Moms Everywhere

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Did you know that 1 in 100 young female adolescents between the ages of 10-20 years old have anorexia nervosa and that 4 in 100 college-aged women have bulimia? How many women in your life do you know had or has an eating disorder? Would you as a mom know the signs and symptoms in your children and when to seek medical care? After listening to this week’s show, you will.

This week, Julie Shepardson, a licensed mental health counselor in Winter Springs, Florida discusses this very significant health issue that faces our young women today. Specializing in eating disorders, individual and couples counseling, as well as mood and anxiety disorders, Julie offers us with some valuable information. The definition of eating disorder is having severe disturbances in eating behaviors. She tells us that there are three categories: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and soon to be binge eating disorders that affect primarily women, however, men are also affected. Out of the 8 million people who suffer with an eating disorder, 1 million are male.

Julie clearly explains to us how there is no typical stereotype for a person with eating disorders. She shares with us that there is a disconnect in their brains that constantly fuels their misconception of their body image. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia tend to be young women’s way to control their weight, whereas the binge eating disorder individual has a difficult time managing this and cycles through the same behavior. Research has shown some typical characteristics such as having low self-esteem, having a stressful home environment, and being prone to perfectionism. Genetic factors are still being researched as well.

A few of the warning signs we should look for are significant weight loss,an intense fear of being overweight, a preoccupation with thinness, an unusual preoccupation over food (portion, calories, fat grams), refusing to eat with others, skipping meals, over exercising, increase in caffeine intake, and increase in empty food packages. Of course, if you see someone with these signs, it does not mean they have an eating disorder. You have to take into account any sudden changes, the individual lifestyle, and numerous other factors before deciding an eating disorder is the concern. You must seek additional guidance from your health care provider and/or counselor to help you and your child.

This issue is extremely serious and if ignored or not taken care of immediately, eating disorders can lead to serious medical conditions and even death. So, I strongly encourage you to seek medical advice if you are even the least concerned.

Since there is just so much to talk about regarding eating disorders, we will bring Julie Shepardson back next week to continue our discussion. So, come back next week to learn more so we can help those we care about the most.

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