Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Being "Too Thin" Is Not Healthy

Dr. Sandra B. Nichols, Director

Arkansas Health Department

The saying goes, "You can never be too rich or too thin." In reference to being thin, don't you believe it. Thinness is one of Ameriaca's greatest obsession, especially for women. In our society, a slender woman symbolizes competence, success, will-power, and sexual attrictiveness. The average fashion model, said to weight 23 percent less that the average woman, is worshipped in our culture for her "beauty." Obesity in our culture can represent laziness, self-indulgence and a lack of control.

Becaue of the value that society places on being thin, there is tremendous pressure to achieve an "ideal" weight.The truth is, you can be too thin. Obsessions to lose weight can lead to life-treatening eating disorders. Pop singer Karen Carpenter and gymnast Christy Heinrich, as well as others, have died from complications of eating disorgers.

People who suffer from anorexia nervosa have such an intense fear of becoming fat that, even though they may be underweight, they reach the point of starvation by skipping meals or eating extremely small amounts of food. They may increase exercise and decrease sleep in order to work off extra calories. People with anoxeria consider themselves to be fat, no matter what their weight is. often, they do not recognize that they are underweight and may still "feel fat" at 80 pounds. Some with this eating disorder who have starved themselves close to death believe that they still need to lose weight. The physicial appearance of the person with this disorder is skeleton-like, with dry skin, sometimes yellowish, and brittle hair and nails.

In contrast, persons with bulimia nervosa have recurrent episodes of binge eating, eating exteremely large qualities of food (thousands of calories) in short periods of time. To compensate for the food overload and to prevent weight gain, the binge period is followed by purging by means of self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics and enemas. People with bulimia may seem physically healthy, but a closer look will show eroded tooth enamel, calluses on a finger or hand from making themselves gag, enlarged glands in the neck, bad breath, sore throat, dizziness, stomach cramps and bloating.

The causes of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are not known for sure, but personality type, early childhood trauma, such as sexual abuse, pressure to perform, depression, and society's expectations of slimness may contribute. Both of these conditions can be fatal, with as many as 18 percent of affected individuals dying.

As adults continue to obsess about weight, it is not surprising that eating disorders among children have risen. An estimated one in 10 teenagers and college students wrestle with this problem, over 90 percent of them female. In the 1995 Arkansas Youth Behavior Risk Survery, 39 percent of high school students were attempting weight loss, 55 percent of the females and 23 of the males. Of those adolescent girls trying to lose weight, 12 percent reported using diet pills and 8 percent vomiting or using laxatives. Yet, our population is becoming increasingly heavy. In 1994, 31 percent of Arkansas' adult women were obese.

Something must be done. Management of eating disorders requires a team effort to cover the medical component, psychotherapy, behavior modification, nutrition intervention and family therapy. Some information sources and treatment centers in Little Rock include the Arkansas Children's Hospital, the Minirth-Meier-Rice Clinic, and the Bridgeway Hospital. The earlier the symptoms are identified and treatment begun, the better.

Can eating disorders be prevented? Perhaps. Since the causes are not clear, it is hard to know exactly what to do. Parents can try modeling good eating behavior and avoiding chronic dieting and focusing on their weight and that of their children. Frances Berg in the healthy Eating Journal suggests preventive programs in weight and eating be based on self-trust, with children taught to follow their own body signals and needs. They need to be freed from narrow images based on appearance. We, as the people who influence children in school, business, church, or at play, should focus more on healthy eating and less on attaining a so-called "ideal" weight that can cause emotional and physical health problems.

People with eating disorders often deny that there is a problem. However, if you or someone you know is showing the symptoms mentioned earlier, seek the help of a doctor, therapist or support group.

For more information call (501) 661-2324.