns, an unhealthy pre-occupation with food and self, extreme dieting, lower self-esteem and depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and general physical and mental ill health,” says Dr. Cagande.
In extreme cases, Dr. Cagande explains, these unhealthy behaviors can eventually lead to eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. “These two medical disorders are serious illnesses in which certain maladaptive patterns of eating take on a life of their own. If left untreated, anorexia nervosa and bulimia can be life threatening,” she warns. Recognition of developing patterns associated with eating disorders along with early treatment can result in much better outcomes.
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| Learn how to encourage the young women in your lives to maintain healthy body images and make smart choices concerning food and exercise. Warning signs of eating disorders will also be discussed. This program is designed for parents, coaches, guidance counselors, teachers, school nurses and others who live or work with adolescent and teen girls. |
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Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at 7 p.m.
Location: Cooper for Women, 1011 Main Street Promenade, Voorhees, New Jersey 08043
Speakers: Lori Feldman-Winter, M.D.& Consuelo Cagande, M.D.
To register, call 1-877-CARE (2273). |
It’s estimated that up to four percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetimes, according to the National Institutes of Health. People with this disorder view themselves as overweight even though they are very thin. Eating becomes an obsession and unusual eating habits develop, such as avoiding foods and meals, picking out a few foods and eating these in small quantities, or carefully weighing and portioning food. People with anorexia may repeatedly weigh themselves and may develop other tactics to control their weight, such as intense and compulsive exercise. Many also purge themselves by vomiting or abusing laxatives, enemas and diuretics.
Bulimia nervosa is slightly more common than anorexia. Like people with anorexia, individuals with bulimia may fear gaining weight, have an obsession with losing weight, and feel intensely dissatisfied with their bodies. The difference may be that because purging usually follows binge-eating episodes, people with bulimia typically weigh within the normal range for their age and height. People with bulimia often perform the behaviors in secrecy, feeling disgusted and ashamed when they binge, yet relieved when they purge.
This fall, Drs. Feldman-Winter and Cagande will provide a free educational program to discuss eating disorders and offer strategies for encouraging young women to maintain healthy body images. “Teaching Teens and ‘Tweens’ to Love their Bodies” will be held on Tuesday, October 16, 2007, at 7 p.m. at Cooper for Women, Main Street Promenade, Suite 1011, in Voorhees, NJ 08043. This lively, interactive program is designed for parents, coaches, guidance counselors, teachers, school nurses and others who live or work with adolescent and teen girls.
For more information or to register for this program, call Cooper for Women, 1-877-662-CARE (2273).