Both Heavy and Thin Teens Share Eating Disorders

Yet another study that shows an eating disorder is an eating disorder. Fat or skinny, binging or starving, disordered eating behaviors share common psychological themes and triggers.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota polled 2,516 urban teens on diet and weight-related issues. They determined 44 percent of girls and 29 percent of boys exhibited abnormal eating behaviors. But it was the weight range of the affected teens that was most surprising.

“More than one third of the overweight girls in the study engaged in what the researchers called ‘extreme weight control behaviors,’ like vomiting or taking diet pills or laxatives in an attempt to lose weight. ‘We usually look for these behaviors in very thin girls, but here we see a very high prevalence in overweight girls,’ said lead author Dianne Neumark-Sztainer.”

Remember, eating disorders are not bound by size, shape or weight.

The study also showed that a major trigger for disordered eating – both in thin and overweight girls – was being teased about their body. Weight-related teasing was especially harmful when it came from family members.

“We have seen over the years that it does not work to make people feel worse about their bodies. The data are striking — talking about weight, worrying too much about diet, focusing on it increases risk not only of eating disorders, but also of being overweight.”