More Eating Disorders in the News
I'm often asked for links to eating-disorder related articles, for use in writing papers or leading discussions, or simply for general information. Here's links to several interesting articles, which are well worth a read.
At HUNGER-DISEASE.COM, I came across an article titled Anorexic Teams. In it, Lisa Mason discusses the unusual (but common) practice of people with eating disorders banding together, so to speak. That is, supporting each other in a "pro-eating disorder" way. She writes, "It is known that people with eating disorders are very secretive about their disease. It is also known that one can spot another person with an eating disorder from a crowd. It's not surprising then that anorexics will often compete with one another, even in treatment. During hospital stays and group therapy, one will try to become the thinnest or the sickest in the group".
Similarly, at My.Webmd.com is a very interesting article which discusses the increase of pro-anorexia and pro-eating disorder websites, chat-rooms and bulletin boards on the internet today. Vivian Hanson Meehan, RN, president of the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, or ANAD, tells WebMD "I am appalled when I see these sites, which present eating disorders as normal." and "Young people struggling with this issue want to believe family and friends are wrong when they tell them they are too thin or they should eat. Anorexia is a deadly disease, but these sites treat it as a choice."
In another article titled THE AMERICAN 'IDEAL'CAN DESTROY YOU, Mason explores the double edged sword of the American idea of beauty. She writes " Most Americans think being thin, fit and beautiful means you will have love, success and power. Physical beauty does not give you eternal happiness. Many people believe everything else in their lives would be perfect if they could just look the way they want. However, the pursuit of a better body image can greatly affect our eating habits and our overall health. Some changes have positive affects such as choosing low-fat foods to decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer. But for the most part, an obsession with the 'ideal' body leads to frustration and an unhealthy lifestyle."
Also at Hunger-Disease.com, is an article titled Body Images in Playboy Are Possibly Damaging to Public Health. It begins, "British Medical Association blamed advertising for an increase in anorexia. A new research study has found that seventy percent centrefold models in Playboy magazine are clinically underweight." The study was made possible using the information sheet that Playboy publishes about each centerfold, which lists their age, height, weight and measurements.
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