Psych In The News - Eating Disorders Edition

As February marked Eating Disorders Awareness Month, and Feb. 23 to March 1st was National Eating Disorders Awareness week in the US and UK, the number of articles on anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder have recently been off the charts.  However, no matter when you search for news and information on EDs on the internet or even social media sites like Twitter, it seems that news about eating disorders never truly stops or slows down.  It is an ongoing battle to raise awareness, to raise funds for treatment programs and research, and to tackle the many contributing factors that EDs seem to stem from.  EDs are not rare, in fact the numbers of those affected or those at risk seem to be increasing.  That being said it is important to be aware of EDs and offer support to those who may be affected, as well as to those who display dangerous eating behaviours or weight loss tactics, and who are unhappy with their body image and are at heightened risk of developing anorexia, bulimia, or binge-eating disorder.

To get a glimpse of some of the recent news articles this past week on EDs, including a segment from the Dr. Oz show on the dangerous new trend of the "thigh gap", see below ...

---

1. "Anorexia Affects Men More Than Previously Thought" (Trauma and Mental Health Report)
   
   
2. "My Anorexic 9-Year-Old" by Kristi Belcamino (Salon)
   
   
3. "'Anorexia is a lifestyle, not a disease': An investigation into harrowing online forums promoting extreme dieting" by Sarah Rainey (National Post)
   
   
4. "Facebook Group is for People Who Have Suffered From Eating Disorders (ED) and Want Support From Others Under the Same Dark Shadow" by Heather Rivers (Woodstock Sentinel Review)
   This is part one of a special segment on eating disorder, for part two see below:
   - http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2014/02/26/second-in-a-series-on-eating-disorders-national-eating-disorder-awareness-week
   
   
5. "National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: Get In The Know" by Kirsten Haglund (Huffington Post)
   
   
6. "Forget the 'Cause' of Eating Disorders - We Must Promote Good Mental Health" by Daisy Buchanan (Guardian)
   
   
7. "Why Is The Government Sidelining Eating Disorders" by Kirsty Duncan (Huffington Post Canada)
   
   
8. "The Secret Lives of Exercise Bulimics" by Ufrieda Ho (IOL Lifestyle)
   
   
9. "Silently Starving For More Support" by Chloe Grande (Queen's Journal)

     10. "The Dangerous Thigh Gap Trend" by Dr.  Oz (see the video clips below).
     Dr. Oz is outraged by a dangerous new diet craze that has young women going to extremes to lose weight and    
     create gap between their thighs. He explains how this obsession can lead to an eating disorder.

     For more news articles about the dangerous trends of the "Thigh Gap" and "Bikini Bridge" see:

• "Former anorexia sufferer admits aiming for a bikini bridge and thigh gap" by Jessica Brown (Yahoo)
• "Thigh gap’ measuring trend among young women on social media may be encouraging eating disorders: U.S. experts" by Maria Siassina (National Post)
• "How the 'thigh gap' became the latest pressure point on a woman's self-image" by Rosie Swash (Guardian)