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Body image
Home Body Archive by Category "Body image"

Category: Body image

24 JunBodyBody imageFeaturedFoodNutrition

Ask the nutritionist: “I am healthy but on the skinny side. How do I gain weight?”

by Jenna Volpe0 Comments

Reading Time: 2 minutes If you have a low body weight and wish to gain weight for health or sports-related reasons, here’s how to do it.

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20 MayBodyBody imageFeaturedMental healthMind

The power of body positivity, and why weight stigma matters

by Macaela Mackenzie0 Comments

Reading Time: 6 minutes Despite the stigma that exists in our culture, it’s important to remember that all bodies deserve to be treated with respect. Here’s how to practice body positivity in your daily life.

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15 AprBodyBody imageFeaturedMental healthMind

Ask the counselor: “How can I be less insecure?”

by Scyatta Wallace0 Comments

Reading Time: 3 minutes We can all be unsure of ourselves at times. Here are a few ways to find confidence when insecurity arises.

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19 FebBodyBody imageFeaturedMental healthMind

9 Instagram influencers leading the body positivity movement

by Staff writers0 Comments

Reading Time: 5 minutes Find inspiration and motivation with these nine body-positive Instagrammers who promote body love and acceptance for all sizes, colors, and abilities.

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04 DecBodyBody imageFeaturedFoodNutrition

How to spot disordered eating habits—and what to do about it

by Emily Glover0 Comments

Reading Time: 9 minutes Learn about disordered eating patterns and how to recognize and address symptoms.

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11 SepBodyBody imageFeaturedStaying healthy

Ask the doc: “Should I be worried if my freckles have gotten darker?”

by Davis Smith0 Comments

Reading Time: 2 minutes Our expert physician reveals whether darkened freckles or moles are worrisome, and how to protect your skin.

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21 AugBodyBody imageStaying healthy

Ask the doc: “Is it normal for moles to appear a lot more when we age?”

by Davis Smith0 Comments

Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s very common for people to acquire and lose moles over the course of their lifetime. Find out what’s normal and when you should be concerned.

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01 MayBodyBody imageFeaturedMental healthMindStaying healthy

Weight vs. wellness: Which goals work for your health?

by Lucy Berrington0 Comments
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Rate this article and enter to win
How do you feel about your body? And how is that perspective working for you?

Body weight and body image are among the most challenging and perplexing health and wellness issues we face. You may have noticed the tension between these two familiar messages:

  • Being underweight, overweight, or obese may be problematic for our health.
  • Controlling our weight is difficult and may be stressful. Our efforts may backfire and increase our risk of anxiety and depression, disordered eating, obsessive behaviors, and other health problems.

Why weight and health are difficult to navigate

In part, it’s because of the negative judgment attached to some body types. Some health experts say the medical focus on body mass index (BMI)—a person’s weight measurement divided by their height measurement—plays into this stigma. “Weight dissatisfaction” makes people less able to adopt healthy behaviors, according to a 2015 study in Current Obesity Reports.

How body image affects our health

On college campuses, these risks are evident. “There is this cultural belief that people have to be dissatisfied with themselves in order to make behavioral changes to improve their health,” says Sara Stahlman, marketing and communication coordinator of Campus Health Services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “In fact, the opposite has been shown; people take better care of their bodies when they hold their bodies in high regard.” Many health care professionals agree. Stigmatizing body size makes people “sicker, poorer, lonelier, and less secure,” says Dr. Deb Burgard, a psychologist in California who specializes in body image, weight, and health issues.

How weight is (and isn’t) relevant

Some experts say we should take weight out of health advice altogether. Others say that is unrealistic because weight is related to health. The evidence seems to come down to this:

  • Can body weight and size negatively affect our health? Yes, but it’s complicated. Body type/weight is one of many factors that influence our well-being. Someone of “normal” weight is not necessarily healthier than an overweight person.
  • Is weight change a useful and effective goal? In practice, probably not, since focusing on weight may introduce other health-related risks. Other benefits of self-care—such as improved energy, stress relief, and pleasure—can be more consistently and positively motivating.

“We can reduce the likelihood of disease without ever talking about weight or BMI,” says Stahlman. This approach, she says, “gives everyone permission to feel good about themselves and good about their process of becoming healthier, even if their weight never changes. And when people focus on the process toward health—the behaviors they have control over—their risk of disease goes down.”

How can I care for my own health and support others?

“Those looking to improve any aspect of their health need a squad. A proper squad should include a medical and/or fitness pro; a friend to relax and have fun with; another friend who’ll throw shade if you let go of what’s been working for you; and, finally, an everlasting cheerleader.”
—Roslyn Mays (Roz the Diva), a fitness trainer and pole-dancing instructor, New York (to SH101)

How campus communities can make this easier

“Here’s how I imagine the idyllic campus environment. Think about how living in a place like this would impact our motivation to take care of ourselves. All of us can work to create communities that are more like this, and in doing so, we shift towards improved health for everyone,” says Sara Stahlman, marketing and communication coordinator of Campus Health Services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A campus that supports students’ health and wellness could offer the following, she says:

  • Regardless of how peoples’ bodies look or how much they weigh or how much space they take up, everyone has permission to be a healthy, well-liked, and engaged student. People are told in a million ways that they are great just the way they are.
  • Free, accessible, high-quality health care and mental health care that focus on holistic well-being.
  • Accessible nutrient-dense food options and a culture of mindful eating (eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full).
  • Many fun ways for people to be active and build friendships while doing it.
  • A culture of valuing sleep, in which students support each other in getting the sleep they need.
  • A culture that values finding a balanced life and avoids competing over who is the busiest.

Student voices

“Many people at my college are obsessed with body image; [they are] mostly coming from a middle-class perspective which idolizes the body and makes people who do not, or cannot, fit into their concept of ‘healthy’ very uncomfortable.” —Andy K., fourth-year undergraduate, Wheaton College, Illinois

Does being overweight or obese increase my risk of disease?

“Weight is not a behavior, or a choice; it’s an outcome, and not entirely under our control. Genes exert an effect, as does the microbiome [micro-organisms in the body]. So there are problems with a focus on it, but there are problems ignoring it as well, as it does correlate with health risk.”
—Dr. David Katz, founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center at Yale University and president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (to SH101)

How can my weight affect my health?
  • Being underweight, overweight, or obese can increase the risk of certain diseases, though the exact role of body weight in influencing disease is not well understood, says the Society for Science-Based Medicine, an organization that evaluates the evidence relating to medical treatments and illness.
  • Being overweight is a risk factor for some diseases, including type II diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and heart disease, according to the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A risk factor is anything that influences our chance of developing a disease and how that disease affects us. Chronic diseases involve multiple risk factors.
  • Some studies of certain diseases suggest that overweight people survive longer than those in the “normal” weight range. However, the data are complex, says Science-Based Medicine (the website). Just as weight can be falsely blamed for causing health problems, it can also be mistakenly exonerated.
  • For people who are more than moderately overweight, the health risks increase, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2011.

Student voices

“We have seen problems in both directions: people suffering the ill effects of [weight] stigma, and people suffering the ill effects of ‘oblivobestiy,’ i.e., denial of the importance of weight to health. Weight…should be taken seriously, but without any stigma, like an indicator light on the dashboard of your car.” —Dr. David Katz, president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Why is body mass index (BMI) controversial?

“Science supports trying to control weight in general but it doesn’t support forcing every individual into the same mold of an ideal BMI range of 20–25. Fitness may be as important [to health] as fatness.”
—Dr. Harriet Hall (“The SkepDoc”), a family physician writing at Science-Based Medicine

What does my BMI mean for my health?
  • Body mass index (BMI) is a number used by health care providers. To get your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. The resulting number puts you into one of these categories: underweight, normal, overweight, or obese.
  • BMI is commonly used because it is easily accessible. All it requires is a person’s weight and height.
  • As a measure of health and even body type, BMI is somewhat crude and can be misleading. For example, lean athletes may be categorized as overweight because of their heavy muscle. Increasing lean weight (muscle and bone weight) is beneficial to health.
  • BMI does not necessarily correlate with other measures of health, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. People whose BMIs are in the overweight or obese categories may be healthy by other measures, and people with “normal” BMIs may be unhealthy by other measures, according to a 2016 study in the International Journal of Obesity.
  • BMI may come to be replaced by other measures of body composition that may be more meaningful for health (e.g., waist circumference, lean body mass index, frame size, and percent fat).

Student voices

“Body size/shape is a simple indicator of a complex characteristic. It cannot be measured accurately by visual measurement, but by physical activity, ability, and medical tests.” —Joshua W., fourth-year undergraduate, Truman State University, Missouri

“At age 12 I was told I needed to lose 10 pounds. I had issues with body image and food for 20 years after that, until I learned about Health at Every Size. However, I still struggle with body image. I’m going into health care and I worry people will think I don’t know what I’m taking about, since I am in the overweight BMI category.” —Crystal V., second-year graduate student, California State University, Chico

“Being slightly overweight does not mean that I am unhealthy. I’m in fact quite healthy.” —Male second-year undergraduate, University of Guelph, Ontario

What’s the risk in focusing on my BMI and weight?

“The stigma of [being] overweight—in the media, society as a whole and even the medical profession—can hold people back from getting help. The over-focus on shape and size can lead to unhealthy practices and even a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.”
—Dr. Ramani Durvasula, clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at California State University, Los Angeles (to SH101)

Is it harmful for me to try to lose weight?
  • Standard health care practice emphasizes the value of the “normal” BMI range and encourages us to manage our weight as a means of being healthier.
  • Categorizing some body types but not others as “normal” or “healthy” arguably leads to judgment about personal behaviors, and blame and discrimination based on body type. “Weight dissatisfaction” is an obstacle to healthy behaviors, and is linked to worse health outcomes, according to a 2015 study in Current Obesity Reports.
  • Even health care professionals exhibit “weight bias” (negative judgments about heavier people); this may discourage heavier people from adopting healthier behaviors and seeking health care, says a 2014 study in the Journal of Obesity.
  • Weight management can be difficult. Studies highlight the challenge of sustaining weight loss over the long term, and link dieting to “yo-yo” weight cycles and disordered eating. The focus on weight control may promote a sense of “learned helplessness,” says the same 2014 study.
  • Body type and weight are about more than personal behaviors, research indicates. Scientists are exploring the roles of genes, our environment, socioeconomic factors, our microbiology, and other factors.

Student voices

“[People criticizing my weight] made me more depressed and less motivated to make myself healthier. I ended up just eating more unhealthy food.” —Male fourth-year undergraduate, Temple University, Pennsylvania

“I am an obese person with social anxiety working on a BS in kinesiology. I was seeing a doctor and he told me, ‘No offense but you might want to lose weight; you don’t want to enter your program looking like that.’ If a doctor was willing to judge me for my weight, how much more would the people around me judge me? I became very anxious about starting the program and nearly dropped out. Even in my third year, I still find it hard to participate in class, due to the fear of being judged negatively.” —Female third-year undergraduate, University of New Brunswick

Is there a more effective way to set health goals?

“Healthy at any weight means an evaluation of one’s overall self and body, instead of just reducing oneself to a number. If a person feels that, at any weight, their choices promote their overall health and well-being (rather than engaging in unhealthy practices to ‘get the number down’), they can establish lifelong health habits.”
—Dr. Durvasula (to SH101)

How would I benefit from choosing other health goals?
  • The “weight inclusive” approach, which does not focus solely on weight or body shape, lends itself better to self-care and health, its proponents say. This approach is represented by the Health at Every Size (HAES) movement. “A person’s health is determined by so much more than willpower and lifestyle habits. HAES recognizes this,” says Stahlman.
  • Weight-inclusive approaches identify health and wellness as the goal, regardless of weight. They emphasize healthy behaviors, such as intuitive eating, and the broader benefits of physical activity, such as pleasure and improved energy.
  • Weight-inclusive approaches aim to reduce the shame and stigma associated with body type. This makes healthy behaviors more accessible and sustainable, suggests a 2014 review of studies in the Journal of Obesity.

Student voices

“What really matters is your health. If you have a little extra fluff, who cares? As long as your health is not at risk, you shouldn’t care what others think of your body image. Rock it!” —Lacy O., second-year student, University of Wisconsin, Richland

“As a skinny person I know I have societal privileges that fat people don’t. But a lot of ‘body positivity’ campaigns revolve around shaming skinny people rather than criticizing the culture that says skinniness is the only beautiful/healthy body type (looking at you, Meghan Trainor).” —Alex C., second-year student, University of Wisconsin, Waukesha

How to think about your body in ways that work
  • “Silencing the inner critic is a key step in the process [of accepting your body]. But it also involves being willing to let go of that critic,” says Dr. Megan Jones, clinical assistant professor at Stanford University, California, and chief science officer at Lantern, an evidence-based program for improving body image and reducing disordered eating behaviors.
  • Practice shifting your thinking. “Whenever possible, challenge yourself to think about your body in terms of what it can do instead of in terms of how it looks,” says Dr. Renee Engeln, psychology professor at Northwestern University, Illinois. “For example, if you find yourself feeling bad about how your legs look, remind yourself of all the things those legs do for you. They move you around in the world. They let you dance. Focusing on the functions of your body is a great way to treat your body with more kindness and respect.”
  • Incorporate walks, yoga, or other physical activities into your day. Almost any type of regular physical activity can help people feel better about their bodies, regardless of the effects on their fitness and body shape, according to a 2009 meta-analysis of studies by researchers at the University of Florida. 
  • Intuitive eating—learning to align your eating habits with internal appetite cues—can lead to a positive relationship with food, health benefits, and improved weight management, according to a 2014 review of studies in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. See Find out more today (on the page).
  • Keep healthy options easily accessible and make less healthy options inconvenient. Much evidence points to the power of environmental tweaks in changing our behavior, including our eating habits. See Find out more today.
  • In conversation, don’t focus on appearance. You may think you’re complimenting someone by saying, “Have you lost weight?” or “You look like you’ve been working out.” But you’re reinforcing the stereotype that thin means beautiful or that muscular means good-looking. Also, you don’t know what unhealthy behaviors you may be complimenting. Instead, ask your friend whether the dance classes are helping him feel stronger or sleep better.
  • Never criticize someone else’s body, even obliquely. “You cannot shame someone into healthy habits,” says Roslyn Mays (Roz the Diva), a fitness trainer and pole-dancing instructor in New York. “Sure, the potential for embarrassment can motivate change, but ultimately, if you feel bad, you’ll treat yourself badly.”
  • Accountability and support are key. “Work with groups of people who are going through the same process,” says Dr. Durvasula.

Student voices 

“I’ve always been a bit resentful of how telling someone they’ve lost weight is seen as a compliment.... It’s like imparting one’s own insecurities on another. I hear it often enough to detest it.” —Brendan G., fifth-year undergraduate, University of Mount Union, Ohio

“As someone who has struggled with disordered eating and body image since my early teens, I understand the temptation to punish my body. It is very easy to hate yourself in a world that trains you to critique and loathe your body for what it isn’t instead of appreciate it for what it is. Physical exercise forces you to come to terms with the fact that your body is a miracle, and can lead to positive body image and an increased sense of accomplishment and self-worth.” —Female second-year undergraduate, Mount Allison University, New Brunswick

Get help or find out more

Check your weight bias: Rudd Center, University of Connecticut

Explore Health At Every Size: Association for Size Diversity and Health

Research–based strategies for eating healthier effortlessly: Cornell University

Wellness, Not Weight: Health at Every Size and Motivational Interviewing: Ellen Glovsky [ed.]
Cognella Publishing, 2014

Get the hang of intuitive eating: Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch

Example of a “Body Beautiful” project: University of North Carolina

The non–diet diet: New York magazine

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01 FebBodyBody imageFeatured

What’s Batman got to do with body image and eating disorders?

by Joanna Carmona0 Comments

Reading Time: 3 minutes The unrealistic “Batman body” is the male equivalent of the Barbie doll. Find out what this type of modern imagery means for disordered eating in boys and men.

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01 MayBodyBody imageFeaturedFoodNutrition

Mind & body: A broader look at disordered eating

by Jenna Volpe0 Comments
Reading Time: 10 minutes

Rate this article and enter to win
In how many ways can eating be disordered? Anorexia and bulimia are familiar terms, and you might have heard of binge eating disorder. What about orthorexia, rumination disorder, muscle dysphoria, drunkorexia, or night eating disorder? Some are clinical diagnostic terms; some have been coined in the community. These and other terms reflect the broadening recognition that disordered eating, eating disorders, and body image issues can manifest in many different ways—including out-of-control eating, obsessive weight-training, cutting out food groups, abusing certain medicines, skipping meals before drinking alcohol, and more. Often, these behaviors both reflect and reinforce emotional health challenges.

How self-criticism can harm us

In many cases (but not all), disordered eating is related to an urge to more closely resemble a popular physical type. “People often feel that peace with your body is conditional: ‘I’ll accept my body when I lose weight or when I exercise more often,’” says Dr. Megan Jones, clinical assistant professor at Stanford University and chief science officer at Lantern, an evidence-based program for improving body image and reducing disordered eating behaviors.

“However, research shows that when you are less self-critical and improve your body image, you’re actually more likely to do the things necessary to optimize your emotional and physical well-being.”

What do many people with eating disorders have in common?

Body image & shame

Negative body image
Thoughts and behaviors might include:

  • Body-checking: Obsessively checking the mirror, scrutinizing parts of the body, or holding/pinching skin folds
  • Self-scrutiny: Criticizing your own body, in your head or out loud
  • Constant comparison: Comparing one’s own shape and size to that of others

Shame and guilt
Shame and guilt often follow the act of eating. People with eating disorders may feel unworthy of food as a source of nourishment, pleasure, or recovery.

  • Shame is a feeling of being inherently flawed: “I am bad/wrong.”
  • Guilt is feeling regretful about an action or behavior: “I did something bad/wrong.”

Black & white thoughts

Cognitive distortion: Black-&-white thinking
Cognitive distortions are destructive beliefs and self-judgments; these can reinforce eating disorder behaviors. Often, these are learned early in life.

Black-and-white (polarized thinking) is an “all or nothing” mentality that leaves no room for middle ground.

  • Food choices are categorized as “good” or “bad”, “safe” or “unsafe”.
  • Black-and-white thinkers tend to alternate between extreme behaviors specific to food and exercise (all or nothing).
  • Typical thought: “I already blew it by eating that cookie with lunchâ€Ķ Now I’m just going to eat whatever I want for the rest of the day and start over again tomorrowâ€Ķ”

Cognitive distortions

Personalization, mind-reading, and blaming

Personalization

  • Constantly measuring one’s worth by comparing oneself to others
  • Typical thought: “I’m the biggest person in this room.”

Mind-reading

  • Making assumptions about what others think of us without substantial evidence
  • Typical thought: “I hate grocery shopping because when I have lots food in my shopping cart, everybody around me is thinking I’m a fat pig, and I can’t handle that.”

Blaming

  • Taking the victim role: e.g., “They made me feel bad about my body so now I don’t care; I’m just going to binge on whatever I want.”
  • Blaming ourselves: e.g., “My ex broke up with me because I’m not good-looking enough.”

Cognitive distortions

Over-generalization and catastrophic thinking

Over-generalization

  • Taking a small piece of evidence or a one-time event and jumping to conclusions about “always” or “never”
  • Typical thought: “I gained weight this weekendâ€Ķ I will keep gaining weight every weekend for the rest of my life.”

Catastrophic thinking

  • Worrying about worst-case scenarios
    on a regular basis
  • Typical thought: “What if I lose control around food? If I’m alone then it’s possible, and since I will be alone later then it will definitely happen to meâ€Ķ”

Rigidity & isolation

Extreme rigidity

  • Calorie-counting and setting a daily
    calorie allowance
  • Strictly measured portions
  • Food rules: cutting out certain types of food
  • Limited variety; lack of flexibility: eating the same foods or food combinations every day

Social isolation

  • Avoiding social situations centered around food, such as restaurants, birthday celebrations, and holiday parties
  • Stems from fear of being judged or feeling pressured to eat a food that makes them anxious

Student story
“When people [manipulate] the natural way their bodies function with [eating disorder behaviors], it changes their personality, values, and attitude.”
—Randi P., fourth-year undergraduate at Pittsburg State University, Pennsylvania

Official eating disorders & related diagnoses: old & new

In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association updated its categories of eating disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The new diagnostic criteria are intended to support more individualized treatment approaches and achieve better outcomes.

These descriptions are abbreviated; they do not include information on the frequency and duration of relevant behaviors. Eating disorders should be diagnosed by a health care professional with relevant expertise and qualifications.

  • Anorexia Nervosa: Restriction of energy intake (calories) leading to a significantly low body weight, with intense fear of gaining weight and often denial of the seriousness of low body weight; “subthreshold” anorexia nervosa involves similar behaviors with a normal body weight
  • Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: Restrictive eating patterns ranging from feeding problems in infancy to restrictive eating in a young adult afraid of choking or vomiting; the causes are psychological but do not involve distorted body image or weight concerns
  • Binge Eating Disorder: Binge eating not followed by compensatory behaviors; “subthreshold” binge eating disorder involves similar behaviors with less frequency
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Extreme preoccupation with a perceived flaw in appearance, interfering with daily life; not an eating disorder per se, but may accompany one
  • Bulimia Nervosa: Binge eating (eating abnormally large amounts of food, past the point of feeling full, and feeling out of control while eating) followed by compensatory behaviors, e.g., self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives and diuretics, or excessive exercise; “subthreshold” bulimia nervosa involves similar behaviors with less frequency
  • Muscle Dysmorphia: Extreme preoccupation with the desire to have a muscular physique; not an eating disorder per se, but may accompany one
  • Night Eating Syndrome: A pattern of eating very late in the evening or in the middle of the night
  • Pica: Repeatedly eating non-food substances, e.g., dirt, clay, chalk, or laundry detergent; most often seen in pregnant women or people with iron-deficiency anemia
  • Purging Disorder: Compensatory purging behaviors without binge eating
  • Rumination Disorder: Regurgitating food, then re-chewing, re-swallowing or spitting it out; may be present with anorexia or bulimia

Eating disorders VS Disordered eating

Eating disorders:

  • Eating disorder refers to a serious psychiatric illness involving intrusive thoughts and actions related to food and weight that interfere with physical, social, and emotional health. “People don’t realize how disturbing [eating disorders] can be until there are dire consequences,” says Jen Rego, a licensed psychotherapist in Marlborough, Massachusetts, who specializes in eating disorders. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate out of any emotional illness, according to the American Journal of Psychiatry (2009). Causes of death include heart failure and suicide.

Eating disorders vary; they tend to involve behaviors like these:

  • Restricting food intake
  • Binge-eating: consuming large amounts of food in a relatively short time frame, to the point of feeling out of control and uncomfortably full
  • Purging: self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, or diuretics
  • Use and abuse of diet pills
  • Compulsive exercise with the goal of burning calories: More info

Engaging in multiple methods of compensatory behaviors (efforts to purge or offset calories from food) is associated with more severely disordered eating.

Disordered eating:

  • Disordered eating is a broader term that describes an unhealthy relationship with food. All eating disorders involve disordered eating. But someone with disordered eating does not necessarily have a full-blown eating disorder.

Signs of disordered eating include:

  • Abnormal, quirky behaviors and patterns related to food and eating
  • Changes in eating patterns due to temporary stressors, high-pressure events, or an injury or illness
  • Obsession and extreme rigidity around food choices
  • Anxiety related to eating certain foods or eating in certain situations, e.g., with a large group of people
  • Attempts to offset the calories from alcohol consumption (e.g., avoiding food or exercising obsessively)

Screen yourself

What are “orthorexia,” “drunkorexia,” and other unofficial eating disorders?

Orthorexia 
Restricting the type (but not the amount) of food to the point that it negatively affects quality of life: “healthy eating” taken to an extreme. Research suggests “orthorexia” may be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder and may be more prevalent in men than women.

Student story  
“I have seen a lot of people become ‘gluten-sensitive’ as a reason to remove grains from their diet. Many people see food as an enemy and focus on removing it from their life instead of focusing on making good choices that help energize their body.”
—Jessica T., first-year graduate student, Emory University, Georgia

Drunkorexia  
Restricting food or exercising obsessively to compensate for calories from alcohol. Research shows a strong association between heavy drinking, high levels of physical activity, and disordered eating in college students, according to a 2012 study in the Journal of American College Health. “Drunkorexia” is more prevalent among women than men and is motivated by concerns about body weight, according to a 2014 study in the same journal.

Pregnorexia refers to a resistance to gaining weight during pregnancy.

Diabulimia refers to behaviors in people with insulin-dependent (Type 1) diabetes who restrict their insulin to manipulate their weight.

What contributes to disordered eating?

Disordered eating likely reflects a combination of risk factors. Researchers are exploring many of these influences:

  • Genetics
  • Certain personality traits; e.g., anxiety, perfectionism, competitiveness, hyperactivity, and compulsiveness
  • Emotional health issues; e.g., traumatic experiences, addiction, depression, and stress
  • Environmental influences:
    • Idealized media images reinforce
      a narrow definition of attractiveness
    • Dieting in early life is related to eating disorders and obesity later
    • Social pressure and judgment (“body shaming”) contribute to eating disorders and obesity
    • Life transitions can increase exposure to possible triggers
    • Performance pressure—e.g., among athletes—can contribute to stress relating to body weight and shape

Helpline, treatment referrals, support groups, and tool kits

How common is this among students?

How to get along better with your body & your food

Here’s how Marci Anderson, MS, CEDRD (Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, breaks it down:

  • Mindful eating: using the five senses to fully experience foods
  • Self-care: nourishing the body and mind with a range of nutrients
  • Self-worth: feeling worthy of food, health, and happiness
  • Intuitive eating: being in touch with our hunger and fullness cues
  • Flexibility and variety: choosing different foods and meals from day to day, without stress or anxiety

Why body shaming fails and how you can counteract it

Body shaming (criticizing your own looks or someone else’s) can reinforce destructive self-beliefs and drive disordered eating behaviors, according to research. “Body shaming is a huge issue right now. Instead of encouraging people to have the ideal body, we need to encourage the ideal of loving the body you have,” says Sara A., a first-year graduate student at the University of North Texas.

Focus less on weight and body shape in your conversations. You may think you’re complimenting someone by saying, “Have you lost weight?” or “You look like you’ve been working out.” But you’re actually reinforcing the stereotype that thin means beautiful or that muscular means good looking.

Discuss the health and emotional benefits of healthy eating and physical activity, rather than their impact on appearance. For example, ask your friend whether the dance classes are helping him feel stronger or sleep better.

  • Resist criticizing your own body. If your friend or family member criticizes theirs, say, “You know I love you, and it hurts me to hear you say that about yourself.”
  • Worried about your friend’s disordered eating? Here’s how to talk to them about it.

How and why to tune out some of that media stuff

In a recent CampusWell survey, nearly 70 percent of respondents said the media’s portrayal of unrealistic body images affects the way they feel about their own body. Research has shown benefits from interventions that help people become more aware of the influence of the media on their body image, according to an analysis published in BMC Psychiatry (2013).

  • PhotoshopÂŪ and lighting are extensively used to make actors and models appear thin, chiseled, and flawless. Sometimes, they take things too far. For examples, search online for “Photoshop mistakes.”
  • Many actors dedicate considerable time and energy to diet and exercise, especially if their roles require a certain body type. That’s their job. It’s probably not yours.
  • The media play to our insecurities in order to sell us something—like miracle creams and get-buff-quick products (which don’t work).

“The thing that we have to understand and accept is that those images are unobtainable. Guys will not have flawless bodies with perfect abs, pecs, arms, etc. Similarly, girls will not have thin waists, large busts, larger butts, etc. Eating disorders can happen to anyoneâ€Ķ boys too.”
—Michael D., first-year undergraduate, Southwest Minnesota State University

Hang out with people who nourish your self-belief

  • If a friend or family member comments on your weight (positive or negative): “Thank you, I care about my health, but I try not to let my weight be a focus.”
  • When you’re tempted to compare your own looks to someone else’s, try to think about their—and your—positive traits that aren’t related to appearance. What do you admire about their personality? What might they admire about you?

Student story
“Being a black woman in a predominately white culture has taken a toll on my self-image. I still have my struggles about how I look, but having friends who do not emphasize highly unrealistic standards of beauty, and who embrace themselves, has really helped.”
—Third-year undergraduate, Rollins College, Florida

Student story
“The way to overcome a negative body image is to be around people who support you and make you feel good about your body. Once you are around people who love you no matter what you look like, you can really start to love yourself and love your body.”
—Chaminie D., fourth-year undergraduate, San Diego State University, California

How to disempower your inner critic

  • “I like that I can dunk a basketball.” 
  • “I’m really good with kids and can’t wait to finish my degree in elementary education.” 
  • “I’m a pretty darned good computer programmer, if I do say so myself!” 
  • “I’m a supportive and loyal friend.”

“Silencing the inner critic is a key step in the process [of accepting your body]. But it also involves being willing to let go of that critic.”
—Dr. Megan Jones, chief science officer at Lantern, a program for improving body image and eating behaviors

“Make a list of things you like about yourself that aren’t related to what you look like. Everyone has strengths; what are yours?”
—Dr. Rebecca Puhl, deputy director of The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and professor at the University of Connecticut

“Whenever possible, challenge yourself to think about your body in terms of what it can do instead of in terms of how it looks. For example, if you find yourself feeling bad about how your legs look, remind yourself of all the things those legs do for you. They move you around in the world. They let you dance. Focusing on the functions of your body is a great way to treat your body with more kindness and respect.”
—Dr. Engeln, psychology professor, Northwestern University, Illinois

Get active to help your body and mind support each other

Almost any type of regular physical activity can help people feel better about their bodies, regardless of the effects on their fitness and body shape, according to a 2009 meta-analysis of studies by researchers at the University of Florida.

Student story
“As someone who has struggled with disordered eating and body image since my early teens, I understand the temptation to punish my body. It is very easy to hate yourself in a world that trains you to critique and loathe your body for what it isn’t instead of appreciate it for what it is. Physical exercise forces you to come to terms with the fact that your body is a miracle, and can lead to positive body image and an increased sense of accomplishment and self-worth.”
—Second-year undergraduate, Mount Allison University, New Brunswick

When exercise isn’t working
If you find yourself exercising compulsively or punitively to compensate for what you’ve eaten or drunk, this may be a symptom of disordered eating.

Try a self-guided online intervention

Some internet-based interventions appear successful in preventing and/or treating eating disorders, according to studies. For example, Student Bodiesâ„Ē, an eight-session program developed for college students at risk of eating disorders, is based on cognitive-behavioral therapeutic techniques. Inquire at your campus counseling center about accessing an online (or other) intervention.

Helpline, treatment referrals, support groups, and tool kits



Get help or find out more

Feel good about your food and your body: Marci RD Nutrition Consulting

Info, help, & support: National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

Helpline & other resources: National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders (ANAD)

Resources for students and colleges: Eating for Life Alliance

Support with body Image: Psychology Today

Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)

Is there such a thing as too much exercise? Association for Body Image Disordered Eating


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01 FebBodyBody imageCommunicationFeaturedRelationships

Could you help a friend with an eating disorder?

by Brandy Reeves0 Comments
Reading Time: < 1 minutes

Eating disorders are serious health conditions that require medical attention and personal and professional support. It’s estimated that in the US, 20 million women and 10 million men will have an eating disorder at some point in their life. To increase the chances of recovery, early detection and intervention is key.

Symptoms vary according to the type of eating disorder. The signs can include:

  • Not eating enough
  • Intense fear of weight gain
  • Frequent periods of eating large amounts of food (which may or may not be followed by behaviors to stop weight gain, like induced vomiting)
  • Feelings of shame or guilt around eating

How to help a friend

If you’re worried a friend might have an eating disorder, here’s what you can do to help:

  • Be honest with your friend that you’re concerned. You could say something like, “I’m concerned about you, because you don’t eat breakfast or lunch.”
  • Don’t make promises or threats, e.g., “If you don’t get help, I won’t speak to you again”
  • Use “I” statements instead of “you” statements (which imply blame). E.g., avoid saying “You just need to eat” or “You are acting irresponsibly”.
  • Compliment your friend on their accomplishments and successes.
  • Express your support.  Let your friend know you are there to help/talk.
  • Ask for help! You’re not expected to have all the answers. If you need advice or help, talk to your school’s health or counseling center.

MORE INFO: National Eating Disorders Association

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01 SepBodyBody imageFeaturedFoodMindMindfulnessNutrition

Good mood food: The new twist on emotional eating

by Camille Schwartz0 Comments
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Rate this article and enter to win
Has your dark mood ever driven you to a frenzy of ice-cream madness? Could you use a natural antidepressant without any side effects?

Certain foods can make or break our moods

What we eat can affect our moods for up to two days afterward, research shows. Foods packed with vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and so on—can alleviate anxiety and lift our spirits. That’s not just because we’re feeling smug about eating something that’s good for us. The mood boost appears to come from the properties of the foods themselves. And unhealthy foods high in fat, sugar, calories, or sodium—like cheap hamburgers, candy, and chips—seem to make us miserable.

Messing with food messes with feels

“On the biological front, food is used to alleviate hunger, so it is a basic need and leads to a physiological reward and positive feelings,” says Dr. Carol Landau, clinical professor of psychiatry and human behavior and medicine at Alpert Medical School, Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. “The situation becomes more complicated when food additives and fat, sugar, and salt are added.”

Students sacrificed their mood to science

Undergraduates who ate foods high in calories, saturated fat, and sodium reported feeling moody and blah for up to two days afterward, reported Dr. Helen Hendy, a psychologist at Pennsylvania State University, in the journal Appetite (2012).

But students who ate fruits and vegetables felt happier until the following day, even after other influences had been ruled out, according to Many apples a day keep the blues away (2013), a British study. Meaningful improvements in mood were associated with seven to eight servings of fruits and vegetables a day. (In 2007, the CDC moved away from its five-a-day message, in favor of “Fruits and veggies—more matters.”)

As students, our time and money are limited. But we don’t have to settle for processed foods that leave us feeling crummy and tired. Try these mood-boosting, inexpensive snacks. For full-on happy feels, combine them into our Ultimate Easy Happy Salad:

Ultimate easy happy salad

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. spinach, washed, trimmed, and dried (1 bunch)
  • 2 navel oranges
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • Raspberry vinaigrette or other light dressing

Directions

  1. Mix soy sauce and walnuts. Roast for 15 minutes at 350°F (175° C) or until golden.
  2. Peel oranges and cut into 1/4-inch slices, then quarter each slice.
  3. Mix spinach greens, chopped oranges, and roasted walnuts together.
  4. Toss lightly in dressing (try a raspberry vinaigrette).

Oranges

Cost $1.00 for a navel orange
Why oranges work Vitamin C boosts energy levels by aiding iron absorption;  Vitamin B6 and B9 (folate) appear to protect us from depression; thiamine is linked to improved mood
Happy bonus Vitamin C protects the immune system (but won’t cure your cold)
How to eat Unpeel, chomp, wipe fingers

Walnuts

Cost $5.49 for 6.5 oz. tub
Why walnuts work Zinc and omega-3 fatty acids promote calm. Vitamin B9 (folate) appears to protect us from depression
Happy bonus Omega-3 fatty acids help decrease inflammation and disease risk
How to eat From the packet—or crack ’em open

Carrots

Cost $1.00 per 16 oz. pack
Why carrots work Vitamin E stimulates dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of reward and pleasure
Happy bonus Vitamin A is good for our skin
How to eat Dip in hummus or ranch dressing

Spinach

Cost $2.49 per 8 oz. pack
Why spinach works Vitamins B6, B9, and C, and omega-3s help synthesize mood-boosting brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine
Happy bonus Antioxidants help us resist disease
How to eat SautÃĐ or use in our Ultimate Easy Happy Salad

Quick paths to happiness

  • Substitute avocado for unhealthy mayo in salads and sandwiches
  • Add strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries to cereal or yogurt
  • Toss almonds and sunflower seeds into a salad or oatmeal
  • Lunch: hard-boiled eggs
  • Dinner: salmon or tuna on wholegrain toast
  • Pick out cereals, pastas, and breads with whole grains
  • Stressed? Go nuts.
Good mood food


Get help or find out more
Fruits & veggies–more matters: Better Health Foundation and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Healthy lifestyle and eating well: Berkeley University Health Services

Nutrition: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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