3.9 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 sum up, physical, social and emotional changes experienced during adolescence can profoundly impact the adolescent’s nutritional status and eating patterns. Although young people are rarely motivated to learn about nutrition for the sake of longevity, learning how to apply sound dietary principles to reach our health goals can help build the foundation to a healthier life, now and in the future.

Health is a key resource of young people; it influences the availability and use of other resources that are important in everyday life. What are the other resources that an individual has? The following chapter on Management of Resources addresses this question and also discusses how best one can utilise and manage key resources such as time, energy and money. Key terms and their meaning Activity level Level of activity of a person, i.e., sedentary or light, moderate, and heavy.

This is closely related to one’s occupation. Balanced diet A diet which includes a variety of foods in adequate amounts and correct proportions to supply all essential nutrients which promote and preserve good health. Food group A number of foods sharing common characteristics which are grouped together. Characteristic for grouping may be function, nutrient, or source.

Lactation The period when the mother nurses her infant. Physiological state State when nutrient needs increase because of normal physiological events such as pregnancy and lactation.