This article is based on research published by SAMHSA this past February in their NSDUH Report. According to the study:
- Combined 2002 to 2010 data show that nearly one in seven youths aged 16 to 18 (13.2 percent), or 12th grade aged youths, had dropped out of school
- Substance use rates among 12th grade aged youths who had dropped out of school were higher than among those who were still in school; for example, 56.8 percent of dropouts were current cigarette users compared with 22.4 percent of those still in school
- The pattern of higher use rates among dropouts than those still in school generally held for both males and females, as well as for whites and blacks; however, Hispanic 12th grade aged dropouts and those still in school had similar past month rates of alcohol and illicit drug use
Below is an exerpt from the study...
In the United States, about 75 percent of youths who enter public high school as freshmen eventually graduate from high school in 4 years (or average freshman graduation rate).1 This is an important public health issue because, in general, adults who do not graduate from high school tend to have lower paying jobs than those who do and thus are at greater risk for living in poverty, lacking health insurance, and suffering from poor health.2,3,4 Moreover, high school dropouts typically have higher rates of substance use than high school graduates.5
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks respondents about their age, current school enrollment status, last grade completed, and age when they last attended school. For this report, these respondent characteristics are used to identify 12th grade aged youths and whether they have dropped out of school. Youths aged 16 to 18 are categorized into three groups:
- 12th grade students—youths aged 16 to 18 who were either in or entering the 12th grade;
- 12th grade aged dropouts—youths aged 16 to 18 who had not completed high school or a Graduate Equivalent Degree (GED), were not currently attending or on vacation from school, and were considered 12th grade aged based on the last grade they had completed and their age when they stopped attending school6;
- Other—youths aged 16 to 18 who completed high school or a GED, youths aged 16 to 18 in grade 11 or lower, and youths aged 16 who were not considered "12th grade aged" (based on criteria discussed in group 2).
This issue of The NSDUH Report focuses on the first two of these groups, which are collectively referred to as "12th grade aged youths"; comparisons of past month (current) substance use between 12th grade students and 12th grade aged dropouts are provided. All findings in this report are annual averages from the 2002 to 2010 NSDUH data.
Dropout Status
Nearly one in seven (13.2 percent) 12th grade aged youths had dropped out of school, with males having been more likely than females to have dropped out (14.7 vs. 11.6 percent).7 About one quarter of Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native 12th grade aged youths (23.0 and 25.5 percent, respectively) had dropped out of school compared with 12.6 percent of youths of two or more races, 12.1 percent of black or African American youths, 11.2 percent of white youths, and 1.5 percent of Asian youths.
Substance Use by Dropout Status
Twelfth grade aged youths who had dropped out of school were more likely than similarly aged youths who were still in school to engage in current cigarette use, alcohol use, binge alcohol use, marijuana use, nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs, and use of any illicit drugs (Figure 1).8 For example, 56.8 percent of dropouts were current cigarette users compared with 22.4 percent of those still in school, and 27.3 percent of dropouts were current marijuana users compared with 15.3 percent of those still in school.
Substance Use by Dropout Status and Gender
Current substance use rates among 12th grade aged male dropouts were higher than the rates among similar aged males who were still in school (Figure 2). For example, 60.1 percent of male dropouts were current cigarette users compared with 23.8 percent of males who were still in school, and 32.0 percent of male dropouts were current marijuana users compared with 17.9 percent of males who were still in school.
Current substance use rates among 12th grade aged female dropouts were generally higher than the rates for similar aged females who were still in school (Figure 3). One exception was current alcohol use, for which there was no statistical difference between the rates among female dropouts and females who were still in school (34.2 and 33.4 percent, respectively).
Click here to view full report...
Discussion
Dropping out of high school is related to a number of negative socioeconomic and health outcomes. This report shows that one in seven 12th grade aged youths had dropped out of high school and that 12th grade aged dropouts (with a few exceptions) had higher rates of current substance use (e.g., cigarettes, alcohol, binge alcohol, marijuana, nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs, any illicit drugs) than similar aged peers who were still in school. Substance use is a public health problem that is preventable. Thus, prevention efforts targeted to adolescents generally and to those at risk of dropping out of high school more specifically might improve the educational, employment and financial, and health outcomes of many youths.
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Our mission statement at Fairwinds Treatment Center is "As we strengthen families, we strengthen society." If you have a loved one who is struggling with an addiction, contact Fairwinds Treatment Center, our admissions team can assess your situation and guide you to the best course of action to eliminate this disease from your life.
Authors Barry Meier and Bill Marsh A very insightful article about the growth of opioid use (legal and illegal) over the past 10 years and the related costs associated was published by the New York Times last week.
"Profiting from Pain" covers the increase of opioid prescriptions to treat long-term pain, while the supporting data in "The Soaring Cost of the Opioid Economy" presents the economy this opioid epidemic has created.
Excerpt...
THE use of narcotic painkillers, or opioids, has boomed over the past decade as drug makers and doctors have promoted them for a new use: treating long-term pain from back injuries, headaches, arthritis and conditions like fibromyalgia. Insurers have also grown to see pills as a cheaper way to treat chronic pain than other methods.
Multimedia
The Soaring Cost of the Opioid Economy
Some patients are greatly helped by opioids, a large family of medications. Among the more widely used opioids are oxycodone, which is found in Percocet and OxyContin, and hydrocodone, which is used in Vicodin. Other potent opioids include fentanyl and methadone. Narcotic painkillers are now the most widely prescribed class of medications in the United States, and prescriptions for the strongest opioids, including OxyContin, have increased nearly fourfold over the past decade.
There is increasing evidence, however, that such drugs, along with being widely abused, are often ineffective in treating long-term pain and can have serious consequences, particularly when used in high doses. Along with the risk of addiction, side effects can include psychological dependence, reduced drive, extreme lethargy and sleep apnea.
The economic costs associated with the painkiller boom have also proved enormous, giving rise to a host of unanticipated medical, legal and social costs. Over the past decade, the legal — and illegal — use of these drugs has given birth to new businesses and expanded existing ones. These include urine-screening tests to make sure patients are taking the drugs properly, added sales of addiction treatment drugs, growing emergency-room expenses, law-enforcement budgets and skyrocketing costs for insurers.
In the short run, treating a patient with an opioid like OxyContin, which costs about $6,000 a year, is less expensive than putting a patient through a pain-treatment program that emphasizes physical therapy and behavior modification. But over time, such programs, which run from $15,000 to $25,000, might yield far lower costs.
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If you or a loved one are struggling with a prescription drug addiction or substance abuse problem, contact the admissions team at Fairwinds to discuss your situation. Call 727-449-0300 or submit the contact form here. For 23 years, families have trusted Fairwinds Treatment Center to help their loves ones through our highly effective treatment programs for eating disorders and drug rehab.
Fairwinds Treatment Center Offers Both DAY and EVENING
Intensive Outpatient Programs for Eating Disorders
Day IOP at Clearwater location
Monday, Wednesday 9:30am - 4pm and Friday 8am -2pm
Family Nights: Thursday 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Patients will eat meals prepared and planned with our Dietician.
Evening IOP at Tampa Location
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 5pm - 8pm
Family Nights in Clearwater: Thursday 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Patients will bring their own food to this program, meals are planned with our Dietician.
IOP programs include one-one one sessions with our Psychiatrist, Dr. Pauline Powers
The program is designed for 6 weeks, but the length is based on what the individual’s needs are for treatment. Further time may be requested.
Some groups topics include:
CBT/DBT, Art Therapy, Life Skills, Medical Issues, Process Groups, Experiential Activities, Mindfulness, Family, Meal Support
Fairwinds is proud to be a Bronze Sponsor with the National Eating Disorders Association
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is the leading non-profit organization in the United States advocating on behalf of and supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. Reaching millions every year, we campaign for prevention, improved access to quality treatment, and increased research funding to better understand and treat eating disorders. We work with partners and volunteers to develop programs and tools to help everyone who seeks assistance.
NEDA was formed in 2001, when Eating Disorders Awareness & Prevention (EDAP) joined forces with the American Anorexia Bulimia Association (AABA) – merging the largest and longest standing eating disorders prevention and advocacy organizations in the world. The merger was the most recent in a series of alliances that has also included the National Eating Disorder Organization (NEDO) and the Anorexia Nervosa & Related Disorders (ANRED).
A new law in Israel is leading the charge to protect models from eating disorders, writes Suna Senman of the Huffington Post.
At four years old, I was deliberating over whether I should be a princess or a ballet dancer when I grew up. Ultimately, I chose the latter. By my twenties, I was the stereotypical anorexic ballerina.
Ballerinas must conform with a waif-thin look to avoid getting booted out of the profession. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia compensate for the gap between reality and fantasy, and are therefore endemic to the world of ballet.
They are not, of course, confined to that world alone. Eating disorders affect 1.6million people in Britain, according to charity Beat. Of that number, 89 per cent are women.
These disorders run the gamut – anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). In addition, the problem starts early. In the US, 46 per cent of girls aged nine to 11 are on diets, according to the National Eating Disorder Awareness Association (www.nedawareness.org).
Beat is unable to give an equivalent statistic for British girls but a spokesperson says: ‘We are aware children are developing problems around body image and low self-esteem at a much younger age. Daily we are bombarded with so-called “ideal” images that apparently we should all aspire to. It’s no surprise that this permeates through to young children, who are much more media-savvy and exposed to these messages than ever before. The main influence is the relentless promotion of a body ideal that is very thin. Young people compare themselves to the ideal and feel it is their fault that their bodies look so different.’
According to Adi Barkan, an Israeli fashion photographer who has worked with top modelling agencies and corporations throughout Israel and Europe, eating disorders are a direct result of images promoted in the fashion world. ‘We are the problem,’ he says simply.
Barkan broke ranks after a social worker approached him with a 15-year-old anorexic girl in tow – Keti, a 72lb (5st) wannabe model. ‘Take me to Adi,’ Keti had challenged the social worker. ‘He will tell you that I have to be this thin to be pretty.’ Deeply moved to take action after meeting Keti, Barkan subsequently went to her home four days a week, encouraging her to eat, until she was a healthy weight again.
Word got out and a national TV show invited Barkan and Keti to share their story. Immediately, anorexic girls and women across Israel called Barkan, asking him to save their lives too. Each one, Barkan recalls, repeated the refrain that they just wanted to be pretty like the women in his photos. Suddenly Barkan understood his role in contributing to poor body image and dangerous eating habits, and he decided to do something about it.
In an about-face, Barkan turned against the tide of the fashion industry and approached the ministry of health, armed with his portfolio of stick-thin women. The ministers initially refused to believe that the incidents of anorexia were high enough for alarm. But Barkan challenged them and they finally agreed to his proposal: an advert would be placed in the paper saying he was looking for a young woman to cultivate into Israel’s newest supermodel. The catch was, every woman who applied had to undergo a health screening at the ministry of health. ‘About a quarter of the women were so anorexic that they were ready to be hospitalised,’ Barkan recalls.
Read full article...
Suna Senman is a blogger for The Huffington Post.
Fairwinds Treatment Center is a dual-diagnosis eating disorder treatment facility located in Clearwater, Florida. If you or a loved one are struggling with an eating disorder such as anorexia (anorexia nervosa), it is crucial to seek treatment as soon as possible. For more information on contact out admissions team at 727-449-0300 or through our website here.
British beauty’s tragic demise sheds light on dangerous eating disorder and addiction.
This article by Tracy Miller recently ran in the New York Daily News shows how gripping an eating disorder like anorexia can be and how fast it can end a life.
Gold medal child skier Georgia Willson-Pemberton, nearly 6 feet tall, wasted away to a skelatal 105 pounds from severe anorexia and died from ‘multiple organ dysfunction caused by laxative abuse.
The death of a 26-year-old former ski champion brings to light a devastating addiction of the dangerously thin.
Georgia Willson-Pemberton had it all: beauty, a prestigious education and the best of everything. But she was also battling anorexia and a laxative addiction.
Willson-Pemberton, once a gold medal child skier, took more than 80 laxative pills in a week, causing serious stomach and bowel damage. Her death on December 7 was ruled a "multiple organ dysfunction caused by laxative abuse," The Sun reports.
The 5'10" woman had wasted away to 105 pounds at the time of her death.
Willson-Pemberton, who lived in West London, had been struggling with anorexia for four years. She received treatment for her eating disorder at some of the top clinics in Britain and the U.S., including The Priory, but to no avail.
She once hid up to 200 pills in padded bras, counfounding her doctors and specialists.
Her parents found thousands of pills in her apartment after her death, they said.
“The world was her oyster, she could have done anything," her tearful father Robert Willson-Pemberton said in court during the inquest into her death.
"The disease consumed her. It was all she thought about."
Laxative pills can become addictive as the body builds up a tolerance, requiring more and more pills to achieve the same effect.
The loss of water from the body may cause electrolyte imbalance, muscle spasms and irregular heartbeat. Abusing the pills can also seriously damage the intestines.
Read full story here...
There are up to 24 million individuals suffering with eating disorders in the United States. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any other mental illness. Fairwinds Treatment Center is a dual-diagnosis treatment facility, offering specialized care for patients with eating disorders and co-occuring mental illnesses that can attribute to these diseases. If you or a loved one are struggling with an eating disorder, such as anoexia, please contact Fairwinds Treatment Center today. our councelors are here to help find the best treatment options for your particular needs. Call 727-449-0300 or through our website here.
A major victory in the war agaist eating disorders has been made in Virginia.
From NEDA:
On March 25, 2013, Governor Bob McDonnell signed the bill for parental education and school screenings for eating disorders into law. This marks a landmark victory in the fight against eating disorders.
The law, which goes into effect in July, will require that information about eating disorders be sent home annually to parents of students in grades 5-12; the information will inform parents about signs and symptoms of eating disorders, and what to do if they suspect their child might have an eating disorder. The Department of Education and the Department of Health must also develop a toolkit for how schools can carry out eating disorder screenings, should they opt to do so.
Here is an excerpt from the Press Release:
Commented Lynn Grefe, president and CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), “NEDA’s Advocacy Program and our families led the way for this victory. It is a win-win for the field of eating disorders and the families in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is our hope that other states will follow this forward-thinking effort and that the legislation will serve as a model for the rest of the country. “
Eating disorders are the third most common chronic illness among adolescents, have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness and impact every organ system in the body. Early detection is key in preventing these potentially life-threatening illnesses and reducing mortality.
Patroned by Delegate Richard P. “Dickie” Bell (R – Staunton), HB 1406 never received a dissenting vote in the General Assembly. Initially passed 8-0 in the House Education Committee’s Students and Early Education subcommittee, a slightly amended version of the bill again passed unanimously out of subcommittee and went on to a 21-0 vote in the full House Education Committee. The Virginia House of Delegates approved HB 1406 99-0 on January 31. Referred directly by the full committee in the Senate, the Senate Education & Health Committee approved HB 1406 15-0. On February 11, the Senate of Virginia approved HB 1406 on a unanimous 40-0 vote.
HB 1406 also requires the Virginia Departments of Education and Health to jointly develop guidelines and implement policies for providing parent education information on eating disorders. The bill, now signed into law, also requires the Departments to consult the National Eating Disorders Association, as well as medical and education specialists, about the contents of delivery of the required information. Finally, HB 1406 also requires the Departments to jointly develop guidelines for a voluntary eating disorder screening program. Those school boards that wish to implement an eating disorder screening program for their students will now be empowered with the tools necessary to do so. Pursuant to HB 1406, the Departments of Education and Health must provide their guidelines to the Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction for dissemination by no later than July 1, 2013. This ambitious deadline assures that Virginia’s public school students, and their parents, will be educated about eating disorders during the upcoming 2013 – 2014 school year.
The National Eating Disorders Association applauds the proactive approach the state of Virginia is taking, and commends their recognition of the seriousness of these illnesses.
Read full press release here
Fairwinds Treatment Center specializes in the treatment of Eating Disorders with adolescents. For more information call 727-449-0300 or contact us through our website here.
This is an excerpt from a recently published student report by Frances Thomas for CBC Newsday in British Columbia covering the rise of eating disorder cases among preteens. Excellent article covering eating disorder diseases and the lack of specialized treatment options in the area.
Preteen Eating Disorders on the Rise
A special student report by Frances Thomas for CBC Newsday
The number of young children hospitalized for eating disorders is on the rise amongst preteens and children in B.C., and that's leading to an increasing demand for more education and treatment, according to health care workers.
"Girls as young as three are aware of fat and don’t want to be," says Mimi Hudson, director of community and provincial programs at Family Services of the North Shore.
"In Canada, there are kids as young as seven who have been diagnosed [with an eating disorder]. That’s pretty serious," she adds.
"It's growing," says Dhaliwal. "There are more kids that are under the age of 13; probably about 20, 30 per cent of our population [at the inpatient clinic].”
Jackie, the mother of the youngest child ever treated for anorexia at B.C. Children's Hospital as an inpatient, says she was completely caught off guard by her daughter's illness.
"It didn’t even occur to me that she could have an eating disorder. I thought that happened to teenagers. She was nine," said Jackie, who wished to remain anonymous in order to protect her child's identity.
Anne Bissonnette, 21, of Kelowna says she can trace her eating disorder back to age three, even though she didn’t receive treatment until she was 14.
Bissonnette says doctors need to be more discerning on picking up eating disorders in young children.
"I had gone to so many doctors for health problems and no one picked up on it. They just kept telling my mom, 'No, no, no. She's a picky eater. She's fine.' And I wasn't."
No specialized treatment center
In British Columbia the only inpatient unit for youth with eating disorders is at B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.
But resources are limited and Dhaliwal says a specialized unit for children and preteens with eating disorders isn't viable.
"I don’t think the population is big enough to accommodate a sole specialized program for [younger children]."
Instead the younger children are treated within the same program as older teens, she says.
"We have different care plans in place for the older ones and the younger ones," affirms Dhaliwal.
As the parent of the youngest child ever to enter the program at the time, Jackie said staff at times seemed unprepared for such a young patient, but says they were flexible enough to accommodate some changes at her request.
One change was to allow Jackie to stay later than other parents so she could tuck her daughter into bed at 8:30 p.m. A second change was not to put her daughter in group therapy with the older teens.
Dr. Ellen Domm, a registered psychologist and certified eating disorders specialist who runs a private practice in the Vancouver area believes that the healthcare system is doing the best it can with its limited resources. But she is concerned that is still not enough.
"I don’t think everybody who needs help is getting help," she says.
"I think they need more of everything: more doctors that help to identify problems when they’re in their beginning stages, more therapists, more support."
More education needed
As a survivor, Bissonnette says part of the solution is more education for everyone involved.
"If no one knows what’s going on, how can they solve a problem?" asks Bissonnette.
B.C.'s eating disorders awareness coordinator is Amy Candido.
She works at Jessie's Legacy, a support program of Family Services of the North Shore that focuses on eating disorder prevention by educating youth, families, educators and professionals on healthy eating and exercise habits.
She agrees that schools, families, healthcare professionals and communities need to be more aware that eating disorders can occur in pre-pubescent adolescents.
Read full article here...
Fairwinds Treatment Center, located in Clearwater Florida is on of only a few dual diagnosis treatment facilities that specializes in adolescent eating disorders, Fairwinds accepts patients from 12 years and up. To help parents get the help they need, Fairwinds is dedicated to building awareness of adolescent and preteen eating disorders, If you or someone you know ihas a child strugging with an eating disorder, call Fairwinds Treatment Center at 1-800-226-0301 or through our website here. Our admissions counselors will help find a program that best fits your situation.
Beaumont, Texas ABC News recently covered the story of a man's struggle with anorexia. The story shows the obstacles males with eating disorders face when seeking treatment. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia have historically been viewed as diseases only females have. The following story by Sydney Lupkin shows in detail that this is not the case.
Men with Eating Disorders Have Tougher Time Getting the Right Help
When Victor Avon went home from his psychiatrist's office the day he was diagnosed with anorexia, the first thing he did was look it up in a textbook from his college psychology course.
Of the four bullet-pointed criteria listed under the eating disorder, there was one that Avon couldn't get past: He had to have missed his period three months in a row.
"I read it, and it destroyed me," Avon said. "I can't get my period. Never had it before, and it'll be a miracle if I do get it. Right here in this book, this says I have a girls' disease and that I'm broken."
Of the estimated 30 million people in the United States with eating disorders, about 10 million of them are men, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. However, the first symptom of anorexia listed on the American Psychiatric Association's website is "menstrual periods cease." Many residential treatment facilities don't accept men, and the male diagnosis isn't always on doctors' radars.
One of the big problems for men with anorexia is that they don't always have the skeletal look associated with anorexia in women, so it takes longer for loved ones to realize there's a problem and get help, said psychiatrist Cynthia Bulik, who directs the University of North Carolina Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders.
"Our diagnosis was built around female cases, with the menstruation question being the best example," said Bulik, who recently wrote a book about eating disorders in middle age.
Avon, now 30, was overweight from childhood through his sophomore year of college, and he usually leaned on food for comfort when he felt sad, which only made the problem worse. When he was in school he says he was bullied about his weight, and felt a sense of isolation because he wasn't the man he felt he should be. When he was near 300 pounds, he says, he remembers staring around the dining hall and deciding to take control of his weight.
"I immediately declared war on my body," he said. "Up until that moment, I'd taken everything bad that had ever happened to me and lined it up like a domino ... I tipped the first one over. They fell for six years."
Avon said he came to hate food because he blamed it for the bullying and his lack of perfection, so he dieted and exercised to the extreme. Since he had been overweight and was trying to "get healthy," people encouraged him, making it easy to hide the disorder, he said.
By the next fall Avon had lost the "weight of a human being," though he can't remember how much it was, he said. His classmates had two reactions: "Vic, you look great," and "Vic, you have cancer." He ignored the latter.
When Avon reached a healthy weight, he said he had to keep going.
He remembers being terrified of eating a Dum Dums lollipop because he feared it would make him gain the weight back overnight. If his shirt touched his stomach a certain way, it would remind him of his old body and bring back all the emotions associated with it.
Avon said standing made him dizzy and he sometimes slurred his words because he was so weak from starving himself.
Soon, he started pushing people away, and found himself going to bed and wishing that he wouldn't wake up the next day, he said. He knew he had a problem, but didn't know how to get better -- or even if he wanted to get better.
"If I was a girl in that situation, they would have thrown me in a padded cell so quickly," Avon said.
He finally sought a diagnosis in 2006 and learned he was anorexic. After he read about the missed menstrual periods, Internet research led him to more articles written for women, but nothing for someone like him. The one book he found was by a pro-anorexic man who died on the last page, which only triggered Avon to diet more.
Two years later, he decided to rid himself of his eating disorder for real, so he decided to spend several months as a patient in a facility for people with eating disorders.
"The day I told my family I wanted to go somewhere, it was a very liberating day, but it was also a day of panic because I didn't know where I would have to go," Avon said, adding that he didn't want to be separated from his wife during treatment.
Full Story...
Located in Clearwater, Florida, Fairwinds Treatment Center specializes in treating both male and females patients, from 12 years of age and older. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, call our admissions couselors are here to help. Call 1-800-226-0301 or through our website here.
Collegebound.net recently published an article by a former student who overcame her own battle with anorexia. Shannon's story offers valuable insight for anyone making the transition into college or knows someone who has possibly developed an eating disorder since moving away to college.
Here is an excerpt:
Something About the Atmosphere...
"Oh, there are about 100 reasons: Leaving family, being on your own, finding yourself, academic stress," lists Alisa Shanks, Ph.D., an eating disorders specialist at the University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB). "Unfortunately, many students cope by obsessing over food because it helps them feel in control."
Of course, control is only part of the equation; Shanks also blames what she calls "selective perception." This means students who have concerns about their appearance or self-worth will only register thinner, more attractive, better-dressed people as they walk across campus, which further threatens their value.
"I think freshmen are most vulnerable to this mindset because they go from being big fish in small ponds to not even being in the pond, so they figure their looks must be the problem," Shanks says. Diane Mickley, M.D., president of the Greenwich, CT-based Wilkins Center for Eating Disorders, agrees that college students who are struggling to adjust to their new lives are at increased risk for eating disorders -- particularly when they are perfectionists about grades. "The temperament that makes these kids academically successful tends to be the same one that precipitates eating disorders," Mickley explains. "The higher achieving the kid, the higher the risk."
Other reasons why college students are a particularly vulnerable group? The pressure to look good for potential mates; participation in highly competitive varsity sports, like wrestling and gymnastics (a low weight is often equated with making the team); financial stress; and the fact that many live in dormitories and Greek houses, where unhealthy eating habits can spread like wildfire.
There also seems to be a gender gap. While men can develop eating disorders "for exactly the same reasons as women," according to Mickley, homosexuality appears to be an added risk factor for male college students. Other studies suggest some females may use a weight obsession to numb the pain of date rape.
"It's also possible eating disorders have nothing specifically to do with the college environment," suggests Dr. James Mitchell, a University of North Dakota (UND, Fargo, ND) neuroscience professor and department chair, who has run a clinical eating disorders research program for nearly 25 years. "Coincidentally, the peak age for bulimia is 18, which just so happens to be the same age as most college freshmen."
Deadly Consequences...
Regardless of why eating disorders are so prevalent on college campuses, one thing is certain: They are extremely destructive in all cases.
Anorexia, where people starve themselves below 15 percent of their normal body weight, can lead to infertility, osteoporosis, kidney failure, and heart disease. Bulimia, where sufferers binge and purge, can cause electrolyte imbalances, ruptured stomachs, enamel loss, and brain atrophy. Overeating, which involves binging without purging, increases the likelihood of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. And muscle dysmorphia (a primarily male-dominated disorder where a person feels too small, despite being extremely muscular) puts people at high risk for depression and steroid use.
Scared yet? Read on...
While bulimia is by far the most prevalent eating disorder on college campuses, there's also another widespread problem out there that affects, in some cases, as many as 50 percent of students, according to Mickley.
"It's called disordered eating, and it occurs when someone exhibits many of the same symptoms as anorexia or bulimia, but doesn't meet full criteria for the disease," Mickley warns. You know the type -- it's the compulsive dieter who somehow manages to maintain a normal weight, the occasional binger who never quite works up the nerve to throw up, or the gym rat who can't even skip one day without panicking.
The main problem with disordered eating, besides the fact that its sufferers have almost a 50 percent chance of developing a full-blown eating disorder in three years, says Mickley, is that it interferes with one's quality of life.
"It's completely socially isolating," Shanks agrees. "How are you supposed to enjoy college or learn anything when you're constantly sitting in class comparing arms with the person in front of you?"
The Best Offense...
Knowing that imminent body image danger lies ahead, what can you, an intelligent, rational, soon-to-be college student, do to make sure you don't fall victim to the eating disorder monster freshman year?
"Educate yourself now about nutrition, because knowledge is always the first step in prevention," Mitchell suggests. "Also, look around and accept the fact that bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Not everyone can be a size two."
Other recommendations include pursuing a hobby you enjoy to reinforce the idea that you're more than just a body. Join an on-campus club or organization to form a support network, and most importantly, be honest with yourself. If, deep down, you know you're struggling with food issues, get help now (see below for suggestions), before you even think about leaving for school.
"I always tell high school kids if they deal with their eating disorders before college, they get AP credit," Mickley says. "That way, when you arrive on campus and see other people struggling with food issues, you can look at them and think, I already did that!"
"Consult a professional -- do not attempt to deal with it alone!" Shanks warns. A long-term follow-up study of "recovered" anorexics revealed that 25 percent became chronically ill or died after 10 years, and many others regained weight but remained psychologically damaged. That's why it's so important to get help. Here's how:
- Contact your campus health center. Most students have instant access to a wealth of physicians, psychotherapists, registered dieticians, and other experts for a nominal (and, in some cases, non-existent!) fee.
- Educate yourself. There are many great resources available, like the National Eating Disorders Association Web site (www.nationaleatingdisorders.org) or the Rader Programs hotline (800-841-1515), which offers 24-hour anonymous, private information on eating disorders and international referral services.
- Reach out! Even if you're not the one physically suffering, it's important to develop a support network. The Something Fishy Web site (www.somethingfishy.org) holds frequent online chats on a variety of eating disorder-related topics, including recovery, treatment options, FAQs, and dealing with friends and family.
- Get involved. During National Eating Disorders Awareness week, held annually each spring, most campuses participate in body image awareness activities, such as scale-bashing pinatas and self-esteem workshops, which are a great way to promote self-acceptance.
Fairwinds Treatment Center helps individuals and their families get their lives back on track. We specialize in helping people overcome dangerous and deadly disorders such as
anorexia, bulimia. Being a dually licensed psychiatric facility, Fairwinds physicians and therapists engage an integrated treatment plan, incorporating several treatment models combined with psychiatric methods to identify the root of the disorder in order for specialized treatment to begin and to ensure a lasting recovery.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please call
Fairwinds Treatment Center today at 727-449-0300, or
though our website here. Our admissions counselors are here to assess the situation and help those in need start on the path to recovery.
It is widely know children can develop Anorexia Nervosa at a very early age. It is important for parents to be aware of the behavours associated with this disease and know the treatment options available to eliminate it before it is too late.
During National Eating Disorder Awareness Week,
SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES of ABC News recently a story about children as young as 6 developing anorexia nervosa.
(Sophie, shown here at 6, was just starting to restrict her eating. She was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa the following year.)
Sophie started starving herself in kindergarten, giving up sweets at first, then taking smaller and smaller portions of food. She exercised compulsively on the monkey bars.
But her parents had no idea she was developing anorexia nervosa because the active girl's height and weight looked normal on the pediatrician's growth chart.
"She was slim, but not skeletal," said her mother Anne, a college professor from Washington State, who did not want to use real names to protect their privacy.
Sophie complained of being dizzy, having "itchy skin" and constipation, all symptoms of malnutrition. She later confessed that she had been throwing out her school snacks and lunches.
And one night when her mother was tucking her into bed, she blurted out, "Mommy, I have a problem … I am hungry all the time and I can't eat," remembers Anne. "A voice in my head is telling me not to eat."
When Sophie was finally diagnosed in first grade, she hadn't gained a pound for 10 months and had dropped from the 60th to the 19th percentile on the weight charts.
More than 10 million Americans have eating disorders, which have a 10 percent mortality rate, the highest of any psychiatric illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Look for these upcoming reports throughout Eating Disorders Awareness Week: ABC News will examine why men have a harder time getting an anorexia diagnosis, and we'll give a revealing report on the rise of thinspo (short for thinspiration), a growing web-based movement that promotes anorexia as a lifestyle choice rather than an illness.
Anorexia nervosa is a chronic brain disorder with no known causes. It is rare among young children -- but the number of hospitalizations is on the rise. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the rate jumped 72 percent between 1999 and 2009, the last year for which there are statistics.
Highly inheritable, it is estimated that 56 to 70 percent of those who are anorexic have a family member with an eating disorder or a co-morbidity like anxiety....
Read full article here
Located in Clearwater, Florida Fairwinds Treatment Center specializes in the treatment of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Fairwinds Treatment Center's eating disorder program is lean by Pauline Powers, M.D..Dr. Powers is nationally and internationally recognized as a leading researcher, educator and trainer in the ongoing battle to end eating disorders.
If you or someone close to you is in need of help, contact Fairwinds Treatment Center at 727-449-0300 or by email here. Our admissions counselors are here to help guide you through the process of determining the best course of action to meet your needs.
