Weight Management & Eating Disorders

A Healthy Weight  Height  Age  Gender  Bone Structure  Body build  Growth pattern

Body image  Body image-mental concept you have of your physical appearance  Don’t compare yourself to others  Normal for people to have different sizes an shapes  Accept characteristics you can’t change

Appropriate Weight  Body Mass Index (BMI)—uses weight in relation to height and age to determine whether you are in an appropriate weight range  Doesn’t take into account muscle

Smart Weight Management  Both overweight and underweight can be unhealthy  Overweight-contributes to heart disease, diabetes, puts strain on muscles and joints  Underweight-contributes to anemia, low energy, other disorders associate w/ poor nutrition

 Balance is key  Food supply body w/ energy, physical activity uses energy  Calories-units in which energy is measured  When energy taken in and energy used are balanced, weight remains stable  Ask doctor if your think you’re overweight or underweight

Losing Weight  As a teen, weight gain is natural and healthy  Many doctors advise overweight teens not to try to lose weight, but rather to slow down the rate at which they are gaining  Increase physical activity  Choose nutritious foods that are lower in fat and calories  Cut back on food that are high in calories and contribute little nutrients

Gaining Weight  Gained slowly and steadily  Food should reflect nutrition guidelines  Plan meals around food you like  Try to eat more frequently and eat larger portions  Snack on hearty, nutritious foods

Eating disorders  Extreme eating behaviors that can lead to serious health problems or even death  Anorexia nervosa  Bulimia nervosa  Binge eating disorder

Anorexia Nervosa  Eating disorder that involves an extreme urge to lose weight by starving oneself  Drastically reduce the amount of food they eat  Resist efforts of parents/peers to get them to eat more  May greatly increase exercise  Greatly distorted body image

Consequences  Damage to bones, muscles, skin, organs  Can lead to kidney failure  Can lead to heart failure  Lack of energy  Cold all the time  Dry,yellowish skin Constipation Abdominal pain Dizziness Fainting Headaches Growth of fine hair all over body

Over time..  Hair loss  Infertility  Stunted growth  Osteoporosis  Tooth decay  Gum damage  Death

Warning Signs Being preoccupied w/ weight Spending excessive amount of time exercising Never complaining or expressing negative feelings Talking about being fat Devoting time to choosing and preparing food but eating very little Cutting food into very small pieces

 Dramatic weight loss  Harshly critical of appearance  Denies being too thin  Pretending to eat or lying about eating  Strange or secretive food rituals  Dieting despite being too thin  Obsession w/ calorie, fat grams, etc

Dieting vs. Anorexia  Weight loss is viewed as a way to improve health and appearance  Self-esteem is based on more than just weight  An attempt to control weight  Goal is to lose healthy  Viewed as a way to achieve happiness  Self-esteem based entirely on what you weigh and how thin you are  Attempt to control life and emotions  Health not a concern

Causes  Biological  Psychological  Family and social pressures  Not just one thing

Treatment  3 components  Restoring person to healthy weight  Treating psychological issues related to disorder  Reducing/eliminating thoughts and behaviors that will lead to recurrence of disorder

 Medical treatment—hospitilization  Nutritional counseling  Counseling and therapy

Bulimia  Involves bouts of extreme overeating followed by attempts to get rid of the food eaten  Avg calories in short periods  Periods of overeating often done in secret  Vomiting, laxatives

Consequences  Dehydration  Electrolyte imbalance  Irregular heartbeat  Cloudy thinking  Kidney failure  Death  Weight gain

 Abdominal pain  Chronic sore throat  Broken blood vessels in eyes  Swollen cheeks and salivary glands  Weakness, dizziness  Tooth decay, mouth sores  Ruptured stomach or esophagus

Warning Signs  Try to hide binging and purging  Usually normal weight  Lack of control over eating  Secrecy surrounding eating  Eating unusually large amounts of food w/ no signs of weight gain  Disappearance of food

 Going to bathroom after meals, laxatives  Smell of vomit  Excessive exercising  Calluses or scars on knuckles  Puffy “chipmunk” cheeks  Discolored teeth  Frequent weight fluctuations

Causes  No single cause: social, psychological, biological  Poor body image  Dieting  Low self-esteem  Major life changes  Appearance-oriented professions

Treatment  Breaking binge-purge cycle: monitor eating habits, avoid situations that cause binge, eat regularly, cope w/ stress  Changing unhealthy thoughts or patterns

Binge Eating  Most common  Compulsive overeating  Usually eat large amounts of food at one time, even when not hungry  Do not attempt to get rid of food  Experience feelings of shame or guilt

 Typically lasts about 2 hours  Can be off and on throughout the day  Feel like they can’t stop

Effects  Stress  Insomnia  Depression  Anxiety  Weight gain  Type 2 diabetes  Gallbladder disease

 High cholesterol  High blood pressure  Heart disease  Certain types of cancer  Joint and muscle pain  Intestinal problems

Warning Signs  Inability to stop or control eating  Rapidly eating large amounts of food  Eating when your full  Hiding food secretly for later  Eating normally around others, gorging alone  Feeling tension that is only relieved by eating

 Embarrassment over what you’re eating  Never feeling satisfied no matter how much eat  Feel guilt, disgust after overeating

Causes  Biological  Psychological  Social

 Therapy  Medications?