Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Thinnest of Them All? Why is it that some girls (and boys) are perfectly content with their bodies while others are never satisfied? Have you asked yourself the question, “Do I have an eating disorder?”

Magazine ads, TV commercials and billboards bombard us daily with images of super-thin models and movie stars. So it is not just being a narcissist who is immersed in self-loathing and self pity. There are many influences that determine whether or not one can become susceptible to developing eating disorders.

Let’s look at some of the factors that can lead to eating disorders later in life.

• Age: For most people eating disorders start at an early age, typically as a teenager. However, there are have been many cases of both women and men where the problem surfaced in their adulthood.
• Gender: Although more women than men suffer from eating disorders, there’s an alarming rise in the number of young males experiencing the same bulimic or anorexic tendencies that their female counterparts do.
• Family influence: If you are close to someone who has an eating disorder, like a loved one in your family, your risk of developing eating disorders increases. Logically the very opposite should happen since you are sensitive to the problem. However, there is a very close connection between eating disorders and family influence, especially in your early years. When a parent or sibling constantly criticizes and tells you that you need to go on a diet, even jokingly, it can take an ugly turn into an eating disorder that wreaks havoc on your body.
• Peer pressure: Our self-image is greatly influenced by what our peers think of us. This intense peer pressure can play a critical role in developing eating disorders.
• Emotional problems: People suffering from compulsive disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) sometimes develop an eating disorder. The same holds true for people who suffer from depression or anxiety disorders.
• Competitive athletes: If you’re the type of person who can’t get enough exercise, or someone who competes in athletic competitions regularly, then you might be prone to developing an eating disorder because you falsely believe it will enhance your performance.

If you fit any of these profiles, then you’ll want to take action to prevent yourself from developing eating disorders and/or developing unhealthy eating habits. Talk to your doctor about the issue and find out what a healthy weight and diet would be for your specific body type.

Instead of listening to the destructive voices that influence your thinking, work on building your confidence and socializing with positive people who don’t criticize you regularly.

Don’t get trapped in a fantasy of looking like the supermodel on the cover of the current issue of Vogue magazine. Artists using Photoshop and other computer techniques heavily retouch most cover and glamor shots. What you are looking at is not real; don’t waste your time chasing a mirage.

For more weight loss tips, visit www.athomeweightlosstips.com.

Interested in healthy eating information? Get my eBook, Eating Right for a Healthier You!

Thin is in! Our society glorifies skinny models and movie stars. Eating disorders usually start during adolescence or teenage years when we’re most susceptible to scrutiny by our peers – and it can affect both men and women. However, there are many reports of people developing eating disorders later in their adulthood.

Women and girls are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. It frequently co-exists with other underlying emotional or psychiatric problems such as depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders. People with eating disorders may also develop serious physical health complications, such as heart disease and kidney failure.

There are two main types of eating disorders — anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. There are other variations of eating disorders, the most commonly known variant is binge-eating disorder.

There is good news — eating disorders are treatable diseases.

Treatment and prevention of eating disorders begin with awareness and education. Family and friends can get frustrated with your pickiness at the diner table. Their lack of understanding may lead to them dismissing your very real problem as “just trying to get attention” or “simply needing to find a good diet and sticking to it.” Unfortunately, neither of those comments is constructive. In fact, that kind of criticism can send a person with eating disorders spiraling downwards and further complicating the situation.

Even though a disproportionate number of girls and women suffer from eating disorders, men are not immune to this disease. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Men and boys account for an estimated 5 to 15 percent of patients with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder.

Men complicate this already difficult problem with steroid use to bulk up muscle. Young men are discovering how painful it can be when they are criticized for their undersized bodies or when they don’t measure up to hyped up standards.

Body types are different and not everyone will respond to the same treatment. Some people have high metabolisms, thin frames and eat like linebackers without gaining weight. Other body types, particularly women, retain fat and struggle trying to squeeze into single digit dress sizes. Trying to work against your body type is something that can make you susceptible to developing eating disorders because of unrealistic expectations of results that can’t be achieved by healthy dieting.

In your formative years, your parents may have influenced you. For example, if your mom was preoccupied with her “fat thighs,” chances are you’ll inherit the same obsession.

You have to recognize that you can’t control life through your food choices. Eating a banana split will provide temporary pleasure but you are likely to feel guilty soon afterward. That’s why they are referred to as “guilty pleasures.”

In the same way, if you are on a constant cycle of binging and purging instead of eating healthy, you’re going to pay for it in the long run by developing eating disorders.

Try to identify and focus on the underlying problem that’s causing you the distress. Are you stressed out? Anxious about something you fear won’t work out? Don’t use food as your tool of comfort. If you fear that you may have already developed an eating disorder, seek professional help before it snowballs into something more permanent and damaging.

Sources for help with eating disorders:

• Academy for Eating Disorders
• National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
• National Eating Disorders Association
• Overeaters Anonymous
• T.H.E. (Treatment, Healing, Education) Center for Disordered Eating
• National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, HHS
• National Mental Health Information Center, SAMHSA, HHS
• American Psychological Association
• National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance

For more weight loss tips, visit www.athomeweightlosstips.com.

Interested in healthy eating information? Get my eBook, Eating Right for a Healthier You!