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NEDA TOOLKIT for Parents Dieting is normal adolescent behavior While fad dieting or body image concerns have become “normal” features of adolescent life in Western cultures, dieting or frequent and/or extreme dieting can be a risk factor for developing an eating disorder. It is especially a risk factor for young people with family histories of eating disorders and depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. A focus on health, wellbeing, and healthy body image and acceptance is preferable. Any dieting should be monitored. Anorexia is “dieting gone bad” Anorexia has nothing to do with dieting. It is a life- threatening medical/psychiatric disorder. A person with anorexia never eats at all Most anorexics do eat; however, they tend to eat smaller portions, low-calorie foods, or strange food combinations. Some may eat candy bars in the morning and nothing else all day. Others may eat lettuce and mustard every 2 hours or only condiments. The disordered eating behaviors are very individualized. Total cessation of all food intakes is rare and would result in death from malnutrition in a matter of weeks. Only people of high socioeconomic status get eating disorders People in all socioeconomic levels have eating disorders. The disorders have been identified across all socioeconomic groups, age groups, You can tell if a person has an eating disorder simply by appearance You can’t. Anorexia may be easier to detect visually, although individuals may wear loose clothing to conceal their body. Bulimia is harder to “see” because individuals often have normal weight or may even be overweight. Some people may have obvious signs, such as sudden weight loss or gain; others may not. People with an eating disorder can become very effective at hiding the signs and symptoms. Thus, eating disorders can be undetected for months, years, or a lifetime. Eating disorders are about appearance and beauty Eating disorders are a mental illness and have little to do with food, eating, appearance, or beauty. This is indicated by the continuation of the illness long after a person has reached his or her initial ‘target’ weight. Eating disorders are usually related to emotional issues such as control and low self-esteem and often exist as part of a “dual” diagnosis of major depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Eating disorders are caused by unhealthy and unrealistic images in the media While sociocultural factors (such as the ‘thin ideal’) can contribute or trigger development of eating disorders, research has shown that the causes are multifactorial and include biologic, social, and environmental contributors. Not everyone who is exposed to media images of thin “ideal” body images develops an eating disorder. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa have been documented in the medical literature since the 1800s, when social concepts of an ideal body shape for women and men differed significantly from today— long before mass media promoted thin body images for women or lean muscular body images for men. Recovery from eating disorders is rare Recovery can take months or years, but many people eventually recover after treatment. Recovery rates vary widely among individuals and the different eating disorders. Early intervention with appropriate care can improve the outcome regardless of the eating disorder. Although anorexia nervosa is associated with the highest death rate of all psychiatric disorders, research suggests that about half of people with anorexia nervosa recover, about 20% continue to experience issues with food, and about 20% die in the longer term due to medical or psychological complications. Page | 7