Avalon Hills Blog

Millions of Americans suffer from eating disorders, known as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). An estimated 90% + are adolescent and young women, though men and adults suffer from eating disorders as well. Eating disorders have serious mental and physical health consequences including death. In fact anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. (http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/documents/TalkingpointsEatingDisordersFactSheet.pdf)

A Quick Look at Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual’s physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific forms in the United States.

Anorexia nervosa. This eating disorder is characterized by a person’s refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and often co-occurs with a fear of gaining weight.

Bulimia nervosa. This is often marked by bingeing and then trying to get rid of the food by taking laxatives or inducing vomiting.

Complications by disorder-

Eating disorders have a serious effect on one’s health and wellbeing.  The risk of death for anorexia and bulimia patients can be significant.

Anorexia complications. Among eating disorders, anorexia has many serious effects which may result in death. The death risks are even more pronounced for people who are: young, prone to sickness within the last 6 years or so, already low in weight at the time of the anorexia treatment, and those who also engage in behaviors such as purging, and also have a severe psychological or co-occuring disorder.

Some effects of anorexia include; hormonal changes that result in the absence of menstruation (in females), bone loss or osteoporosis, loss of muscle mass and in some, infertility.

Anorexia is also closely linked with heart problems, such as; slowness of the heartbeat- leading to the starvation of heart muscles. Those who have anorexia are also prone to depression, substance abuse and even suicide. One of the other effects of anorexia is an imbalance of the key minerals and electrolytes needed in the body. In anorexia, these electrolyte imbalance often results in organ failure.

Other complications linked with anorexia may include; constipation, bloating, sensitivity to temperatures, hair loss and fine body hair growth.

Bulimia complications. Bulimia also has serious complications, many of which are life-threatening. Complications include problems with digestion (often causing or from developing a dependence on laxatives ), stomach distress, abdominal bloating, acute tooth decay, irregularity or absence of menstruation and heart problems (including heart failure and irregular heartbeat).

Frequent vomiting can cause the rupture of the esophagus. Excessive exercise, laxative abuse or vomiting may also result in severely low levels of potassium that can result in weakness, even to the point of paralysis. Bulimia has been known to cause erratic heart rhythms that can often be fatal.

Bulimia also has psychological complications that lead to self-destructive behavior such as substance abuse or alcohol abuse, as well as impulsive and self-injurious behaviors.

Prompt Action towards Wellness

Due to the complications and severities of these disorders, eating disorders should be taken seriously and prompt action towards the treatment of eating disorders.  This is necessary before things  become more serious or life threatening. Often, eating disorders are linked to deep-rooted psychological issues and these must be addressed to properly to provide  treatment for bulimia, treatment for anorexia and other eating disorder treatment.

Avalon Hills is an eating disorder treatment center that provides a holistic approach towards these eating problems, not just aiming towards treating the symptoms of the disorder, but also the deep-rooted issues that lie behind these. Avalon Hills provides a wealth of experience, information and insights into these complex disorders.

Our program for anorexia and bulimia treatment has a program based on the individual’s needs.  The treatment program provides a combination of animal assisted therapy, psychotherapy and other experiential therapies, the program aims to provide the patient with the skills in order to manage and cope with the stress and underlying factors that contributed to their eating disorders.

Given the serious health risks and complications of eating disorders those dealing with these disorders should act promptly and seek eating disorder treatment.

There is a saying that says that “having children is like having your heart permanently pinned on your sleeve”. There are many things that can cause parents to fear for their children, particularly when the children are reaching the teenage years and certain stages of development. Unfortunately, more and more parents are seeing their children afflicted with an eating disorder – which range from anorexia nervosa to bulimia to binge eating.

With all the pressures that your child may face, whether it is peers, media, siblings, the stresses of being a teenager and other genetic factors that are out of your control, it is frightening to recognize that he or she may be susceptible to an eating disorder. Eating disorders can strike any family, regardless of race, socioeconomic class or group, faith, ethnicity or culture. There is a rise in the prevalence of these illnesses in males as well.

Eating disorders pose serious health risks. These illnesses promote unhealthy behaviors that can have serious physical implications, particularly among teens. For instance, anorexia nervosa can result in malnutrition and bone loss, which can ones growth and development.

When signs and symptoms are present, parents seek eating disorder treatment to help their child or loved one.

Here are some signs that indicate the need to get eating disorder help:

- An obsession with being “thin”

- A compulsion to count calories and/or nutritional content of the food they are eating

- Weight loss that may be sudden or extreme

- Lack of appetite

- Keeping away from social occasions where food is involved, or isolating in other situations

- Bouts of dieting or consistent dieting

- Going to the bathroom during or after meals

- Spending a long time in the bathroom after meals

- Rarely admits he or she is hungry or alternatively, always hungry and eating but never gaining weight

- For bulimics, scrapes, scratches or calluses in the hand caused by inducing vomiting

- Redness of the eyes caused by broken blood vessels

- Food missing from the pantry or the refrigerator. This can also be marked by the child’s tendency to hoard or hide food in unlikely places.

- For girls, the absence of or irregular menstruation

- Frequent upset stomach

- Problems sleeping

- Bloating in the face and swollen hands or feet

- Yellowish skin

- Skin that is dry and hair that is thinning, dry or brittle

- Severe teeth problems

Promoting a healthy body image

Parents don’t generally cause eating disorders but you can watch for the symptoms as well as understand the importance of promoting a healthy body image. One important step is for parents to model healthy eating habits and behavior. Parents should avoid showing their children that they themselves are pre-occupied with their weight and appearance. Parents should also develop a healthy, loving relationship with their children and encourage open communication.

Here are other tips to help promote a good body image:

- Limit the use food as part of your discipline strategy. Food should not always be used to punish or reward a child for his or her behavior.

- Encourage exercise, but emphasize that it is for health purposes and because exercise is fun. Don’t encourage your child to exercise because he or she “needs to lose weight”.

- Limit unnecessary or extravagant compliments that are based on the child’s appearance. This may promote a value system that puts a premium exclusively on appearance and not on other aspects of a child’s personality. Focus instead on character qualities, such as friendliness, honesty, diligence or kindness.

- Focus on what your child does well – if he or she excels in a certain area or has a particular talent.

- Be alert for signs of an eating disorder.

- Educate your child about the negative health effects of an eating disorder

- Gently ask open questions without making your child feel that he or she is being judged.

Getting Help for Eating Disorders

Parents can also get treatment for anorexia nervosa, bulimia and other eating disorders. If you see your child exhibiting signs of an eating disorder, it is best to have him or her evaluated so a diagnosis can be made. That way, your child can find help or find a  treatment program for an eating disorder.

Avalon Hills may be an option to get the treatment that your child needs. Avalon Hills is an eating disorder treatment center that provides a wealth of experiences that are aimed towards developing healthy behaviors and thinking that helps in overcoming the behaviors that are a part of the eating disorders.

Avalon Hills provides crucial help for anorexia nervosa, bulimia and other eating disorders. Some elements of the treatment program include individual and group psychotherapy, nutritional assessment and consultations, animal assisted therapy, psycho-educational classes, medical components and more.

Eating disorders are a major concern on college campuses.  Several studies taken in recent years have revealed that young people are going to college with more mental illnesses and eating disorders.  More students are also developing an eating disorder during college than in previous decades.  Colleges and universities have been trying to prepare for this situation.  Many of them are offering more assistance to students struggling with an eating disorder, including anorexia help.  Some places are experiencing more success than others.

The University of Chicago is one institution that has recently been in need of help.  Last month an article was published about the experience of the university’s students who had eating disorders while attending.  The school is very tough, so there are several students that struggled with eating disorders.

One such student is a young woman who started to develop an eating disorder when she arrived on campus.  She was a disciplined dancer who had a tight schedule.  While at school she started to exhibit symptoms of both anorexia and bulimia.  She often would not eat enough, and sometimes she would actually purge the food she had eaten.  Her symptoms became so severe that she believed there was an even greater mental disorder that was making her condition worse.  She eventually went to the university’s resource center for students in search of treatment for anorexia.

When this young woman got to the center she didn’t receive the help she was seeking.  Instead, the person she was working with would only focus on her physical symptoms.  Each time she visited the center they would weigh her and calculate her body mass index to see if she was in a healthy range.  She was looking for help with the mental causes of the disorder, but she didn’t get it.

This is becoming an issue for colleges and universities.  The New York Times recently published an article that said college campuses are having difficulties providing the treatment needed for mental disorders that manifest physically.  One psychiatrist at the University of Chicago said that using the body mass index is the most effective way for them to treat eating disorders on campus.  This causes some serious problems because the campus isn’t treating the cause of the disorder.

While seeking treatment is a good step for anyone with an eating disorder, it’s important to get the right help.  College campuses are trying to meet the needs of their students, but it doesn’t always work out.  They don’t have the same resources that an eating disorder treatment center has, such as Avalon Hills.  With so many students it can also be hard to provide enough individual care for each student.  To keep the center available to all students, a college or university will often restrict the amount of appointments a student can make each year.  This restriction reduces the amount of eating disorder treatment a student can receive.

Sometimes, one of the best options for a student is to leave the campus for a while.  Going through an eating disorder treatment program can help a person by removing the pressures of the campus.  However, it’s very important that the student feels like they aren’t being pushed out.  If a college or university gives the student the wrong idea about getting help the treatment may not work as well as it could.

Going to a treatment center for a while can also be less expensive.  Some students are required to receive help outside the campus resource center.  The college or university often won’t cover these costs, so the student is forced to pay them on their own.  This is very difficult to do, especially while they’re in school.  Treatment centers, including Avalon Hills, offer affordable solutions.  Avalon Hills even offers scholarships to those people in need.

Shocking new studies have been emerging over the last few years to report information about adolescents and eating disorders.  One such study was published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in late 2010.  AAP is a trusted organization of thousands of pediatricians that are committed to the health of all children.  The organization offers a wide range of information that is available to everyone.

This new study identified an increase of eating disorders in adolescents.  Anorexia and bulimia were the two most common eating disorders.  This study also identified two new groups that are being affected: young males and children under 12.  In fact, between 1999 and 2006 eating disorder hospitalization for children under 12 years old went up 119%.  It is clear that adolescents need more anorexia help and bulimia help.

The AAP has been urging parents, schools, and pediatricians to help decrease this problem.  They want all three groups to start trying to encourage healthy eating habits.  Displaying healthy eating habits, especially at home, can help an adolescent develop healthy eating habits and keep them consistent.

Not focusing on appearance and weight is also a good idea.  Since child obesity has become an important topic many children have started dieting.  This can sometimes lead to extreme eating habits that aren’t healthy.  Also, there are many statements related to weight loss that can be a trigger for an eating disorder.  Saying a child can stand to lose some weight is a popular trigger.

It’s best to try and stop an eating disorder before it ever starts, but this isn’t always possible.  Once an eating disorder has started, it’s important to get treatment.  Going to an eating disorder treatment center, such as Avalon Hills, will help.  At a center they will receive the eating disorder treatment they need.  This includes treating the mental cause of the disorder along with the physical symptoms.

This type of well-rounded eating disorder treatment programs at Avalon Hills will help the adolescent overcome the eating disorder.  However, the best thing to do is try to catch an eating disorder early or before it even starts.  It can be difficult to find a balance between under eating, overeating, and healthy eating.  The resources on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ website can help you.

This month a study emerged that connects eating disorders with social networking websites.  The study was conducted by a doctoral student at the University of Haifa.  She asked adolescent girls about their habits.  There were a wide range of activities she asked about.  For example, she asked how much a girl watched TV.

The student discovered some disturbing information after doing the study.  Girls who spent a lot of time online looking at Facebook displayed more habits associated with eating disorders.  Anorexia and bulimia symptoms were the most common.  Many of these girls had also developed a negative body image.

The girls who participated were of different ages with the median age being 14.8 years old.  Young adolescent girls are not the only ones at risk.  Older girls can also be affected.  However, it seems the younger girls are more susceptible.

Another correlation was also discovered.  Girls who frequently read fashion magazines or visited a lot of fashion websites displayed similar symptoms.  It is believed that this is caused by the display of the “ideal” woman.  This correlation was much weaker than the social network correlation.

While the study discovered something important it did not give an explanation for why these girls developed the habits.  It is possible that the reason is similar to that of the fashion magazine reading.  These girls may be seeing pictures of their friends or just other women who they consider to have the “ideal” body type.

It’s important to say that the study found a correlation, which does not mean it is grounds for causation.  This means the two are connected, but it cannot be said for sure that Facebook is causing the eating disorder habits.

The study noted that there are ways to help the problem.  Parents are very influential with this problem.  In the study, girls who had some form of parental involvement were less likely to develop the eating disorder habits and seek eating disorder treatment.  This involvement could include knowing what their daughter is doing online or having conversations about what she looked at online.  It is a way of supervising her web browsing without looking over her shoulder at all times.

However, if a girl is struggling with an eating disorder it is important for her to get help.  An eating disorder should never be ignored.  One of the best ways to get help for an eating disorder is to go to an eating disorder clinic.  Avalon Hills has a separate program that specializes in helping adolescent girls.  Their unique approach to eating disorder help works to improve a girl’s outlook of herself while also treating the physical symptoms.

One of the most common and well known eating disorders that is very troubling is anorexia.  Anorexia is often misunderstood and hard to diagnose because most people fixate on the idea that it’s an eating disorder.  The tendency is to think that it’s all about food.  This of course isn’t true.  Like all eating disorders, anorexia has a deeper cause and deeper effects.

Anorexia is known to be about control among other things.  It’s used as a way to meet a need in a person’s life.  This is sometimes an emotional need.  Depression, anxiety or insecurity can often trigger eating disorder behaviors.  Eating disorders often develops through everyday activities.  A person may start to experience a lot of anxiety at work, school, or home.  While this person is unable to control the stress, they often find comfort and peace in controlling their eating habits.  This is one of the most common coping mechanisms seen with eating disorders.

Since it is difficult to diagnose the real cause of the eating disorder, people often focus on what is easy to see, which is the behaviors.  A person who is suffering from anorexia may have a severe fear of gaining weight.  They may be underweight and refuse to eat enough to maintain a healthy body weight.  Also, a distorted body image is a very common symptom and body dismorphic disorder may be diagnosed.  This is one of the reasons anorexia becomes particularly dangerous. A person may begin to become medically compromised as this happens.

Anorexia may present in different ways.  Restricting anorexia is where a person suffering may use dieting and restriction to lose weight.  They will often count calories and make sure to eat well under the amount required for daily body functions.  Using excessive exercising may also be used to burn off any calories the person takes in during the day.

Anorexia- purge type, although easily confused with bulimia is where a person may use laxatives or diuretics to rid the body of the food that the person took in.  The person may also induce vomiting or overexercise. Symptoms of this may include low body weight and bouts of restriction of food intake.

Physical anorexia symptoms may include drastic weight loss.  While the person is thin they will continue to diet and restrict intake.  A person may be obsessed and fixated on calories and body image.  Also, a person may be noticed playing with their food as a way of pretending or avoiding to eat.  These are just a few of the many possible symptoms of anorexia.

All eating disorders and their behaviors are serious, and anorexia should not be taken lightly.  It can be fatal if it goes untreated.  Even if it’s not very far along it can still seriously harm the body.  This is why it’s so important to get some form of anorexia help as soon as possible.  Avalon Hills cares about the recovery of those suffering from eating disorders and stresses the need for help. Those dealing with eating disorders are urged to seek professional help by an outpatient team or by an anorexia treatment center.