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Issue Description
It is common for young people to worry about their weight, size and shape, and in some people this may develop into an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Although these disorders are most common in young women, men are increasingly affected, as are older people. An NHS survey in 2007 found that an alarming 6.4% of adults over 16 had a problem with food. This book examines types of eating disorder, what causes them and how they can best be tackled.
The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.
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Key Facts
- A lot of young people, many of whom are not overweight in the first place, want to be thinner. They often try to lose weight by dieting or skipping meals. For some, worries about weight becomes an obsession. This can turn into a serious eating disorder. (page 1)
- Having anorexia means you think you are fat even when you are very thin. You often go to a lot of trouble to avoid eating. You may also make yourself throw up, take laxatives or spend hours exercising. (page 3)
- In developed countries, around one to two in every 200 young women have bulimia. Men can have bulimia too, but it’s much more common in women. For every man who has the condition, there are around nine or ten women who have it. (page 4)
- Binge eating is different from normal appetite increases or overeating from time to time. People with a binge eating problem eat unusually large amounts of food on a regular basis. (page 6)
- A survey of 600 young people by beat has discovered that out of those surveyed, 91% had experienced bullying and 46% felt it contributed to their eating disorder. (page 8)
- Research from the NHS Information Centre (NHS IC) found that 6.4 per cent of adults had a problem with food, a figure much higher than previously thought. (page 11)
- A survey by Girlguiding UK found that 12 per cent of 10- to 11-year-old girls wish to make themselves thinner. 21 per cent of 11- to 16-year-olds and 33 per cent of 16- to 21-year-olds would also like to be thinner. (page 17)
- Research commissioned by Central YMCA, the UK’s leading activity for health charity, revealed that 90 per cent of people believe the media and advertising industry should use models with a broader range of body sizes. (page 19)
- 26 per cent of 14- and 15-year-olds often don’t eat breakfast, 22 per cent skip lunch and ten per cent regularly go without either, a study by the Schools Health Education Unit has found. (page 22)
- The Royal College of Psychiatrists has called for the Government to do more to address the dangers of pro-eating disorder websites and keep young people safe online. (page 25)
- John Evans, a professor of sociology at Loughborough University, has carried out research on the impact of anti-obesity campaigns on adolescents which showed that it could inadvertently lead to more concern about their weight and potentially propel them towards a damaging relationship with food. (page 33)
- According to a survey by beat, only 15% of people felt their GP understood eating disorders and knew how to help. (page 36)
- Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, but it remains one of the least understood. It is estimated that between 8% and 20% of sufferers will die as a result of the condition – half of them by suicide – and that a further 30% will remain ill for life, with complications including osteoporosis, digestive diseases, chronic anxiety, psychosis and heart failure. (page 38)
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Table of Contents
Chapter One: Eating Disorders
Eating disorders in young people, Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge eating, Other eating disorders, Bullying and eating disorders, Healthy food obsession sparks rise in new disorder, Do we all have disordered eating?, The rise of male eating disorders, Size zero bad news for bones, Some facts, Eating disorders over 40, Are you a drunkorexic?
Chapter Two: Body Image and Media
Girls’ attitudes, Anxiety over body image, Girls ‘damaged’ by mum’s diet, ‘Crisis in masculinity’ leads to eating disorders, Living on one meal a day, Airbrushed ads damaging a generation of young women, Size zero: an undernourished argument, The fashion industry, Moss criticised for ‘pro-anorexia comment’, Psychiatrists urge action to tackle ‘pro-ana’ websites, Pro-eating disorder websites, Too fat to be a princess?, Anorexia risk ‘could be predicted'.
Chapter Three: Recovery
What are the treatments for eating disorders?, Eating disorders in teenagers, Self-help tips, Obesity leaves eating disorders in the shade, ‘While I was eating I would go into a trance’, Choice or chance?, Psychotherapy for eating disorders, An aching hunger.
Key Facts
Glossary
Index
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
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The Study Guide for: Understanding Eating Disorders - Volume 184
Each book in the Issues series has a study guide. These four-page guides provide a variety of discussion points and other activities to suit a wide range of ability levels and interests.
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £1.95
ISBN: 978 1 86168 525 4