The Truth Behind the Freshmen 15 The Pressures of Being Thin

Further research has shown that social pressure for thinness is the leading cause for dieting. For instance, 81 percent of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat, and 51 percent of nine to 10year-old girls feel better about themselves if they are on a diet. Though social pressure is the main cause for dieting, only four percent of women and girls develop a full-blown eating disorder.

Consequently, scientist’s efforts to pin point the cause of the illness has led to further hypothesis involving genetics. According to the Jon Hopkins Eating Disorders Program, “Family and twin studies suggest that genes may predispose to an eating disorder and genetic studies are currently underway to attempt to isolate genes that play a role in the developing of eating disorders.”

Despite the efforts put forth to determine the cause of eating disorders, many patients go unnoticed as a result to the secretiveness and shame associated with anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating. As a result, effective treatments such as behavioral monitoring and special diets where put forth to aid such individuals.

Through the intervention of such practices, the patient’s “fear of fatness and body dissatisfaction characteristic of the disorder tend to extinguish gradually over several months if target weight is maintained, although relapse is not uncommon.”

The skinny on teen dieting

An obsession with body image and thinness has led some teen-agers to diet dangerously. What parents should know:

Unsafe ways to take off pounds of a U.S. sur vey of 8th- and 10th-graders

Signs that dieting is out of control

Continues to diet, even if not overweight Complains of weakness, headaches or dizziness

Thinks about food all the time, eats in

Wears baggy clothes to hide thinness

Restricts activities because of food, exercises excessively

Unhealthy weight loss plans

Too few calories: Plans that severely limit food intake (such as 800 calor ies a day)

No fat: 20 percent to 25 percen of calories should come from fats

Does not nclude a wide variety of foods

If your teen needs to lose weight talk with a doctor