Dieting to Death: Are You Verging on an Eating Disorder?
By
Linda Hepler
March 26, 2008
Dieting, especially among women, is extremely common. In fact, it's estimated that 80 percent or more of American women are unhappy with their appearance and want to lose weight, and half of these women are "on a diet." Unfortunately, as many as 10 percent of those engaging in dieting behaviors end up developing some form of eating disorder.
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Why are so many women unhappy with their weight? For teens and young women, it has a lot to do with emulating models and film stars, many of whom are a size two or four - an unattainable degree of thinness for most American females. The teen years also tend to be turbulent and stressful, and dieting may be triggered by difficulties coping with a developing body, hormonal changes, and the pressures of school and relationships. When everything seems out of control, the one area of life that can be controlled is weight.
Older women have their own diet triggers, and face the same pressures by the media to remain thin. Just because they're older doesn't mean these women can't develop eating disorders, too. With divorce a common phenomenon, many women find themselves plunging back into the dating scene and believing that the thinner they are, the more likely they are to find another man. Women who are in an unhappy relationship, especially if their partner has had an affair, may blame their weight for their relationship struggles. A woman may also begin to focus excessively on her body and growing older after the children have moved out of the house.
For both teens and older women, dieting may result in an attitude of "If a little is good, a lot is better." Weight loss can bring positive attention from others, reinforcing the dieting behavior - sometimes to an extreme. Teens, in particular, tend to use unhealthy or extreme methods to lose weight, such as excessive calorie reduction, use of laxatives or diet pills, purging, and smoking. How can you tell if dieting has gone too far and there's a risk of developing an eating disorder? Here are a few symptoms:
• Entire food groups are eliminated, such as all fats or all sweets
• Calories are so restricted that you ultimately end up binging on a "forbidden" food
• Purging by self-induced vomiting
• Your weight reaches below 85 percent of what is normal for your body size
• Your menstrual cycle that has been normal in the past ceases, even for a month
Most experts believe the key to successful and lasting weight reduction is not to diet, but to exercise regularly and eat a variety of healthy foods in small portions using the USDA MyPyramid guide. It's important to listen to your body. Try to think of eating as a way to fuel your body rather than to solve problems. This means eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full. No food should be entirely eliminated. We all desire a special food or treat at times because it's appealing or because it's socially appropriate, such as popcorn at the movie theater. Allowing yourself the occasional treat helps you stick with a healthy eating pattern for life.
If you would like to learn more about eating disorders, visit the Eating Disorders Help Guide
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Dieting can definitely be addictive! Once you start to drop the pounds, you feel so good and so proud of yourself, you just don't want to stop. But if it leads to an eating disorder - no way, not worth it!
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