Chapter 4

An Obsession With Being Painfully Thin

by Anne Broccolo-Philbin

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the national obsession with being thin and the impact advertising and entertainment media have on young men and women.

2. Provide at least 4 nursing interventions to a teenager who may be dangerously dieting and exercising to be thin.

The diet took hold of me all day in class I thought about food. I wanted to eat, but even more, I wanted to keep getting thinner, so that nobody could be as thin as me.

This young person is describing what it's like to have an eating disorder. It is estimated that 8 million Americans suffer from eating disorders (approximately 7 million women and 1 million men). Many people believe that part of the cause is how much we value and focus on being thin.

Ask most people the one thing they'd like to change about themselves and a large number of them will answer that it's their weight. It's easy to become obsessed with how we look, especially our weight. Nearly every magazine ad and every television commercial we see_and we see a lot of them_show thin, beautiful people. So we come to believe that we should look like them. In fact, one study found a link between eating disorders and seeing images of ultra-thin models over a long period of time.

Eating disorders can seriously threaten a young person's health. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person will starve herself or himself to lose weight. Bulimia nervosa is another eating disorder. A bulimic person will gorge on food and then induce vomiting. Almost 90 percent of people who suffer from these disorders report that the illness began before age 20.

Nobody's Perfect

What would cause someone to go to one of these extremes to lose weight? Many factors play a part in this behavior.

"We are in a society that suggests we must be perfect in everything," says Vivian Meehan, founder and president of the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). She says we feel that we must somehow live up to these unrealistic standards.

In turn, if we can't meet this ideal, then we feel bad about how we look. This can lead to the kind of behavior that harms rather than helps.

One girl who suffered from anorexia nervosa said, "I really didn't feel I was very good at anything. Even though I had straight A's, it seemed like I was never in control. But food was the only thing in my life I could control."

Vivian Meehan explains that this attitude is common among people who suffer from eating disorders. "Anorexics realize the power food has over people," she says. "A person who starves himself thinks he is special because he can do something no one else can do." Power is a major issue with anorexics.

In fact, studies suggest there are certain risk factors that make some teens more susceptible to developing an eating disorder. In addition to being unhappy with their bodies and themselves, many have a strong need for approval from their parents or peers. Some may be depressed; depression can be a major factor.

Looking in the Funhouse Mirror

Of course, this doesn't mean that everyone who feels this way will develop an eating disorder. However, there are some warning signs to be aware of. Obviously, a sudden drop in weight is one indication. Another is an excessive concern and discontent with one's body.

Having what's called a distorted body image is a strong indication of an eating disorder. It's like looking in a fun-house mirror. The body seems to look very different from the way it really is. Someone suffering from an eating disorder sees herself or himself as fat when really that person is very thin.

Other indicators include using diet pills, laxatives, or other drugs to lose weight, an obsession with food; refusal to eat or eating only tiny portions; and regular overexcersing.

"I still struggle with exercising too much today," says one young woman who had anorexia. "It's like an addiction."

Dangerous Dieting

If extreme dieting goes unnoticed and uncorrected, serious health problems may develop. Many people suffering from anorexia end up being hospitalized. Some physical problems include skin dryness or rashes; facial swelling; swelling of the ankles, feet, and stomach, and rotting teeth. One study discovered that eating disorders caused major calcium loss even in those who were given calcium supplements. Calcium is essential to developing strong bones and teeth. Another study determined that undereating can harm the body's ability to fight infection.

Simply put, if one denies his or her body the proper nutrition found in good foods, the body will not be able to function properly.

Still Growing

Treating your body well is especially important in the teen years because your body is constantly changing at this point in your life. In fact, until you're approximately 19 years old, your body will be continuously growing and changing. This also makes it difficult to determine your ideal weight.

If you feel you are overweight, talk to your doctor. If your doctor agrees, he or she can suggest a healthy way to lose weight and to keep it off through proper nutrition and regular exercise.

How do you avoid falling into the trap of eating disorders? First, and foremost, appreciate your body for what it is. It's also important not to get caught up in the dieting cycle that seems to be an obsession with everyone around you - from parent to peers. Vivian Meehan, who found the anorexia association after her daughter was diagnosed with the disease, suggests finding other ways of coping with life's difficulties besides trying to achieve body perfection.

Source: Current Health 2 v. 22 Jan 96 P. 23

Continue to the next chapter.