Posted on Jul 27th, 2009 |
By Leslie Thompson
Over the past few decades, obesity has become a highly prevalent problem in American society, and it is one of the fastest-growing health epidemics in the country. Recent reports show that 34 percent of adult Americans are obese and/or overweight, and more than 30 percent of children are similarly obese. With such a high percentage of the population battling obesity, many different treatment programs have been developed to help combat this issue. One such form of treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy.
(more…)
Posted in Eating Disorders
Posted on Jul 20th, 2009 |
Eating disorders are something that still seems to lurk along the sidelines of basic medicine. The stigma attached to a disorder, as well as the underlying psychological issues that could be present can often prevent an individual from seeking help for or even admitting to suffering from an eating disorder. (more…)
Posted in Anorexia
Posted on Jul 17th, 2009 |
More than 20 years ago, Maggie Baumann was struggling with anorexia while pregnant, a condition called “pregorexia.” Now 48 and living in Laguna Niguel, she’s a therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders.
When she was pregnant with her first daughter, Christine, she gained a healthy 33 pounds. But at the time, the weight felt foreign and unhealthy to her. “My first pregnancy I felt so out of control with my body changes…the stretching of my stomach, the increased size of my breasts…all those changes made me feel like I was losing myself and my identity of being ‘thin’ and in control of myself,” she said.
(more…)
Posted in Anorexia
Posted on Jul 9th, 2009 |
Michael Jackson weighed a reported 112 pounds at his death. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall, which would make his body mass index a skeletal 15.6 at the time of his death. A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25, and according to the World Health Organization, a BMI of 16.0 is the weight at which one might die of starvation.
Mark Rubi, a writer for www.Examiner.com, poses the question of whether Jackson suffered from anorexia, an eating disorder characterized by an unwillingness to eat. Sources close to Jackson say that he admittedly ate very little, and many who saw him up close over the last few years said he looked very frail.
(more…)
Posted in Anorexia
Posted on Jul 1st, 2009 |
An international study found that a variation in a gene that is active in the central nervous system is associated with increased risk for obesity. This research adds to the evidence that genes influence appetite and that the brain plays a role in obesity.
Robert Kaplan, PhD., associate professor of epidemiology and population health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University helped direct the international study, which involved 34 research institutions. Dr. Kaplan and colleagues found that people who have inherited the gene variant NRXN3 have a 10-15 percent increased risk of being obese compared with people who do not have the variant.
(more…)
Posted in Food Addiction
No Comments
