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Anorexia and Autism: Is There a Connection?

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Both anorexia and Asperger's, a form of autism, remain highly misunderstood. Ongoing research out of the Maudsley Hospital in London points to a surprising relationship between these two conditions. Maudsley researchers believe anorexia is an inheritable trait, rather than a psycho-social problem, and is related to autism. Although the two conditions present differently, both conditions, according to autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen (Sacha's cousin) share a "narrow focus of attention, a resistance to change and excellent attention to detail." Research has also shown that 15 to 20 percent of patients diagnosed with anorexia are also on the autism spectrum.

Does the US Pay More Attention to Obesity or Anorexia?

FitSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:30:00 -0700

We refer to obesity as an epidemic and talk about anorexia as an eating disorder, but both illustrate our extreme relationships with food. Disordered eating is a regular topic in Lifetime movies and TV talk shows, and there are occasionally real-life documentaries of young women battling anorexia. When a fashion model suffers from an eating disorder, we hear about it in the news.

Obesity has been making news headlines for the past decade or so, with a heavy hand coming down on fast-food restaurants. Obese individuals have made their stories public with several reality TV shows, and there's a push for parents to take responsibility for teaching their kids' healthy-eating habits.

In a recent interview, Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour surmised her thoughts on eating issues in the US.

I'd just been on a trip to Minnesota, where I can only kindly describe most of the people I saw as little houses. There's such an epidemic of obesity in the United States, and for some reason, everybody focuses on anorexia.

Ironically, Minnesota is one of the healthiest states in the nation. Do you agree with Anna's comment about everyone focusing on anorexia?

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Courts Call It: Keira's Not Anorexic

FitSugar — Fri, 25 May 2007 15:15:00 -0700

Keira Knightley has been battling with British tabloid UK Daily Mail regarding a story they ran with a picture of her in a bikini, headlined: "If Pictures Like This One of Keira Carried a Health Warning, My Darling Daughter Might Have Lived." Knightley felt that the article could have been interpreted that she was the cause of the tragic death of a 19-year-old, who battled with anorexia.

CNN.com has reported that the courts chose to rule in Keira's favor, awarding her £3,000 ($5,965) in libel damages. Knightley will be contributing another 3,000 pounds to her settlement and donating it all to BEAT, a charity organization that provides assistance to people with eating and mental disorders.

I know it's easy to point fingers at skinny celebs, but it is true that Keira has always been a thin girl and we do not see her weight fluctuating wildly like other celebs. Personally, I am happy for Keira and I love that she is donating the money to a good cause. I would love for the tabloids to stop focusing on how skinny (or fat) celebs are daily because if they do in fact have an eating disorder, the reports can only make things worse for everyone.

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Ana and Mia: My Eating Disorder "Friends"

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 15:15:00 -0800

If you're searching for information on the internet about eating disorders, you're bound to come across 2 girls' names, Ana and Mia.

I've seen it phrased, "My Life With Ana," "Me and Mia," "PRO-Ana," and sadly, "Mia hates You." No, these aren't real girls' names. Ana is short for Anorexia and Mia is short for Bulimia. These nicknames are a way to personify eating disorders, and to make it easier for people to talk openly about them.

Since it is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I thought you should know that there are so many "PRO-Ana" videos out there that sadly promote eating disorders. I found one video of a girl who was sick of it. She recovered from eating disorders herself, and made this video to reveal the true picture of what it means to go through it.

I have a few more things to say on this subject, so read more

Anorexia and Bulimia are not only about food. Eating disorders become a mechanism to cope with serious emotional problems. They are a way to gain control over your life. People with eating disorders suffer through a constant battle with self-hatred and obsess about food, calories, grams of fat, and their weight.

Their lives become about dieting, binging, purging, and refraining from food all together. It's kind of like a self-punishment for not being perfect.

Fit's Tips: If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, there are many people and treatment centers available who want to help. Avalon Hills is located in Utah, Fairwinds in Florida, Monte Nido in California, and Renfrew in Pennsylvania. They all offer counseling programs to help people heal their hearts and change their lives.

There are also some great PR0-RECOVERY sites out there. Check out Something Fishy, and the National Eating Disorder Association, they are both excellent resources.

Tracey Gold: An Inspirational Survivor

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:00:03 -0800

We knew her as Carol Seaver on the hit show Growing Pains about the picture-perfect 80's family. Later, it came out that Tracey Gold was suffering from anorexia. After plummeting to 80 pounds and nearly dying, she was forced to leave the show, and enter rehab in 1992.

Tracey wrote a book about her traumatic and moving experience of her journey to recovery called Room to Grow: An Appetite for Life. In it, she describes her feelings and experiences with anorexia, and how she managed to survive through it.

She says, "My hope is that in sharing my experiences, battles and hard-earned knowledge, Room to Grow will be something people can turn to for help, a source of comfort and encouragement. It is for every sister, daughter, friend or boyfriend whose life has been touched by anorexia nervosa. This is my story. I hope it helps."

It's an inspirational story outlining the truth about women and the pressure they feel about their body image. Buy it through Amazon.

Fittingly Mad: Starvation is NOT Beautiful

FitSugar — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 02:00:00 -0800

In light of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week from February 25 - March 3, and because another model, Eliana Ramos, has passed away from anorexia, I am overwhelmed with so many feelings. I'm angry with the media for making girls think that thin equals beauty. I'm also sad for people battling eating disorders, and for the families who've lost loved ones.

It's not just models and actresses who feel the pressure to be super thin. The young girls and women of the world who see magazine covers think that that is the norm, the expected.

The average female model weighs up to 25% less than the typical woman and maintains a weight at about 15 to 20 percent below what is considered healthy for her age and height.

Some models go through plastic surgery, some are "taped-up" to mold their bodies into more photogenic representations of themselves, and all photos are airbrushed and altered by a computer designer before going to print (in fact this photo, I think, might even be manipulated to make the model appear even thinner for some pro-anorexia site).

These body types and images are NOT the norm and are unobtainable to the average individual. But unfortunately, the constant force of these images on society makes us believe that we should all look emaciated and rail-thin.

We need to remind each other and ourselves constantly - especially young girls - that these images are fake. Being healthy and having a healthy body image is what it's all about.

When Will it Stop? Another Model Dies

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 13:00:00 -0800

I know people are hesitant to blame the fashion/modeling industry but it is hard to defend the industry when another model passes away from malnutrition.

Eliana Ramos (pictured here) was found dead in her home in Montevideo (Uruguay) by relatives. Preliminary examinations indicated her death was caused by a heart attack from malnutrition. What's even more sad? Last August, her sister, 22-year-old Luisel Ramos, was performing a catwalk show and died shortly after from heart failure caused by malnutrition.

With reports of more models passing away from not eating, it is hard not to point fingers at the modeling industry for causing (or at least aiding) eating disorders. The debate is still open -- Gisele blames parents, but do you? Take the poll, Who do you blame for eating disorders?

I'm Too Skinny: Too Skinny for This Show

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:30:00 -0800

Even though NY did not seem to follow the recent trend in making models that are too skinny sit out the runway, Madrid is definitely pulling its weight (no pun intended).

Madrid, the first city last year to ban models who are too skinny, has gone a step further this year and declared 5 models too thin for the catwalk at this week's international designer show. The other 64 models who were checked had enough fat on them to take part on the runways, including one, Maria Campoy, who was banned in September for being too boney. Campoy actually had to gain weight for this year's show and she did, which I think is fantastic.

With the fashion weeks hopping from city to city, eating disorders are a hot topic right now, but do you blame the fashion industry? Take my poll to cast your vote and see what others are saying.

In other news, my good buddy Giggle brought this to my attention: A London based restaurant gives skinny models free food. Sad, but true and definitely worth a giggle.

As Fashion Week Kicks Off, All Eyes On Thin Models

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 12:15:00 -0800

Did you know that the median onset of anorexia for girls is between the ages of 11 and 13, but the disease has been noted even in elementary school children?

As today marks the kick off of Fashion Week in New York and all eyes are on the shows for the fashions (of course) but also to see if the models will be less thin than in previous shows. This change (hopefully) comes after the fashion industry has been scrutinized after two models recently starved themselves to death. Models this year are supposed to have a BMI of 18.5 or above to be allowed to participate in the shows, so we'll see how that pans out.

Eating disorders are not to be ignored and while some, like Gisele, point fingers at families, experts believe that there is a lot more to it than just parenting. So to keep an eye out and help anyone that may have an eating disorder, the National Eating Disorder Association has outlined several eating disorder warning signs to look out for:

Dramatic loss of weight
Preoccupation with calorie-counting
Frequent use of a weight scale
Obsession with exercise
Binge eating and/or purging
Food "rituals" -- taking tiny bites, ignoring certain food groups, rearranging food on the plate
Eating alone, or avoiding meals altogether
Use of laxatives/diuretics
Smoking aimed at suppressing appetite
Frequent criticism of self as "fat," which increases despite weight loss

Love the fashions and can't wait to see the fall clothes, then be sure to check out Fab's coverage of Fashion Week!

Gisele: Not Quite the Authority on Anorexia

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:30:00 -0800

Gisele's statements on the causes of anorexia are making quite the stir.

Apparently she believes that the modeling industry is not to blame for the rise in anorexia, but the parents of the models are. Of course Gisele is basing her opinion on her own experience as she did not have to deal with an eating disorder because (in her opinion) she had good family support. While experts are not discounting that family support is obviously important in any situation, there is no scientific evidence that families straight-up cause anorexia nervosa. Researchers are actually finding that anorexia is not just simply wanting to be slim to achieve some fashionable slender ideal. Furthermore, the data shows that anorexia has a strong genetic component that may be the root cause of this illness.

Experts say:

"An uninformed opinion such as Bundchen's causes harm on a number of levels. By contributing to the stigma, it drives sufferers underground and creates obstacles to seeking help. It damages attempts at advocacy and hurts parents who are desperately fighting for their child's recovery."

Looks like Gisele may want to take her foot, while it may be a very polished and high paid foot, out of her mouth.

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