Ways To Give

Eating Disorders Awareness

Written by Anita Romaniw

Did you know that women are twice as likely as men to diet, even though men are more likely to be “overweight?” Or that black women diet as frequently as or more frequently than white women? And that a quarter of all pregnant women are actually distressed by weight gain?

The fact is, eating disorders have no bounds. Although the majority struggling with eating disorders are adolescent girls and young women, they can affect anyone. It doesn’t matter your age, race, sex, financial situation or job. Recently, the annual Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 20-27, 1999 in the United States, February 1-7, 1999 in Canada) highlighted the prevalence of anorexia, bulimia, compulsive eating and weight preoccupation that’s all around us.

This is no surprise given some of the latest statistics around body and weight issues:

• up to 85% of girls under 12 worry “a lot” about the way they look.
  for boys, low self-esteem is associated with thinness (for girls, fatness).
• 6% of Canadian youths have abused steroids.
• there are strong links between parental dieting and encouraging children to diet
• over 3/4 of female teens want to lose weight . . . many of whom are underweight.
• over 6 million Canadian women think they weigh too much . . . many of whom are at a healthy weight.
• 80% of Canadian women diet for appearance, not for health.
• many pregnant women struggle with issues around body image, weight and shape.
• 70% of women, 35% of men are dieting at any given time.
• Canadian children in grade three and four say they’d rather lose a parent, get cancer, or live through nuclear war than be fat.

Eating disorders are not just about food, shape and weight. They involve problems with identity and self concept that are influenced by a host of factors. Some of the warning signs of eating disorders include:

1. Refusal to eat
2. Preoccupation with food, weight and dieting.
3. Denial of hunger.
4. Guilt and shame about eating.
5. Frequent binge eating.
6. Self-induced vomiting.
7. Frequent use of laxatives or diuretics.
8. Excessive exercise.
9. Avoidance of friends and family.
10. Perfectionism.

Resources

For resources on how to prevent or support someone with an eating disorder, please call your local health unit or clinic. For information on treatment services, please call your local Mental Health Centre.

For resources on the web visit:

• The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (Canada)
• Eating Disorders Shared Awareness

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