When your food is your child's enemy
Eating disorders can be hard to diagnose and treat, and it can take five years to get to grips with anorexia once treatment starts, writes SHEILA WAYMAN
WHO DOESN’T have some sort of issue with food these days? It’s not surprising when we’re bombarded with advice on what we should or shouldn’t eat; regularly presented with “miracle” diets endorsed by some glamorous celebrity, and it’s deemed “news” when a pop singer is spotted wearing her size eight jeans days after giving birth.
Children are affected by this image-obsessed world from an early age. A
But why do some youngsters go from having normal concerns about food and weight to developing complex and dangerous eating disorders? The reasons are varied – and sometimes unknown.
It is estimated that at least 200,000 people in
Eating disorders endanger both physical and mental health, with anorexia having the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric illness.
“The mortality rate is higher than schizophrenia or depression put together,” says consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Prof Fiona McNicholas, author of the above-mentioned study on children’s eating habits. “Half of the deaths occur by medical complication and the other half occur by suicide.”
For a third of people who experience anorexia, it starts between the ages of 11 and 15; while for half of them, symptoms first occur between the ages of 16 and 20.
The services for people affected by eating disorders in
There are eight private beds in St John of God Hospital,
The provision of four regional units of six adult beds for the specific treatment of eating disorders was recommended in a policy document drawn up for the Department of Health in 2006, entitled A Vision for Change.
“The same report recommended the development of a specialised centre for the treatment of eating disorders in children and adolescents, to be attached to one of the national children’s hospitals,” points out Jacinta Hastings, the chief executive officer of the eating disorders support and information charity, Bodywhys. “There has been no progress on these recommendations to date.”
The best option for people with eating disorders is outpatient treatment, says McNicholas, sitting in the library of the Lucena Clinic on
However, recovery from anorexia takes a long time. Only a third of cases will get better within five years of seeking intervention.
For a third, getting better means it is as if they never had the illness, explains McNicholas. Another third will always be vulnerable to stress by over-focusing on weight and they may be the sort of person who will never finish their meal.
“Then there is another sad third who have a chronic form of the illness, where their life is preoccupied by their desire to achieve this never achievable low weight and ultimately they end up with physical complications and mental health difficulties.”
The earlier the condition is identified, the greater the chance of overcoming it. So how, as a parent, do you distinguish between a child’s “pickiness” about food, combined with natural growing awareness of how they look, and the beginnings of an eating disorder which could ruin their life for many years to come?
“The age of the child, the gender of the child and the child’s other personality factors would help alert you to whether there is a possibility,” says McNicholas. “It’s absolutely normal as people get a little bit older that they become focused on their body image, body shape and the way they look, whether they are dressed in peer-appropriate clothes.”
When that starts to become obsessive and negatively affect other areas of their life, there is cause for concern. The child may be very critical of his or her appearance and place undue emphasis on weight, shape and size.
“What might have started out as a health approach, cutting out junk food and a little bit of exercise, which would be recommended and encouraged, they start over-doing it, at the expense of other things,” says McNicholas.
The danger signs are if it is affecting their social life with their peers, their school work, family life at home and their mental health. “They may become a lot more miserable and depressed.”
However, adolescents who suffer anorexia are typically high achievers, very competitive, have loads of energy, are very organised and very academically able, she points out.
“Sometimes for a long time their mood isn’t depressed; they are invigorated by their efforts to succeed in losing weight, which they do. So it may take longer for somebody with anorexia to suffer the negative impact of the eating disorder.”
It is also a matter of observing what and how your child is eating. People with an eating disorder will say they’re not hungry, may try to hide the fact that they’re not eating and become very ritualistic about the way they eat.
“They may hide their physique as well, wearing baggy clothes to avoid people seeing just how thin they’ve become,” says McNicholas. “Sometimes parents will say, ‘it is only when I saw her getting dressed for gym, or in the shower, that I noticed’.
“But not all anorexics hide their body,” she stresses. “I work with some young children who, despite being emaciated, will wear little tank tops. They delight in this bony image.”
The youngest patient she has seen was aged just eight.
Some people who have difficulty controlling their diet will binge and then there will be tell-tale signs of vomiting after a meal, or use of laxatives. They may over-exercise too, running up and down the stairs hundreds of times, in addition to going to the gym, swimming and walking the dogs. Parents should ask themselves is it a normal amount of exercise or does it seem a bit pathological?
A child’s ability to cope with emotions may also make them vulnerable to an eating disorder, says McNicholas. “If they internalise a lot of upsetting events and they have no way of dealing with it, they may suddenly latch on to something that they think they can control, which is their weight. So in an indirect way they are dealing with upsetting feelings by dieting; it kind of numbs your body for a while and you don’t have emotional feelings while you’re starving yourself.”
If you think your child does have an eating disorder, what should you do?
“If you suspect anything, the easiest thing to do with your child is just ask them how they are feeling and try to develop discussions around your emotions. You needn’t even talk about food,” says McNicholas.
However, if the child says there are not any worries, or is in that slightly elated phase where the diet is going really well, you won’t get anywhere with that.
Then it is a matter of observing your child’s weight and shape over time.
If you are concerned that both behaviour and the facts are showing that your daughter is losing weight, or failing to gain weight, a visit to the GP is always the best bet, she advises.
“For a discussion yourself: you don’t have to even mention it to your daughter. Educating yourself is always very, very helpful.”
For anorexic adolescents who have lost a lot of weight, the initial step is medical treatment for weight gain before embarking on therapy to tackle the underlying cause of the eating disorder.
Research shows that family-based treatment for anorexia is best for those under the age of 18. “You empower the parents to refeed their own child,” she says. “It is only when the child starts to eat normal amounts that you can start dealing with the other adolescent issues that will be there, as in all children – autonomy, going out socially, the child’s own concerns about their inner turmoil,” McNicholas explains.
She believes psycho-education could have a considerable impact on preventing the development of eating disorders; if people could learn how to avoid over-focusing on physical image.
“If people would put food and weight concerns in their right place and try to promote in children diversity, how it’s good to be different and not be all the same in our Ugg boots
and our Abercrombie jackets. It’s nice if somebody is pear-shaped, somebody else is dead skinny straight while somebody else is curvy.”
McNicholas would also like to see children being taught in school how to cope with emotional turmoil. “It’s about promoting positive mental health; eating disorders are a tiny bit in a much bigger piece.”
Heroes lift our spirits higher than Paul O'Conne
HOORAY FOR panic and pleasure and sweet palpitations! Oh, but it did the heart good to feel the heart flutter and skip a beat and almost stop, before the triumphant roar of those brave enough to look made it race again and nearly burst with joy.
At long last – a chance to celebrate.
Good news, for once. Great news. News to put a smile on your face, and make you sing and cheer and do silly dances.
The sort of headline news that has nothing to do with budgets and pay cuts, unemployment figures and politicians’ expenses.
The blessed relief of sporting distraction.
It didn’t matter if you never set eyes upon an oval ball or knotted an old school tie. Whether you are into rugby, soccer, Gaelic, bog-snorkelling or tiddlywinks – it didn’t matter.
This was a nation responding, admittedly belatedly and in a different fashion, to their Finance Minister’s call to “patriotic duty”. Thanks to the outdoor exploits of a rugby team and the indoor exploits of a boxer,
On an exhilarating Saturday that stretched giddily into the early hours of Sunday, we broke through the pervading gloom of the last few months and fell happily into the glorious Green beyond. First, a rugby Grand Slam title after a wait of 61 years, and then, the heroic capture of a boxing world title by a courageous Dub with a great line in patter.
Gift. Absolutely gift.
We’re not the better of it yet, thank God.
Bernard Dunne, who was crowned the WBA World super-bantamweight champion in Dublin after a gutsy display of stamina and self-belief saw him knock out the highly rated title-holder, will be honoured by his native city next week.
Yesterday belonged to the rugby players.
Coach Declan Kidney’s team, led by captain Brian O’Driscoll, arrived home at lunchtime and were met by a huge, adoring crowd at
Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who has wisely kept out of the limelight during the celebrations, leaving the players to bask in the glory, called into the Mansion House from Government Buildings, where discussions on the economic crisis are ongoing.
The Taoiseach, who loves his sport, stood back and applauded with the rest of the guests as the players entered The Round Room. He met the players and looked on proudly as his youngest daughter Meadhbh had her photo taken with O’Driscoll and Ronan O’Gara.
Social Welfare Minister Mary Hanafin, had she been in a line out, would have been penalised for barging as she elbowed her way through the throng to sit beside O’Driscoll and the trophy.
If O’Driscoll thought it was tough on the pitch, he didn’t reckon on the determination of Irish female politicians. He was sandwiched by Senator Ger Feeney and Cllr Deirdre Heeney, clinging to the trophy for dear life as the rhyming public servants smiled for the camera.
Outside, the crowd waved their green flags and waited for a glimpse of their heroes. Finally, the players emerged from the Mansion House to deafening roars of approval, walking a green carpet and a guard of honour of flagbearers and drummers.
Coach Declan Kidney, meanwhile, had a few words with Brian Cowen back inside. Was the Taoiseach asking him the secret of his success? Our IRFU man said that Kidney told his men at half-time that they had been doing everything right, and if they kept that up, the scores would come. “Keep doing what you are doing,” he told them.
Not, perhaps, the sort of advice to be giving to Brian Cowen.
Jerry Flannery’s mother, Jane, was waiting for the son to appear. “I was at the match — there were the Horans and myself and the Hayes. We stayed seated at the end and I swear to God, all the Welsh in front of us stood up. We couldn’t see a thing. Then we heard the roar. We thought it was the Welsh roaring, at first, then we realised
She looked on in delight, a proud Irish mother. “And his hair not even combed.”
Brian O’Driscoll’s girlfriend, actress Amy Huberman, held his nine-month-old niece Aoife in her arms. “I had her on my knee during the game and she hadn’t a clue what was happy. Thank God, she was a great distraction. When it was finally over, and I realised we won, I couldn’t stop crying for an hour.” Tommy Bowe sang a verse of The Black Velvet Band. At the first sighting of Brian O’Driscoll, the crowd burst into a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole.” There were high-pitched squeals from the sizable contingent of teenage girls in Ugg boots
whenever Ronan O’Gara said or did anything. Then the ticker-tape exploded out of machines at the base of the platform with great gusts of tinselly green. The wind caught the paper and it rained down on the crowd.
Sure, it was only a game. Just 80 minutes of diversion. But it was great, and it gladdened the heart and the next few weeks at least will be a little easier and the memories will remain forever. By jingo, isn’t patriotism great?
Are UGGs Bad for You?
The minute it gets cold outside...the rubber hits the road.
The popular UGG is everywhere.
Mary Schallenhammer has several pair of UGG boots
.
She says she loves them and admits she likes wearing what's "in."
"Of course you have to have all different lengths,” she said. "Yeah it's part of what we are into right now."
But Mary also loves high heels...
He says women looking for relief by pouring their dogs into a pair of UGG boots are in for a surprise.
“They put their feet into UGGs
soft roomy they’re happy campers," said Dr. Chairman.
Women, I bet you have a pair of UGG boots in your closet right now.
Well guess what…a local foot doctor says they could be bad for your feet.
So what's the problem?
"After a few hours they start feeling tired, their feet are tired they're aching and they don't know why. The reason it's aching is because there is zero support in the arch area," said Chairman.
Dr. Chairman says that lack of support flattens the arch and puts stress on the foot.
He says even women with healthy feet complain of pain if they wear their UGGs too long.
The company says UGG Australia has been around for 30 years and has not received a complaint about arch support or comfort.
They say the back of the heel or heel counter offers substantial support and the sheepskin insoles are comfortable."
They also warn of numerous UGG knockoffs that don't offer the same features.
And don't think Dr. Chairman wants you to toss your UGG boots aside.
"Absolutely not! I think they're wonderful, you should wear them but wear orthotics in them," Chairman said.
Orthotics are shoe inserts that help align the foot.
He says put them in your UGG
and problem solved.
"It’s as if someone is helping you lift your foot while you walk," Chairman says.
You can either buy expensive custom orthotics or ready-made cheaper ones you can find in any drugstore.