Facing insecurity about our bodies from time to time is part of being human. But what happens when concerns about body image become pervasive — or even all-consuming? Eating disorders are just one of the many consequences of the overwhelming societal pressure we face to adhere to a certain standard of beauty. In the United […]
Although most people think of eating disorder sufferers as being teenage girls, this isn’t always the case and many people are affected by eating disorders. It’s true that those who are at the highest risk of developing eating disorders are aged between 13 and 18 years, older people can be susceptible too. From going through […]
We can all relate to the feeling of over-indulging in our favorite snacks — but what happens when over-indulging becomes severe and even life-threatening? Binge eating disorder (BED) is one of the newest eating disorders recognized in the DSM-V, according to the National Eating Disorder Association. It’s also the most common eating disorder in the […]
Lots of parents struggle to persuade their child to eat a range of healthy foods. It’s very common for preschoolers to refuse vegetables in favor of bland and boring items such as bread, chicken nuggets and fries. All too often, mealtimes become a battleground with bribes, pleading and even threats. Usually, however, children eventually grow […]
When we face difficult situations in our lives, we rely on our coping mechanisms to get us through. When we have to handle trauma, stress or difficult emotions, we turn to the coping strategies that we’ve learned and developed over our lives to help us to adjust. While in some cases those coping mechanisms are […]
It has been recognized for some time that athletes are much more likely than other people to suffer from an eating disorder. Increasing amounts of research have been carried out into this area, and recently a term has been adopted to define one sub-group of athletes suffering from symptoms of an eating disorder but who […]
Fad diets are becoming increasingly popular these days as the nation’s obesity crisis takes hold. It seems that almost every week an “expert” introduces a new way of eating that promises impressive weight loss. One of those recent dieting fads is intermittent fasting. While this lifestyle change has been recommended as a great way of […]
Anxiety is a serious, overwhelming problem affecting millions of people around the world. In the United States alone, nearly 40 million people suffer from anxiety according to The Odyssey Online. Although there is a very common misconception that people with anxiety are simply sad and should snap out of it, the disorder is actually a […]
With the available access to dozens if not hundreds of websites and blogs giving medical advice, information about disorders and treatment options, many of us tend to rely on the internet for our medical questions. The average American spends 800 hours a year using the internet on their phones. A significant portion of that time […]
Eating disorders are a serious, possibly life-threatening condition that claims the lives of thousands of people each year. The mental illness associated with disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating, and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED) does not discriminate among age, sex, race or socioeconomic background. It is estimated that upwards […]