When eating disorders strike in mid-life

Eating disorders, especially anorexia and bulimia, are generally classified as a young woman's disease. Now, according to a recent New York Times article, more and more women in their 30s and 40s are developing eating disorders.

“I think the degree of despair we are seeing among adult women about their bodies is unrivaled,” said Margo Maine, co-author of “The Body Myth: Adult Women and the Pressure to Be Perfect” (Wiley, 2005). “Eating disorders creep up during periods of developmental transitions, so the peak had been 13 to 15 and 17 to 19 — moving into adolescence and moving into college. Now, we are seeing them again during or after pregnancy and as women hit other life phases, such as empty nesting.”

“A problem is that friends, and even doctors, get used to seeing someone in their overly skinny state and may not recognize their habits and physique as dangerously unhealthy,” said Dr. David Herzog, the director of the Harris Center for Education and Advocacy in Eating Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also the endowed professor in the field of eating disorders at Harvard Medical School.

WebMD even has a specific section of their website geared towards older women and eating disorders. This is an awareness that is growing among addictions- that these kind of things can strike anyone, anywhere, whether it's drug addiction, eating disorders or other compulsive behaviors. Money, success, fame (see Michael Jackson) or any other factor can't completely shield someone from these terrible diseases. The best we can ask for is awareness and the ability to get help.

What Dr. Herzog said above, about doctors not being able to recognize the behavior, is one of the biggest problems in America. Doctors receive little education around recognizing and treating eating disorders and addiction unless they really ask for it or specialize in it. This leaves an entire generation of doctors on their own, trying to help people in a general practice where these things may go unnoticed for long periods of time. Once again- educate, educate, educate and raise awareness! If you think there's a problem- if you're asking yourself if you drink too much, smoke too much pot, or aren't eating enough, ask for help! There is no shame in getting better. I think that's the biggest stigma in our culture- that somehow living with a huge problem and not getting help, attempting to pull oneself up by the bootstraps if you will, is a better option than asking for help with a major problem. This is something each individual can change for themselves. If you need help, you won't get it if you don't ask.

Miss America Kristen Haglund is involved in eating disorder awareness:



And here's a video on older women and eating disorders from CBS:


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Here's something funny.

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Eating Disorder Books

A post in the New York Times yesterday in the Books section touched on new stories coming out regarding girls and eating disorders. The title, "The Troubling Allure of Eating Disorder Books," says it all. There are a number of pro-anorexia websites all over the web, and this disturbing trend is pushed by things like Amazon book lists posted by individuals who encourage anorexia. One of the quotes by this particular reviewer was innately disturbing: "I couldn’t put this book down. The main character Kessa had one of the most extreme cases of anorexia. I admired her strength in never giving into food no matter how strong her carnal desires were (and she was severely emaciated so they were very strong)." The thinking here is obviously pretty sick.

What's difficult about eating disorders compared to other disorders is that you can't abstain. Unlike drugs and alcohol or even gambling, one can't quit and then work through personal issues. An individual struggling with anorexia or bulimia needs all the help they can get. There's a number of programs around the country available for help. An individual or family who is being affected can go through the International Association of Eating Disorder Providers to find a therapist or outpatient program in their area. Programs like Rosewood Ranch in Wickenburg, AZ and The Victorian in Newport Beach offer residential care for clients that need the help. A number of these individuals also have a history of significant trauma in their lives, and finding a way to work through that with new coping mechanisms can be a challenging process.

And of course, what we REALLY need is additional awareness. As with all compulsive disorders, a stigma created by society exists. Celebrities in the media almost flaunt their skinniness and potential anorexia, providing poor role models for young girls. One can open any US Weekly or click on Perez Hilton to see women pushed by the pressures of society to be too thin. The National Eating Disorders Association is working to destroy this image by providing education to parents, families, and educational institutions. The best combatant we have against this deadly disease is information and action. We can always hope for the best, but providing help for a friend or family member in need is the easiest way to make a difference.

Here's the Eating Disorder Awareness video:



Here's another video on eating disorders.

Here's something funny.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter and add me on LinkedIn. Become a fan of the blog on Facebook. And see you tomorrow.