New Dangers Associated With Disordered Eating

(CARLSBAD, CA) -  By now the public is well aware of the serious health risks of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. By starving themselves, anorexics risk dehydration; malnutrition; heart, kidney and liver damage; osteoporosis; infertility and ultimately death. Bulimics suffer from gum disease; loss of tooth enamel; and damage to the esophagus and internal organs; and face an increased risk of heart attack.

But new research is revealing a disturbing connection between drug abuse and eating disorders, upping the ante of health risks these individuals face. Specialists in New York State reported a marked upswing in drug-addicted girls from 2002 to 2004, many of whom have eating disorders. The increase is coming from predominantly middle- and upper-income communities.

Young women turn to drugs as a way to suppress appetite and achieve weight loss, experts say, and the statistics have led some to conclude that girls who diet are more likely to abuse drugs than girls who don’t.

Health experts are also noting a troubling health trend among as many as two-thirds of young female athletes. The Female Athlete Triad is a combination of disordered eating, menstrual irregularity and loss of bone mass density.

Disordered eating, which falls short of a clinical eating disorder, is defined as restrictive eating behaviors. Young athletes limit their calorie and/or fat intake while maintaining a high training level. The severe energy imbalance that results leads to depressed estrogen levels, metabolic disturbances and amenorrhea (cessation of menstruation).

The loss of calcium from restrictive eating combined with the loss of estrogen from irregular menstruation places these young women at great risk of premature bone loss and osteoporosis. Perhaps most troubling, bone loss that occurs between the ages of 18 and 30 is irreversible, according to experts.

So what can parents and coaches do? First, be aware of the warning signs of eating disorders:

— a preoccupation with food and weight

— rapid weight loss

— frequent criticism of one’s body

— use of laxatives

— frequent eating alone

— trips to the bathroom during or immediately after a meal

— dental problems (increased cavities, gum disease, foul breath)

— intolerance to cold

— depression

As well as signs of the female athlete triad:

— undue fatigue

— anemia

— constipation

— decreased ability to concentrate

— lightheadedness

— irregular or loss of menstrual cycle

— stress fractures

If you identify one or more of the factors above, seek professional help for the individual concerned. Counseling and behavioral therapy, even hospitalization, may be recommended. For athletes, experts also recommend behavioral contracting, in which the athlete must meet the conditions of an agreed upon contract before being allowed to continue practicing and competing. For example, she must meet with a counselor a specified number of times, gain a designated amount of weight, etc.

Jazzercise CEO Judi Sheppard Missett says weight and body image are tremendously loaded issues for young women today and should not be taken lightly. With positive intervention and a strong support system, however, their chances of finding the appropriate balance between nutrition and exercise are good.

Kept within healthy limits and paired with healthy eating, exercise can be a great way to build self esteem and a positive body image.  You can set a good example by keeping yourself healthy and fit and by participating in activities with your children.  Try the following modified pushup to build upper body strength and core stability. 

Kneel on an exercise mat or other soft surface.  Walk your hands out under your shoulders and angle your fingers slightly inward.  Extend your body into a knee plank, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your hips.  You can lift your hips up slightly to decrease the stress on the lower back.  Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest toward your hands.  Exhale and press back up to the beginning position.  Repeat as many times as possible without losing good form.  It is more important to maintain your form than to do a deep pushup – so even if you can only lower your chest an inch, that is OK.  Just keep working at it, and as you get stronger you will gradually be able to do deeper pushups. 

Jazzercise, created by Judi Sheppard Missett, is the world's leading dance-fitness program with more than 6,800 instructors teaching 30,000 classes weekly in the U.S. and around the globe. Since 1969, millions of people of all ages and fitness levels have reaped the benefits of this comprehensive program, designed to enhance cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility. For more information on Jazzercise go to jazzercise.com or call (800)FIT-IS-IT or (760)476-1750.

Courtesy of Jazzercise, Inc. - jazzercise.com