SD3 - Mar 2012

愛靚？愛命？

As the pursuing of beauty is mentioned last issue, I would like to discuss further on relevant topics this month. Maybe I should give you some clues first. The key words of the topics are “food”, “body shape”, “BMI” (Body Mass Index) and “weight”. The theme is quite eminent actually. It is eating disorders that will be discussed.

Who, or what, defines slim?

Sometimes, people just do not feel right about their weight. This thought happens more often in girls (especially during adolescence) who always want to be slimmer. It originates the causes of eating disorders. Some experiments have demonstrated significant relationship between number of hours watching television and the symptoms of eating disorders. Levine and Smolak called this effect “the glorification of slenderness”, which means the media is embedding the idea that slimmer women are preferred. They found that women on television are overall slimmer than average, and the presence of overweight male characters was 2.5 times more than those of overweight female characters.

Major types of eating disorders include bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. For major differentiation of these 3 disorders, please refer to the table below.

From the table, you can have a guess on the efficiency of weight losing. Patients with anorexia nervosa are successful in weight losing, while those of bulimia nervosa are not really reducing their weight to a great extent. On the other hand, binge-eating disorder, with no compensatory behaviors observed, is usually associated with obesity.

Psychologically, both bulimia and anorexia nervosa patients are fear of gaining weight and intend to have intense control over their eating. Bulimia patients feel ashamed for their situation. However, anorexia patients are proud of their absolute control. These disorders are often associated with depression and anxiety mood disorders, as self-esteem is regarded.

Does Purging Work?

One thing you may be surprised is that purging is not a very efficient way to reduce weight gaining. Only about 50% of the calorie will be taken away, if you purge immediately after swallowing the food. For long-term purging, cardiovascular problem and kidney failure may be caused!

After all, balanced diet and continuous exercising are the best choices for you to keep fit. You may try the first step by developing a sport that you enjoy. It could be jogging, cycling, swimming, or ball games. The effect is more enduring if you can find some accompany. As a friend told me, persistence is the key to success. Keeping fit is more than just weight, it is about health. 

Venus Lai

References:

Barlow, D.H. & Durand, V.M. (2009). Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach (5th ed). California: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Levine, M. P., and Smolak, L. (1996). Media as a context for the development of disordered eating. In Smolak, L., Levine, M. P., and Striegel-Moore, R. (eds.), The Developmental Psychopathology of Eating Disorders: Implications for Research, Prevention and Treatment. Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, pp. 233–257.