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Archive for category Eating Disorders

Anorexia study seeks volunteers

Aug 21

Posted by Nancy Lentz in Biomedical Research, Eating Disorders | Comments off

SMH, AP, 21 August 2010

“Australian researchers will conduct a world-first study to find the optimal treatment for the debilitating and often deadly disorder anorexia nervosa. About one in five people, usually women, who develop the eating disorder die as a result, says Associate Professor Susan Byrne of the University of Western Australia’s School of Psychology. She said many treatments had emerged over the years, from different models of counselling and therapy along with acute hospital care, though there was little evidence to show which approach was best.”

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Adult anorexia: the forgotten tragedy of lives lost to illness

Jul 18

Posted by Nancy Lentz in Biomedical Research, Clinical Ethics, Eating Disorders | Comments off

SMH, By Stacey Moseley, 18 July 2010

“Women in their 30s, 40s and even older are the new breed of anorexia nervosa sufferers, with a study showing that the disease is not only a condition of the young.  Stephen Touyz, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Sydney, conducted the first study of its kind in the world, examining women from Sydney and London who have had the disease for seven years or longer.”

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Leading doctors call for urgent crackdown on junk food

Jul 12

Posted by Nancy Lentz in Children, Chronic Disease, Eating Disorders, Nutrition, obesity | Comments off

The Observer, By: Denis Campbell, 11, July  2010

“Leading doctors today weigh in on the debate over the government’s role in promoting public health by demanding that ministers impose “fat taxes” on unhealthy food and introduce cigarette-style warnings to children about the dangers of a poor diet.  The demands follow comments last week by the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, who insisted the government could not force people to make healthy choices and promised to free businesses from public health regulations.  But senior medical figures want to stop fast-food outlets opening near schools, restrict advertising of products high in fat, salt or sugar, and limit sponsorship of sports events by fast-food producers such as McDonald’s.”

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‘Airbrush alert’ for Australian magazines

Jul 4

Posted by Nancy Lentz in Eating Disorders, Health information and education, New Legislation, Whistleblowing | Comments off

Canada.com, By Bonnie Malkin, 30 June 2010

“Magazines in Australia could be forced to carry disclaimers on any photographs that have been airbrushed after the government unveiled a new strategy to tackle negative body image and eating disorders. Under a code of conduct for the fashion industry, magazines must agree to refrain from heavy retouching of body parts, including the common practices of lengthening legs and trimming waistlines. Where photographs have been altered, the images must carry a disclaimer.”

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Surge in eating disorders

Jul 4

Posted by Nancy Lentz in Eating Disorders, Global and International Health, Medical Boards and Associations | Comments off

The Scotsman, By Katrine Bussey, 4 July 2010
“New figures have revealed a rise in the number of young females seeking help for eating disorders.  In 2008-9, 1,447 females aged between ten and 30 turned to either their GP or a practice nurse for help with problems such as anorexia or bulimia.”
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Eating with an anorexic child

Jun 29

Posted by Nancy Lentz in Children, Eating Disorders, Health information and education | Comments off

Seattle Times, By Julie Deardorf, 27 June 2010

“War broke out on the day Rina Ranalli and her husband told their 12-year-old anorexic daughter the strict new house rules: three meals and three snacks a day.  Initially, their bright and previously sweet-natured girl cried, screamed insults and raged. She threw things. Punched holes in the wall. And she pretended to eat while plotting ways to hide the food. But when the seventh-grader realized her parents had her trapped — they would sit with her 24/7 if they had to — she ventured down the only available path. She began eating.”

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Fashion industry asked to adopt body-image code

Jun 27

Posted by Nancy Lentz in Eating Disorders, Health information and education | Comments off

ABC News, AP, 27 June 2010

“The Federal Government has backed a new voluntary code of conduct on body image for the fashion and advertising industries. The code of conduct was developed by the National Advisory Group on Body Image and provides a list of principles to guide those working in the media, advertising and fashion industries. Designers are being asked not to hire models with a dangerously low body mass index and also not to hire excessively muscular male models.”

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Body-Image Distortion Predicts Onset Of Unsafe Weight-Loss Behaviors

Jun 20

Posted by Nancy Lentz in Children, Eating Disorders, Health information and education, Mental Illness, Nutrition | Comments off

Medical News Today, 19 June 2010

“Normal weight and underweight teenage girls who falsely believe they are overweight are at significantly greater risk of succumbing to unnecessary and unsafe weight-loss behaviors than girls who can accurately assess their weight status, according to new research by a University of Illinois expert in eating disorders and body-image perception. ”

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Warning over eating disorder sites

Jun 18

Posted by Nancy Lentz in Eating Disorders, Internet | Comments off

The Press Association, UKAP, 18 June 2010

“Most eating disorder websites include “thinspiration” pictures of very slim models and celebrities, according to an extensive online review. A total of 85% contained “thinspiration” photographs, while 83% offered encouragement for disordered eating behaviours. Some websites contained “very hardcore” information to fuel eating disorders and 79% had calorie counters or body mass index (BMI) calculators.”

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Woman strives to be world’s heaviest

Jun 11

Posted by Nancy Lentz in Best Interests, Clinical Ethics, Eating Disorders, Health information and education, obesity | Comments off

Health24, AP, 10 June 2010

“A New Jersey woman is waging a campaign to become the world’s heaviest living woman, admitting that she is as hungry for attention as she is for calorie-rich food. Donna Simpson, 42, weighs more than 272kg and aims to reach 455 kg.  The mother of two children, ages 3 and 14, models on a website called supersizedbombshells.com, where admirers and the curious can pay to watch videos of her eating greasy foods or walking to the car.”

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