Body Image Issues: This article includes healthy [and not so healthy] living, eating, and overall well-being in teens and young adults.

According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), over 50% of teenage girls and almost 33% of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives. Nearly 25% of all college-aged women, and an increasing number of men, engage in binging and purging as a weight-management technique to meet unnatural and unhealthy body image expectations.

With more teenagers developing some type of disordered eating, it’s important to recognize the symptoms and the difference between what’s normal and what’s not when it comes to eating.

Types of eating disorders

The two most common types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. Typical symptoms include:

Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body
type, age, and activity level
Intense fear of weight gain or being “fat”
Feeling “fat” or overweight despite dramatic weight loss
Loss of menstrual periods
Extreme concern with body weight and shape

The other common eating disorder is known as Bulimia and is characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by purging.
Bulimia includes eating large amounts of food–more than most people would eat in one meal–in short periods of time, then getting rid of the food and calories through vomiting, laxative abuse, or overexercising. Typical symptoms include:

Repeated episodes of bingeing and purging
Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness
Purging after a binge, (typically by self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills
and/or diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting)
Frequent dieting
Extreme concern with body weight and shape

Binge eating has also been on the rise lately and is also known as compulsive overeating. This disorder is distinguished primarily by periods of uncontrolled, impulsive, or continuous eating beyond the point of feeling comfortably full. People who binge eat often feel shameful or guilty after a binge. While there is no purging, there may be sporadic fasts or repetitive diets and often feelings of shame or self-hatred after a binge. Body weight may vary from normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity. Binging is often a secretive disorder.

10 ways to feel good being YOU!

This list is a start to help you turn negative body image thought into positive ones. Learn how to feel good in your skin.

Appreciate your body and everything that you can do. Be happy you can walk, sing, dance, cook, breathe, laugh, dream!
Write down at least 5 things that you like about yourself, they can be things that you are good at. Or something that you have talent for. Remember not everyone has the same qualities as you. These qualities make you unique and special. Read this often, and feel free to change it or add on!
Remember that your ‘beauty’ is not just on the outside. Feeling confident and good about yourself projects onto others. Everyone has flaws and insecurities, these are normal. Your physical look doesn’t define who you become or what you are capable of. Beauty doesn’t create ideas or concepts to change the world. Let your inner thoughts and voice guide you.
Look at yourself at a complete person. Don’t just look at your image in the mirror or the number on the scale. Don’t let a number define you. See yourself the way you want others to see you. Picture yourself as smart, confident, and sure of yourself and soon others will be too.
Create a positive environment to flourish in. Surround yourself with happy, optimistic people who allow you to be you. Seek support and friends who recognize your talents, skills, and accomplishments.
Turn off the bad thoughts. You aren’t a bad person because you had a piece of cake, or even five pieces of cake! If you have a good heart with good intentions, you can overpower negative thoughts with positive ones. So what if you indulged?! It’s okay, that happens. Instead of feeling guilty, think about something you did that affected another person positively. Remind yourself that food doesn’t become you. Don’t tear yourself down! Build yourself up with encouraging thoughts.
Become a critical viewer of the media. These images are huge misconceptions of the typical woman. The average model is 98% thinner than the average woman. These images are unfair and create negative body image associations for women. Don’t let advertisements make you upset. Protest these messages because people are listening! Write a letter to the advertiser or talk back to the image.
Do something nice for yourself. Appreciate everything your body has done for you. Take a nap, bubble bath, relax, have a massage, etc. Don’t spend time worrying about food, calories and weight. Take up a hobby, volunteering is a great way to reach out to others and in turn make you feel better about yourself. Make a positive change.
Live in the moment. Take advantage of any opportunity that may present itself. You may develop a passion or a liking for something to keep you occupied.

Remember: “The beauty of life is that you don’t have to be modernly beautiful to live it.” –C.S. Lewis

Getting help

If you think someone you know may have an eating disorder follow this link to learn what to do and how you can help: http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/friend_eating_disorder.html#

If you personally think that you may have some type of eating disorder check out this website for great resources and guides to getting better: http://helpguide.org/mental/eating_disorder_treatment.htm

Here is a questionnaire to help access a possible eating disorder:
http://www.something-fishy.org/isf/questionnaire.php