Trends in Adolescent Eating Disorders

Adolescence is a time of transition for young people, and a period in their lives in which there is a high level of attention placed on physical appearance. The combination of shifting hormones with pressure to fit a certain image can be the perfect breeding ground for eating disorders.

It is important for educators and healthcare providers to understand the trends in adolescent eating disorders so that they can provide adequate support and treatment for adolescents struggling to establish healthy eating behaviors. A study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders followed trends in adolescent weight control behaviors over a 10-year period.

The study is one of the first to look at trends in disordered eating behaviors over a long period of time. Led by Y. May Chao of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, the study provided information highlighting two main trends that show an increase in eating disorders among adolescent males and a trend among black females to resist the pressure to be thin.

The study obtained data for high school students from 1995 to 2005 through the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. The survey is conducted every two years by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention to determine trends of risky health behaviors by teens in a nationally representative sample.

The data indicates that there was a significant increase of dieting and diet product use among female adolescents between 1995 and 2005. The survey also showed that all weight control measures (dieting, diet product use, purging, exercise, and vigorous exercise) increased among male adolescents.

The results showed that among adolescents, white females are the most likely to practice weight control behaviors, while black females are the least likely. When examining the trends of only males, white males are the least likely to practice weight control behaviors and Hispanic males are the most likely.

The results highlight several areas of concern. The increase of male adolescents participating in weight control behaviors indicates that the social pressure for men to achieve unrealistic body ideals is increasing. Because males tend to be less likely to seek treatment for any ailment, there is concern that eating disorders among males may go untreated because of the inherent shame and privacy connected with eating disorders.

The second area of concern relates to black female adolescents. While it is encouraging that black females are not participating in weight control behaviors at a high level, there may be a risk for developing an obesity problem. However, the report showed that black female adolescents are more flexible in their concepts of beauty, which may help them maintain a healthy body image.
 

Tags: teens