Beryl was from a long line of tough Georgia women but she had one weakness that seemed to control her. Her home, Savannah, was a haven for some of the best food in the South and that was a happy fact for her, but also a point of vulnerability; Beryl could partake in so much …
Eating on Autopilot: The Case for Food Addiction Read More »
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by such things as a severely distorted body image, a dysfunctional obsession with staying thin, and excessive restrictions on food and calorie intake. Teenagers and adults recovering from the disorder often experience a spike in their levels of anxiety that coincide with a healthy increase in their body …
Estrogen Replacement Therapy Reduces Anxiety in Anorexics Read More »
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a form of therapy originally developed to address the symptoms of the mood disorder called major depression. Practitioners of this therapy view interpersonal difficulties as one of the primary sources of mental health issues, and work with patients to improve four areas of interpersonal function. Current evidence supports the use of …
Imagine looking in the mirror and seeing something that isn’t really there, an image that doesn’t exist. This is the everyday occurrence for the individual struggling with anorexia nervosa. This most common of the eating disorders causes the individual to see a very different image in the mirror than what the glass reflects. This distorted …
Body image distortion is a term that mental health professionals use to describe a significantly inaccurate self-perception of your body size and shape. People with distorted body images have increased risks for developing an eating disorder. According to the results of a study published in 2011 in the journal NeuroImage, individuals affected by the eating …
The concern over obesity has led many schools to adopt curriculum designed to teach children how to make healthy food choices and incorporate exercise into their daily activities. For some children, the information may help them learn to make good decisions about food intake. However, a recent study by Canadian researchers shows that these healthy …
School ‘Healthy Eating’ Programs Prove Dangerous for Some Children Read More »
Eating disorders are a collection of mental health conditions characterized by a dysfunctional relationship between eating habits, body image and the beauty ideals of mainstream society. Two factors known to contribute to the development of these disorders are a negative attitude toward one’s body shape and size (body dissatisfaction) and an inability to accurately judge …
Doctors may borrow a technique from heart procedures to help individuals living with chronic, persistent forms of anorexia – and give hope to those who haven’t seen positive changes, despite numerous treatment strategies. A recent study indicated that placing a deep brain stimulator, which resembles a cardiac pacemaker, into the brain of patients may create …
Could a ‘Brain Pacemaker’ Help Patients With Anorexia? Read More »
In recent years, there has been much discussion and debate about the supposed ability of calorie-restricted diets to improve health and extend lifespan. Unfortunately this idea can be hard to evaluate scientifically, since carrying out a controlled study in human beings to chart the lifetime health effects of reduced caloric intake would require decades of …
Fast food is the generally accepted term for food sold in restaurants that emphasize easy ordering, rapid preparation and quick service for their customers. Many of the foods served in these restaurants contain substantial amounts of two forms of fat — saturated fat and trans fat. Studies have shown that regular consumption of these fats …
That Happy Meal Can Lead to Depression, Studies Find Read More »