Eating Disorder Pro

There is an epidemic of obesity in the US today. Consider the following:

• 1 in 3 Americans is overweight
• 1 in 5 or 129.6 million are obese
• 70% of Americans dieted in 2007
• 95% of all diets fail if exercise is not part of the program
• Yo-yo dieting leads to eating disorders and may be the single most common “cause” of disordered eating
• In a recent study, young girls were quoted as saying that they would prefer to have cancer, lose both their parents, or live through a nuclear holocaust than to be fat.
• 80% of girls in grades 3 to 6 displayed body image concerns and dissatisfaction with their appearance
• 81% of 10 year olds say they are afraid of being fat
• By the time girls reached the 8th grade, 50% of them had been on diets, putting them at risk for eating disorders and obesity.
• 25% of first graders admit to having been a diet.

In my practice, I often see patients that were overweight as children and experienced such self-hatred or shame that their eating disorder is a conscious attempt at avoiding that situation again.

For others, a family member, perhaps a father or mother or even a grandmother or an aunt with a weight problem triggers intense anxiety about weight gain.