Eighty-six percent of people who develop an eating disorder said the illness was apparent by the age of 20, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders.
However, these types of illnesses do not always start out as eating disorders.
Dianna Schalles, Lafene Health Center nutritionist, said dieting is a gateway that can lead to an eating disorder.
“Sometimes it will start out innocently, trying to be health conscious,” she said.
Schalles said people start by eliminating certain fats from their diets. When they see success, they cut other elements of their diet too. This combined with positive body-image feedback from others can cause a domino effect.
“It’s very complex; often times a person may not know they would be at risk for that,” she said.
With an enormous market for weight loss programs and diet supplements and a constant flow of unrealistic images in the media, quick-fix or extreme dieting can be utilized to try and obtain the perfect body image.
However, professionals stress simple and healthy lifestyle choices can be implemented into everyday routines to achieve physical fitness.
“Long term success isn’t about finding the right diet,” Schalles said. “It’s really about identifying behaviors that contribute to a person consuming more calories or an adequate physical activity.” Read more…
