. Eating disorders at adolescence Adolescence is associated with rapid physical growth and body-image development eating disorders are of special concern at this time. These changes intensify associated self-esteem problems. Anorexia nervosa , for example, is a disorder so tied to body image distortion that it is most commonly seen in adolescence, the period when a person is struggling with self-identity and most vulnerable to body image problems.
Progress in adopting a normal adult body image will be interrupted for the teenager with an eating disorder. To understand anorexia nervosa let us take the example of Sonam. She aspires to have a perfect body. She has been ignoring the advice of her parents and teachers and almost stopped eating.
She has become obsessed with having a very thin body. Although her current weight is normal, she feels pressured to be “ideally” thin like some actresses in movies or models in magazines. She has a low self-esteem and remains depressed, and this has resulted in her withdrawing from her family and friends. She is unaware that she is undernourished and insists that she is fat.
She is a clear case of the eating disorder called anorexia nervosa. She is unaware that drastic loss of weight can even lead to death. Bulimia is another type of eating disorder. Bulimia often begins in late adolescence or early adulthood after a series of various unsuccessful weight reduction diets.
Those with bulimia indulge in bingeing (overeating) and inducing purging by vomiting or using laxatives. Although more common in females, about five to ten per cent of all eating disorders occur in males too. Anorexia and bulimia can have serious consequences such as convulsions, renal failure, irregular heartbeats and dental erosion. In adolescent girls, anorexia can delay the onset of menstruation, permanently minimise stature and result in osteoporosis (weakening of bones).
Perhaps a person’s best defense against these disorders is to learn to appreciate one’s uniqueness. Respecting and valuing oneself will certainly be life saving. Important dietary interventions include ensuring balanced diets, enhancing dietary fibre intake and using nutrient/food supplements to make up losses. To