Do we really need more research on anorexia nervosa?

Anorexia is an eating disorder which involves starvation and sometimes rigorous exercise. For the sufferer, life revolves around an obsession with thinness.

For the anorexic, to be thin means to be successful and any attempts to thwart her obsessive behaviour are seen as threats to her well-being.

At the root of anorexia, as with all compulsive or obsessive behaviour, lies low self-esteem and deep depression. Anorexia is a symptom of these. Not everyone who is depressed or has low self - esteem develops an eating disorder.But everyone who develops one certainly suffers from these.

A great deal of time and money has been spent on research on anorexia nervosa. Yet anorexia in teenage girls, women and increasingly men, continues to rise.

As a recovered anorexic I know that it is the underlying problems that cause a person to develop an eating disorder that need treatment.

If there is any hope of eliminating anorexia and other eating disorders from our society, we need to start relying on our intuition and common sense and to face what amounts not only to a growing number of sufferers of eating disorders but also an alarming increase in those suffering from all depression related problems.

There is a lot of blame surrounding anorexia and other eating disorders.

There are two very sensitive issues involved. The first is that 'mental illness' carries enormous stigma. The fact that research on anorexia nervosa continues to assert that eating disorders are psychiatric illnesses means that they, too, carry a stigma.

The second is that for those cases involving children and teenagers, parents are highly sensitive to any criticism of their parenting skills.

Regarding the first issue. My background is in psychology, philosophy and social anthropology. I like to question and I'm uncomfortable with the idea of statics such as 'mental illness.'

It is my belief that there is no such thing. There are simply healthy and unhealthy ways of thinking.Having recovered from anorexia, I don't look back on the days when I was mentally ill. I look back on the days when I was unhappy and mixed up.Research on anorexia nervosa may refute that, but I know that I am the best judge of my sanity.

The second issue of parenting is difficult, but not insurmountable. As a parent, I am fully aware of how the slightest criticism can be painful. I am far more aware, however, of my need to continually grow as a person in order to be the best parent I can be.

I have made many mistakes and I will continue to do so. But if I can honestly put my hand on my heart and say that I am able to put my son first, and give him the love and integrity he deserves, then I can put those mistakes behind me and continue to grow.

We are in an age of enlightenment. Gone are the days when we can be content with the superficial. The human race has taken huge leaps and bounds in terms of our consciousness and our awareness of where it can take us.

If we are to help those suffering from anorexia - whether they are our children, our partners, our students, or our friends, we must stop looking for who is to blame.

We must stop being scared and understand that eating disorders are simply about low self esteem and that the remedy is available to us all, as parents, as families, as educators and as friends.

Low self esteem and depression are endemic in western society, and are rapidly rising. Yet more than ever we have access to ways to build self esteem in ourselves and our children. If we are to truly prevent anorexia in teenage girls, and all forms of depression in our children and our society, we must access those ways.

We must stop worrying about what people think and about where we may have gone wrong, and use our energy and our resources to move forward.

We, in the western world need to learn to value ourselves and our emotional health. To take seriously the concept of self-esteem as the pivot around which everything turns.

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Anorexic teenagers and children

The rise in anorexic teenagers and children is frightening to see. So too is the young age that young girls start to become aware of their bodies. A recent survey conducted by the national heart, lung and blood institute of girls aged 9 -10 showed that 40% have tried to lose weight.
Another study conducted by the national institute on media and family showed that at age thirteen, 53% of American girls are "unhappy with their bodies." This grows to 78% by the time girls reach seventeen.

One problem is that the increase in anorexic teenagers and those suffering from other eating disorders is accompanied by a dramatic increase in the pro anorexic sites that educate vulnerable young people on ways to become anorexic.
I have gained access to some of these sites and am appalled at the way in which these very vulnerable girls are encouraging each other to continue starving themselves.
More than ever it is important to be aware of the effect that the media, in various forms, affects our children. Building their self esteem, and our own, and teaching them to value themselves enough to see the pressures around them as irrelevant is crucial for the health of our society.
For many parents, the epidemic of eating disorders is frightening. As anorexia and other eating disorders are increasing amongst boys and men, it is not just those with daughters who are concerned.One of the reasons for the fear is that parents often don't know what an eating disorder involves, and what they need to watch out for.
It is easy for parents to feel out of their depth if they are afraid their son or daughter may be suffering from an eating disorder.
The key is not to panic. Learning about eating disorders, and the ways to deal with it is the answer. I was once anorexic. I recovered and am determined to help others to do so also.

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Pro bulimia tips and tricks

Pro anorexic sites are websites full of anorexic images and anorexia and bulimia tips and tricks.These sites glorify disorders such as anorexia and bulimia and promote them as lifestyle choices.

They claim that those suffering have the right to be left alone to do what they want with their own bodies.Yes, everyone has the right to do what they want with their own body.

That goes without saying.But rights are about the right to be happy and live a long and fulfilling life, and all the other things that we should all be able to take for granted, not the right to pass on dangerous information such as these bulimia tips and tricks.

I've spent quite a lot of time viewing pro anorexic and pro bulimia sites and have even signed up with one so that I can advertise my website from there.

What can be seen is heartbreaking. Young women and girls sharing bulimia tips and tricks and other ways to lose weight, whilst occasionally opening their hearts about the truth - the fact that they are desperately unhappy.

Anorexic images abound as members desperately compete to lose the most weight.They pass tips to each other - ways to purge, the best laxatives, ways to fill themselves up with the minimum of calories, etc, etc.

They post and view pictures such as these, which they call 'thinspiration.'These websites do not help anyone - they perpetuate the damage that these girls and women are doing to themselves. They are simply encouraging each other to starve.

And they are determined to survive. Even though they were banned by Google, there are masses of them to be found on Live Journal - another search engine.

Having searched them for anorexia I found no less than 348 pro anorexic websites.According to this Daily Mail article, these are just the tip of the iceberg. Apparently there are thousands of these sites, actively encouraging young girls to starve themselves.

'Social websites like MySpace encourage anorexia', warn charities

Eating disorder charities have called on social websites such as My Space, Face book and You tube to have tighter controls on their content, after they found anorexic girls using them to pass on bulimia tips and tricks.

The bizarre fad - known as thinspiration - is partly driven by ultra skinny celebrities such as Nicole Richie and Victoria Beckham. Now thousands of shocking videos showing shocking anorexic images have been posted by teens on popular film clip site You Tube.

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Ways to increase self esteem

Here are some great ways to increase self esteem. Firstly, it is important to learn how to relax.

When we are stressed, it is difficult to see things clearly. This means that we find it hard to see the reality - which is often more positive than we think when we are uptight.

The noise and discomfort of modern living can make us forget that we are part of the natural world around us.One of the best ways to increase self esteem is to find a place of nature where we can relax. This can be a place by the sea, a park, or even a garden.

It needs to be somewhere quiet where you can simply be aware of yourself and your connection to nature. However busy your life is, it is important to give yourself at least an hour a day in this place of peace. Use this valuable time to reflect. One of the best ways to build self esteem is to reflect on where you are now and where you would like to go. Without time to reflect we are like travelers with no map.I find the following exercise very helpful. I use it once a month to redefine my goals and make sure that I'm clear about where I'm headed.

On a piece of paper, draw a time line. At the beginning of the line, draw a picture of yourself and write down where you are at now. Are you happy? What do you enjoy doing? How much time do you devote to what you enjoy? Are you in the right job? What would you like to learn?
Thinking about any of these facets of your life that you may like to change, draw yourself at various stages on the time line appearing as the new you if all those factors changed.For example, if you are unhappy in your job, imagine what your perfect job would be. Imagine in detail how you would feel in your new job. Draw that new you somewhere on your time line, and then jot down some notes on how you could get yourself from where you are now to this new you.I find this really helps me to focus and gain new awareness into myself and my goals.

When we are looking at ways to increase self esteem, one of the main factors is finding ways to feel more in control.A great way to do this is to make changes. By making even the smallest change, we gain a sense of autonomy and a growing realization that if we can make small changes we can make bigger ones too.

Unless we regularly take stock and reflect, we can easily get stuck in a rut. By making a conscious decision to make at least one small change a day, we urge ourselves forward.Think of the number of little habits you've got into without even realizing. Brushing your teeth in a certain way, eating and drinking the same things, buying the same newspaper.Make a conscious decision to change one of these things each day. Our thoughts create our feelings so one of the most important ways to increase self esteem is to be aware of our thoughts.Every day 50,000 thoughts pass through the human mind and studies have shown that about 80% of them are negative. If you question this, track your thoughts for a few minutes and see how many of them are negative.

Once you have become aware of any negative thoughts, you need to work on replacing them with positive ones. We can all be harsh on ourselves sometimes but when we get into the habit of criticizing ourselves we cause depression and low self esteem in ourselves.Another useful ways to increase self esteem is to make a list of all the positive things about yourself that you can think of. Anything you like about yourself, any achievements of which you feel proud - write them down, and stick them up somewhere you can see them.

Read them every day, and every time you have a negative thought about yourself, remind yourself of the great things about you.You are a special person with unique talents and gifts that are valuable to others. Remind yourself of this at every opportunity and work on building on your strengths so that you and others can gain the full benefit of them.

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Increasing numbers of teenagers use pro anorexic sites to find tips on becoming anorexic

For a young girl with low self esteem, the tips on becoming anorexic so readily available on the growing number of pro anorexic sites are often seen as the tips to success.

This has been heightened by the invention of size zero. How can young, impressionable girls see the wrong in pro anorexic sites if they are shown by the media and fashion industry that achieving that level of thinness is not only acceptable, but desirable. Zero means 'nothing.'

Zero means nothing

Surely then, size zero must mean size nothing.

So how can there be less than nothing?

Apparently there is - it's called size double zero. That doesn't mean more than zero. It means less.
Considering that to be a size zero you have to have the waist size of an 8 year old girl, I don't even want to know the measurements of a double zero.What I would like to know, and sorry if I sound paranoid, but is someone out there trying to kill us all off?

How many models are going to drop dead before we all say 'Enough'?

How many more millions of females, including increasingly young girls, are going to suffer, at the very least from chronic low self esteem, at most die, literally of starvation, before we say, 'STOP.'
Anger may not always be productive, but this is about a real injustice, and I feel angry.

No, the media can't force any of us to believe that we have to be any size or shape, neither is anybody forced to take on board tips on becoming anorexic, but it would be stupid to suggest that these influences have no effect on young girls and women.


I'm only 36, and I remember a time when it was normal to be a size 12 and a size 8 was considered skinny.

Now a size 4 - whatever that means - is considered, by the fashion industry, and those who take it seriously, to be fat.

Even more horrifying are the methods employed by models to gain their skeletal bodies - the drugs and tips on becoming anorexic they are using, and being encouraged to use, in order to keep their weight down.

Even more horrifying than that is that these same drugs are being used to treat children with ADD - attention deficit disorder, even though they have been found to cause hardening of the heart in rats.

No, I didn't believe it either.... you need to read this article about the size zero pill to believe it If you are suffering from low self esteem and depression, and think that the pro anorexic sites tips on becoming anorexic are the answer. Use the internet wisely. There are many sites like this one which can help you build your self esteem and self confidence.

Adolescent drug addicts who undergo teen drug addiction treatment early on stand a good chance of getting their lives back on track. Similarly, teens with eating disorders can benefit from an inpatient rehabilitation experience.

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Becoming bulimic is increasingly seen as a way to become thin

For those obsessed with losing weight, becoming bulimic is increasingly seen as the answer. As with all eating disorders, low self esteem leads the sufferer to focus on the one thing she feels she can control - her body.

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by episodes of binge-eating followed by harmful methods of weight control (purging).

Harmful methods of weight control include vomiting, fasting, enemas, excessive use of laxatives and diuretics, or compulsive exercising.

Bulimia is a facet of anorexia. Not all anorexics are bulimic, but for many suffering from anorexia, becoming bulimic is seen as a way of dealing with the agony of being torn between hunger and the desire to be thin.The natural relief felt in satisfying hunger is accompanied by feelings of guilt and self disgust. The anorexic feels that she has let herself down by eating. So she makes herself sick.The cycle of overeating and purging quickly becomes an obsession and is repeated often.

For the anorexic, becoming bulimic is seen to have another advantage. As long as she is seen to be eating she can deny that she has a problem.Increasing numbers of teenagers are becoming bulimic in an attempt to hide their eating disorder from their parents.

It is not always easy to spot the signs of bulimia, as bulimics as with sufferers of all eating disorders, may be thin, overweight, or a normal weight.

But there are warning signs to look out for. If someone frequently goes to the toilet soon after eating, and spends longer in usual in there, she may be bulimic.Eyes tend to water a lot after being sick, and that's quite hard to hide. Often the time bulimics spend in the bathroom is eye drying time.Knuckles are sometimes a give away - they can become chafed.

As with all eating disorders however, the key thing to look for is unhappiness. All eating disordered people are very good at hiding their eating habits. It is not so easy however, to hide unhappiness, depression or low self esteem. There are many signs of these.

Those with low self esteem find it difficult to handle problems. They are very self critical and often find it difficult to socialize and may become withdrawn. It is difficult for them to try new things or learn new skills and often feel that if they do not do something 'perfectly' it is not worth doing at all.

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The three categories of eating disorders

There are three categories of eating disorders The first is anorexia nervosa. Somebody who is suffering from anorexia tries to lose weight by restricting her food intake. She usually exercises a lot.

The second of the three categories of eating disorders is bulimia nervosa. Somebody suffering from bulimia purges after eating. Like those suffering form anorexia, she also wants to lose weight. After eating, the sufferer feels guilty, and feels that the only way to rid herself of the guilt is to purge herself of the food. So she makes herself sick.

Many of those suffering from anorexia, also suffer from bulimia, and vice versa. Both are torn between the desire for food and the desire to be thin. The third category is binge eating disorder. Those suffering from binge disorder eat large amounts of food but don't purge afterwards. Although these three categories of eating disorder are widely accepted as medical terms, I find it unhelpful to categorize them in this way.

A great deal of emphasis is placed on the differences between food related disorders. However, at the root of them all is the same problem - depression and its accompaniment - low self-esteem. Food is a tool.

Like any tool, it can be used for positive or negative effect. Those with high self esteem use the tools available to them in a productive and effective way. They spend money wisely, look after their health, and use whatever resources they have to build a safe and happy life.

 People with low self esteem find it hard to access the tools they possess within themselves, and they don't feel that they have a right to the tools external to them.

They therefore feel that they have no control. In order to have good self-esteem, it is important to know what we can control and what we can't. What we need to control in order to achieve happiness, and where it's best to let go.

For those with low self-esteem, distinguishing between these is difficult. They may feel for example, that to be happy they need to bring about a change in another person's behaviour. What they may actually need to do is move away from that person, at least psychologically. Not feeling good enough is another cause of low self esteem.

This leads to bad decision making which leads to further depression. For example, a woman with low self esteem is in a job which she does not enjoy.

She blames her lack of enjoyment on herself, and so she stays. If she were to increase her self esteem, she may decide that she is unhappy because she really wants to do something else.

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A different approach towards understanding eating disorders

As the statistics of eating disorders rise, it is more important than ever to explore why so many men, women, teenagers and children are falling prey to them.

The pressures of modern living, particularly on young people is probably greater now than ever. The demands placed on us to be successful, popular, rich...and thin, are extreme.

Such demands can often lead to the development of depression and low self esteem. Greater and greater numbers of children and teenagers are falling prey to these. This leaves them vulnerable to what many view as a 'way out.'

Drugs, alcohol and eating disorders can all be seen as options to help people cope when they can see no other way.
ng disorders.

As a recovered anorexic I understand why people develop eati
Whether we are talking about binge disorder, bulimia or anorexia, the underlying reasons for eating disorders are low self esteem and depression.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for parents to teach their children to have a strong sense of identity and high self esteem. Media influence is all pervasive, and the economic climate is putting increasing pressure on parents to spend more time at work, and less time with family.

Many parents have also fallen prey to the myth that in order to have any value, we must conform to societal dictates.

If we are to work together as a society to try to eradicate these disorders in our society, we must be able to honestly face the reasons behind them.

This involves looking closely at our own levels of self esteem. Often the strain of working and juggling in our modern world means that we don't pay close enough attention to our emotional health.
Illnesses which can be traced to poor self image and self esteem are rapidly growing.

We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to take this seriously, and to know that when we are looking at the reasons for eating disorders, we are also looking at the reasons behind every other self esteem based problem. This site is designed to help anybody who is suffering from an eating disorder, or who knows someone who is. For any more information or advice, please contact me. There is no need to suffer in silence.

This website is also designed as part of a campaign against the preponderant pro anorexic sites that continue to tempt young women and even children into an anorexic or bulimic lifestyle. Those running these sites are suffering from eating disorders and need help. Under the guise of 'providing a forum for sufferers of eating disorders to help each other' they are condoning and glorifying self-harm.

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Developing self esteem in teens

Developing self esteem in teens is the best way to prevent teenagers from falling prey to eating disorders. At their core, eating disorders involve distorted, self-critical attitudes. It’s these negative thoughts and feelings that fuel the damaging behaviors.

Eating disorders involve extreme disturbances in eating behaviors — following rigid diets, gorging on food in secret, throwing up after meals, obsessively counting calories.

Purging is used to combat feelings of helplessness and self-loathing.

Over time, people with eating disorders lose the ability to see themselves objectively and obsessions over food and weight come to dominate everything else in life.As a recovered anorexic I know that recovery has little to do with food, and everything to do with self-esteem.

Food is simply the tool the anorexic, bulimic or binge eater uses to deal with uncomfortable or painful emotions. Restricting food is used to feel in control. Overeating temporarily soothes sadness, anger, or loneliness.

Although there are many ways of developing self esteem in teens, some of them not always obvious. It's hard to believe sometimes, but even in this age of technology, teenagers still crave the company and affection of their parents.

They often want it to be shown in the simplest of ways - watching movies together, going for walks, generally just spending quality time together.

In our money oriented society, parents can often feel that to please their children they have to spend lots of money, but that's not actually the case.

Prevention is better than cure. Developing self esteem in teens and also in our children when they are young can only have positive consequences.

With high self esteem it is far easier to live a healthy and productive life, free from worry about what others think. Those who have high self esteem, negative influences, including those of the media, have far less impact.  The belief that eating disorders may be prevented by concentrating on building self esteem may go against the psychiatric grain.

According to some psychiatric lines of thought, some people are born with a natural tendency towards eating disorders.

I believe these theories to be rather static in nature, giving both sufferers and their families the impression that there is something intrinsically 'wrong' with them.

Assertions such as this:Certain personality traits are common in people with eating disorders, which include:

* low self-esteem
* perfectionism
* a need to please others
* mood problems, especially depression
* mental health problems such as disruptive rituals - for more information please see the separate BUPA factsheet, Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

An eating disorder may bring a sense of control and achievement to certain people with these personality traits. (BUPA)

are static in the sense that they imply that there is something 'fixed' about the person suffering and that he or she is somehow destined to develop an eating disorder.

I believe that this kind of conclusion is unhelpful because it does not allow the sufferer or their loved ones to have any hope for change.

Given a certain set of circumstances, anybody can develop such 'personality traits.'

Nobody's personality is fixed, and nobody has a personality trait of low self-esteem - assertions like these are nonsensical.

Self-esteem - knowing how to gain and build it is a skill. Like all skills it needs to be learned. The best time for this is in childhood.

I really believe that if we all, as a society, concentrate on ways of developing self esteem in teens, in ourselves, and in young children too, that we can combat eating disorders once and for all.

If your child or anyone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, they do need a lot of love and support. But they also need professional help. I recovered with cognitive behavioral therapy. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Our children need to know how much we love them, and it's really important that this is shown in tangible ways.

Any quality time spent that revolves around nurture - physical, spiritual or emotional - is time well spent, and will help your child to focus on the bonds between you, taking his/her mind off the preoccupation with food, weight or anything else negative or non productive.

Activities such as sport, watching movies together, and tactile pursuits which involve intimacy on both parts, such as massage, or even learning reflexology or aromatherapy together, can be very helpful as they focus on the body in view of it's relation to the whole person, and it's need for nurture.To read more about alternative therapies, and how they may help in developing self esteem in teens, please click the link on the nav bar.

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How Ayurveda may help sufferers of anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders

Ayurveda is India’s traditional, natural system of medicine that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that literally translated means "science of life" or "practices of longevity."

It was the system of health care conceived and developed by the seers (rishis) and natural scientists through centuries of observations, experiments, discussions, and meditations.

For several thousand years their teachings were passed on orally from teacher to student; about the fifth to sixth century BC, elaborately detailed texts were written in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India.

For many years this system flourished and was used by rich and poor alike in India and Southeast Asia. This natural system of medicine emphasizes prevention of disease, rejuvenation of our body systems, and extension of life span.

The profound premise and promise of Ayurveda is that through certain practices, not only can we prevent heart disease and make our headaches go away, but we can also better understand ourselves and the world around us, live a long healthy life in balance and harmony, achieve our fullest potential, and express our true inner nature on a daily basis.

This natural system provides an integrated approach to preventing and treating illness through lifestyle interventions and natural therapies. It is based on the view that the elements, forces, and principles that comprise all of nature - and that holds it together and make it function - are also seen in human beings.

The mind (or consciousness) and the body (or physical mass) not only influence each other - they are each other. Together they form the mind-body.

For someone with anorexia, bulimia or another eating disorder, this type of therapy - that focuses on the whole person, can be very beneficial.

Anorexics and bulimics tend to see themselves as a selection of separate components. This allows them to maintain a rigid and austere lifestyle which does not cater to their needs.

The process of recovery involves the merging together of the spiritual, emotional, physical and psychological elements of the sufferer, allowing him or her to recognise the needs associated with each, and that one cannot truly be fulfilled without the needs of the others also being met.name Ayurvedic philosophy and practices link us to every aspect of ourselves and remind us that we are in union with every aspect of nature, each other, and the entire universe.

It maintains that the universal consciousness is an intelligent, aware ocean of energy that gives rise to the physical world we perceive through our senses.

There can be no mental health without physical health, and vice versa. In Ayurveda, symptoms and diseases that could be categorized as mental thoughts or feelings are just as important as symptoms and diseases of the physical body.

Recognition of this is crucial to the recovery of the sufferer of anorexia or bulimia, as, in order to get better she must first accept that she is not only starving her body, but also her mind, and that that very starvation is perpetuating her negative image of herself.

Both are due to imbalances within a person, and both are treated by restoring the natural balance mentally and physically. In Ayurveda your whole life and lifestyle must be in harmony before you can enjoy true well being.

Lifestyle interventions are a major Ayurvedic preventive and therapeutic approach, which is why we believe that Ayurvedic therapy, especially used alongside other complementary therapies, may be useful in helping a sufferer of anorexia, bulimia or another eating disorder to gain a sense of emotional and spiritual equilibrium, essential to her recovery.

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So how does low self esteem lead to an eating disorder?

Nobody wants to be unhappy. For those with low self esteem and depression, life is an uphill struggle. Any way out is a way out.

When people are looking for a way to be happy, they look around them to see how other people do it.If they have healthy self esteem, they will look for healthy ways.

They may change their job, gain new skills, take on a new hobby. But for those who are depressed, motivation is low. They find it hard to rise to those sorts of challenges as they don't believe themselves to be capable of doing so.So they look for another way.

It could be drugs or alcohol. Or it could be controlling food and weight.And with the growing percentage of celebrities with anorexia it's not really surprising that this is increasingly becoming the option that is chosen.

 Low self esteem is responsible for a great deal of unhappiness in the modern western world. That is why it is so important to worry less about the three categories of eating disorders, and think much more about how to build self esteem in ourselves and in others.



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