The Latest Trends in Teen Mental Health and Substance Abuse (Part 2): Eating Disorders

THE LATEST (Part 2): Adolescents and Eating Disorders

Expert Sees Growing Problem of Eating Youngsters with Eating Disorders
“With so much attention focused on rising rates of obesity among children and teens, it can be easy to overlook kids who eat too little or purge after they binge. But government data suggest that eating disorders are actually on the rise among children, for reasons researchers are still working to understand.” Click here to read the rest of this Los Angeles Times article.

How Social Networks Spread Eating Disorders
Teens are undeniably influenced by those around them, and by what they see on social media from television to the internet. So what happens when western media infiltrates a remote island society?
The result, according to research from Harvard Medical School, is all too familiar.” Click here to read this interesting article from Time Magazine.

Eating Disorders on Campus Get Scrutinized
“With more students dabbling in unhealthy weight-loss methods, such as “drunkorexia,” some experts wonder whether schools could do more to intervene.” Click here to read the rest of this Newsweek article.

Exercise a Treatment for Eating Disorders?
“Although it may seem counterintuitive to encourage individuals already obsessed with weight to exercise, a new University of Florida study shows that the psychological benefits of exercise may be an effective prevention or intervention for eating disorders.” Click here to read the rest of this article from PsychCentral.

Resource: Parenting Tips for Teen Eating Disorders
“One of the core issues in eating disorders is control. Controlling behavior and anger causes distance and allows for separation. Do not fall into the trap of adding fuel to the fire and suffering undo frustration, guilt, and anger only to have your teen go further into his or her eating disorder.” Click here to read more basic tips from eHow.com.

Recommended Reading: “Pieces of my Heart” by Sinead Moriarty
Are your hang-ups hurting your kids? “Putting modesty aside, how many women look in the mirror and like what they see? Not many. When we look at ourselves, all we see are our flaws. Being self-critical is in a woman’s DNA. This observation drove me to explore the world of eating disorders for my book Pieces Of My Heart.” Click here to read an article/preview of Moriarty’s book, courtesy ofThe Sun.