Strollerderby : eating disorders

You Can't Scare Your Kids Out of an Eating Disorder

JeanneSager — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT

They seem like the perfect mix of over-the-top drama and real-life cautionary tales to scare your kids straight. But all those books out there warning about the dangerous world of eating disorders?

Could be helping your kids advance their disordered eating.

A look at some books written for teens that fall in the "children's lit" category over on the New York Times' Well Blog hit home for me especially because I WAS one of those teen girls who, pardon the pun, but ate up the stories of teenage bulimics. I wanted to read about someone I could identify with.

But even as I read the horrors of girls whose bodies had begun to grow excess hair to make up for the lack of fat to keep them warm, of girls who landed in hospitals weighing what they did as elementary schoolers, I wasn't consciously thinking "ooh, can't wait until I land in a clinic for the eating disordered, wonder if my parents' insurance will cover the costs." What I was thinking was "interesting, she eats a brightly colored food first so when she throws up, she'll know by the color in the toilet that she's gotten to the bottom of her stomach contents."

It's why today I'm loathe to tell my daughter horror stories to scare her straight on anything. Because before you reach the awful ending, there are always the details that fascinate, that often overwhelm kids with their one-track minds, that are entirely more enticing than the sobering after-thought of a consequence.

Although I'm wary of blaming a book for a child's struggle with an eating disorder (ninety nine times out of one hundred, the seeds for that have already been sewn), just as I scoff at the idea that a video game is solely to blame for a child's violent tendencies, any book, movie, game, what have you, that shares intimate details of how someone navigates a dangerous path is a potential how-to manual in the hands of our kids.

It's why I read this warning about eating disorder books as just another reason parents can't pass the buck off onto a book, a movie, a CD. If you're going to keep your kid from disordered eating, get wise to what it means to have an eating disorder, find out the warning signs and then TALK to your kids. Let them read books, sure, but read them yourselves so you know what's in them. Then talk about them.

Because if all you're doing is trying to scare your kids into being good, it isn't going to work.

Image: UniversityofWisconsin

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Anorexia May Be Caused by Brain Chemistry

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A study of 200 people—mostly females aged twelve to twenty-five—has radically changed the way doctors think about anorexia. While previous research on the disease has stressed cultural and familial causes of the disease, researchers have now determined that anorexia may be closely related to brain chemistry:

“They found that about 70% of the patients had suffered damage to their neurotransmitters, which help brain cells communicate with each other, had undergone subtle changes in the structure of their brains, or both.”

This finding helps to clarify a long confusion about the risk factors involved in developing anorexia, since all women are exposed to pop culture’s thin obsession, but only about four women in every thousand develop anorexia.

Researchers hope that it may be possible to treat the disease with drugs that work like antidepressants by altering brain chemistry—and to offer parents some peace of mind that their children’s eating disorders are not their fault. According to Susan Ringwood, who runs a leading charity for people suffering from eating disorders, “Parents always blame themselves when their child develops an eating disorder. But what we are learning more and more from research in this area is that some people are very vulnerable to anorexia and that is down to genetic factors and brain chemistry, and not them trying to look like celebrity models or suffering a major traumatic event early in their lives.”

Jezebel writer Hortense is certainly not the only anorexia sufferer who welcomes the news that anorexia can affect anyone, and does not necessarily say anything about one’s childhood or obsession with appearance.

Nevertheless, just as people who are prone to depression are more likely to actually become depressed when certain stress factors are present in their lives, parents and society still have a responsibility to encourage all children to have positive relationships with their bodies—a responsibility that society clearly continues to shirk.

Eventually, it may be possible to test children as young as eight to determine whether they have the anorexia-prone brain abnormality. Would you get your kids screened?

Photo: Jezebel

Bait and Switch: When is Eating Healthy Unhealthy?

Shannon LC Cate — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:30:00 GMT

Oh New York Times, you've spotted yet another parenting non-trend! This time, the Times tells us, mothers are giving their kids complexes about eating healthy food, which is, (ironically, of course!) unhealthy.

Who did the newspaper of record consult to get information on this trend? Why, specialists in eating disorders. That is, people who are exposed almost exclusively to unhealthy people obsessed in one way or another about food. A bit circular, don't you think?

Because in spite of the anecdotal evidence of the Times that kids whose mothers are careful with their diets--serving lots of organic vegetables, for example, or avoiding over-processed foods and transfats--are terrified at the prospect of eating an Oreo, or refuse to have a piece of cake at other children's (those with mothers who presumably have a healthy approach to transfat acceptance) birthday parties.

This article just irks me. Sure maybe people already inclined to eating disorders also have a fixation on the healthiness of their food. But most people could use some improvement in the food choice department. I take a great deal of care in feeding my children well. I'm a prime example of a mom who restricts her children to a nearly all-organic, all-whole-food diet. But my kids are not about to turn down cookies or birthday cake, given the chance. Not on your life. In fact, my philosophy is that if you keep your kids on the dietary straight and narrow 90% of the time, the occasional junk-food treats they enjoy will A) be a bigger, more fun deal and B) not hurt them a bit, given their overall health and nutritional intake.

Ah, but the food industry would love it if parents all decided that feeding kids healthy food--and teaching them to do the work of decoding package labeling, which is purposefully obscure--is the unhealthy approach.

Then maybe we'd all get back to buying Oreos like good little sheep.

Barbie Teaches Kids About Obesity

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:30:00 GMT

A new ad campaign by an organization called the Active Life Movement is relying on the paragons of impossible beauty to teach kids about the perils of obesity. Since toys like Barbie really encourage healthy body images and lifestyles….

The goal of the Active Life Movement is laudable—to encourage kids to be active and healthy—but this ad campaign is certainly not serving that goal. As Jezebel points out, toys like Barbie and Superman hardly have body types that kids should be striving for. (Check out the superhero version of the ad here.)

And the ads’ tag line—“Keep obesity away from your child”—is unnecessarily harsh, making it sound as if being overweight is a contagious disease. Being healthy does not necessarily mean being thin, just as being thin does not necessarily mean being healthy. I would hope that the epidemic of eating disorders among increasingly young kids has taught us that by now.

This ad is the visual equivalent of shouting at kids, “Don’t be fat! Be beautiful! Or else everyone will hate you!” Active Life Movement, I suggest sending your creative directors back to the drawing board.

Photo: AdFreak.com

Are More Pregnant Women Suddenly Starving Themselves?

Miriam Axel-Lute — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:00:00 GMT

A blogger over at self-improvement site PeopleJam is warning us about a new buzzword, "pregorexia," and the supposed trend from which it stems—women suddenly trying to be like a couple of skinny celebs by staying thin during their pregnancies.

But the original article reporting on the topic in the Times of London paints a somewhat different picture—one of a world in which lots of women have eating disorders, and, surprise, surprise, they don't just disappear during pregnancy, though sometimes pregnancy does make some that have been in remission return. (Since eating disorders are as much about control as appearance, I can see that the feeling of being out of control that pregnancy can bring would be a risk factor.)

The article paints a depressing picture of insufficient care and doctors not asking about, or noticing, symptoms of unhealthy eating. But it doesn't make the case that there's actually any new upswing in cases, and in fact specifically notes that there is no data to show that. Perhaps there is just an upswing in awareness, which is often mistaken for an increase in the thing itself.

More awareness of eating disorders in general is good, and I suppose I can tolerate "pregorexia," a creepily cutesy term for a non-cutesy thing, if it helps with that, but my gut feeling is it would make more sense to use the words we have and not treat eating disorders in pregnancy as some new, separate thing that those crazy knocked up ladies are getting into.

There does seem to already be a disturbing willingness to assume that healthy pregnancy weight gain is going to screw with all of our delicate self esteems, even if we have no eating disorders. Take lines like this one from BabyCenter—"It's normal to feel anxious and even depressed as the numbers on the scale edge up" (Depressed? Just from that? If that's true, we're in sad shape) or the popular, defensive "I'm not fat, I'm knocked up" T-shirt.

So there's weirdness out there, but I'm still suspicious of making it a celebrity supermodel problem. There are an awful lot of normally protruding pregnant bellies in evidence on famous people. Enough that even under-a-pop-culture-rock me has seen the pictures.

On the other hand, from what I've heard from midwives and other mothers, fears about gestational diabetes (a real problem with extreme weight gain) and "babies too big for a natural birth" (which is almost always bunk) seem to lead an awful lot of nurses and doctors to cluck their tongues warningly over even slightly high weight gain. That won't create an eating disorder out of thin air, but it sure can sow doubt and paranoia. And if eating disorders are as common in pregnancy as the Times thinks, medical professionals might want to reconsider which side of caution they err on.

Photo by tomeppy.

Babble Talk: Why Do We Worry About Eating Disorders, But Only for Daughters?

Jen Chaney — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:25:00 GMT

In this week's Bad Parent essay, Jeanne Sager confesses that she is a recovering bulimic and is petrified that she'll pass on her eating disorder to her daughter.

"I worry constantly: Should she have another cookie?" Sager writes. "Should I buy the organic peanut butter or the Skippy that's on sale? Am I letting her get too fat? Am I making her too thin"

Any woman living in our size-two-is-best society probably has some body image issues. I know I do. Even those of us who don't take those issues to the level of having an eating disorder worry that we'll pass on unhealthy behavior -- staring in mirrors for too long, obsessing over calories -- to our kids. But here's the thing: I say kids. But really I mean daughters.

Even though it's entirely possible (albeit less common) for males to develop eating disorders, we don't seem to worry as much about that happening to our sons. In fact, the very first comment on Sager's essay says: "This is the scariest thing to me about having a daughter (on Friday!). I'm ALREADY hearing the murmurs of my ED when the doctor says, 'Oh, she'll be at least 9 pounds.' I realized that with my son I was happy that he was 9lbs, 6oz, but I felt disappointed that my daughter might start out big."

While we don't want any of our children to be overweight, we consider it a compliment if someone says our baby boy is large. That means he's healthy, strapping, destined for football glory. If someone says it about our baby girl, though, we subconsciously think: Fat. Unattractive. Destined to be a Heavier Version of Bridget Jones, Sans the Love Affair With Colin Firth.

Of course, we all know this is unfair, wrong and inappropriate. And yet it's ingrained in us by society. It's a reflexive response. So what can we do about it?

Really, the same thing Jeanne Sager is doing to deal with her eating disorder's impact on her daughter. Be aware, feed our kids healthy foods and fight the good fight against those bad impulses. And that all starts in the very beginning. When someone says: "Oh your little girl is so pudgy and cute," we have to convince ourselves not to cringe. Instead we should say, "Thank you." We should give our strapping daughters a kiss. And we should be silently grateful that she's got some meat on her bones and a perfectly pleased smile on her face.

Image: Klee McMullen/Babble.com

Should an "Overweight" Beauty Pageant Contestant Be a Role Model for Young Girls?

Kelly Mills — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:02:00 GMT

Monica Grenfell is horrified. Why? Well, see, this year's Miss England contest has a fairly unique finalist: Chloe Marshall, a size 16 (about a size 14 in U.S. sizes.) Seventeen-year-old Marshall has been quite outspoken about wanting to be "an ambassador for curves" and demonstrate to young girls that it isn't necessary to be a size zero. She says she eats healthy food and exercises regularly. Grenfell, however, is a dietician and she hopes Chloe doesn't win. "It would send an appalling--and very dangerous--message to other young women that it's OK to be fat." She adds that Chloe is a terrible role model and says charmingly, "Who on earth does she think she's kidding? What she's demonstrating isn't bravery but a shocking lack of self-control. Instead of flaunting her figure, Chloe ought to own up to the truth. She is fat and she got that way by over-eating." Nice.

Grenfell makes the point that we don't have an anorexia epidemic, we have an obesity epidemic, and that the last thing girls need to hear is that it's okay to be overweight because it puts you at risk for health problems like Type 2 diabetes and heart attacks. Mmm hmm. Well, we could debate that one all day, but there is certainly no consensus among researchers that obesity itself is the cause of the problems. In other words, the real issue is poor eating habits and a lack of physical activity, not the weight itself. And we certainly have a plethora of extremely thin role models for girls right now, role models whose bodies are not a realistic goal for many of the most active, healthy-eating girls in the world.

But beyond that, do girls really need the message that a diversity of shapes and sizes are lovely? You've probably already guessed what I think about that. Hell yes. And while we may not have an anorexia "epidemic" (curse that word) the extremely adverse health effects of eating disorders are well-documented. And by the way, most eating disorder stats only deal with the most obvious examples, while plenty of researchers are discovering that even young girls are using extreme measures to try and get thin, often unsuccessfully, with lord knows what long-term health consequences. I guess that's why I think Monica Grenfell should go f*ck herself for tearing into a brave teenage girl, and while I don't love beauty pageants, I'll be cheering for Chloe.

Your Girls Can Be "Bimbos" Online!

Kelly Mills — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:02:00 GMT

Sometimes you see stuff and think, "Is this fer real?" When I read about the Miss Bimbo game, I kept thinking, "Oh, in a minute they'll say the game is for adults." But no, in fact the majority of the 200,000 players are between the ages of 7 and 17. But let me back up: There's a virtual "fashion" game for girls where they get a "Bimbo" and have to navigate her through boob jobs and diets and so on to make her the coolest bimbo of all. Girls can dress their dolls in sexy outfits for clubbing, and are encouraged to keep them waif thin through diet pills and plastic surgery. Niiiice.

Most of the accounts I read focused on the weight and cosmetic horrors of the game, but I personally was more disturbed by the fact that the bimbos are supposed to find a rich boyfriend so they don't have to work. Like, it's one of the goals of the game. Now that is just creepy. For god's sake, we don't even read "Cinderella" without some irritable commentary about how Cinderella ought to stand up for herself instead of waiting to be rescued. So the idea of having girls finding a sugar daddy through the game is icky. It simultaneously asks them to identify with and look down on the bimbos, and frankly, it seems strangely angry to me.

Here's the best quote from the game's creator: "It is not a bad influence for young children. They learn to take care of their bimbos. The missions and goals are morally sound and teach children about the real world." Frigging excuse me? But it goes on: "The breast operations are just one part of the game and we are not encouraging young girls to have them, just reflecting real life." Well, that's a relief. For a minute there I was worried. Yeah, these are totally the lessons I want my kids to learn. Why does it smell so strongly of misogyny in here?

When the F-word Flies Out of Your Little Girl's Mouth

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:30:00 GMT

No, I'm not talking about that F-word, you know, the one that'll get the FCC all up in your business. It's the other F-word, the one that moms have been modeling for their daughters since the beginning of time: Fat.

As in "Does this make me look fat" and "If I eat that, I'll get fat." That F-word.

The Huffington Post's Donna Fish offers some no nonsense advice about how to respond when your little girl talks about feeling fat. Her advice is to a) not freak out and b) realize that it's probably about something larger than size.

Of course, most moms worry about chasing their daughters (and, increasingly, sons) into eating disorders. And most moms who are worried about it will manage to pass on healthy thoughts about food and size. Still, as this Intervention clip lifted from Jezebel proves, mom has to clean up her own disordered eating before she can help anyone else.

Weekly Check-Up: Eating Disorders On the Rise In Young Kids

Kelly Mills — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:31:00 GMT

With all the news about the rise in childhood obesity and how we have to do something about it, it's interesting to see coverage of another topic: Increasing numbers of elementary school-aged children may be developing eating disorders. An eating disorder treatment center reported a 300 percent increase in calls for pre-teen patients. Oh, and get this: 80 percent of preteen girls are dieting. WTF? Dieting is linked with an increased liklihood of developing an eating disorder, which makes sense, cuz it's often just a matter of crossing a line a few too many times.

Treatment centers aren't the only ones who are worried: 63 percent of elementary school teachers say they are worried about eating disorders in their classrooms. Oy. And in case you thought maybe kids didn't get the message about how important it is to be thin, 81 percent of ten-year-olds are afraid of getting fat. The adverse health effects of anorexia and bulemia are much clearer than the health effects of being overweight, by the way. Perhaps as we loudly wage a war on an obesity "epidemic," we might want to spend some time looking at what other messages we are sending our kids.

Kids On the Juice

Kelly Mills — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:26:00 GMT

There's been a couple columns on kids and steroids over at msnbc, and discussions on how dangerous juicing can be for youngsters, as well as commentary on how our pro athletes must be role models when it comes to this stuff. But what I think is interesting about all this are the parallels between the way girls get messages about weight and looks and unrealistic standards of beauty. Now we have (mostly) boys getting similar and equally unrealistic messages about success and performance and looks. And it's no surprise that many are willing to do dangerous things in the pursuit of an ideal that is unlikely to be achieved naturally.

The truth is that professional athletes who don't use steroids are genetically blessed, just like the models and actresses who stay size 2 without developing eating disorders. The rest of the folks in those jobs have resorted to other means to stay in the game. But somehow we've managed to convince ourselves that we all have the potential to look and perform like that, if only we are willing to work hard and even go to extreme measures. And if we don't achieve total "perfection" it must be a moral failing. Personally, I think we'd be better off looking at that belief, rather than preaching that pros should stop doping, something that is real unlikely to happen in our lifetimes.

Parents and Teens Don't Recognize Weight Problem

Kelly Mills — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:32:00 GMT

Yet another study found that parents of overweight teens don't identify the kids as being overweight, and the kids don't see a problem either. There's been a whole slew of these "parents don't know kids are fat" things lately. When both groups were asked if they thought the adolescents, who all have type 2 diabetes, were "very overweight, slightly overweight, about right, slightly thin, or very thin?" only 41 percent of the parents and 35 percent of the kids reported 'very overweight', even though 87 percent were considered overweight by accepted standards. The researchers say this is a problem because recognition of a weight problem is the first step in making lifestyle and diet changes. But, well, I gotta cry "bullshit" on this one.

Frankly, I do still have some trouble accepting the premise that in this weight-obsessed society, the teenagers involved don't have any idea they might be overweight, even if the parents are blind to it. But let's assume this study is valid: Is it in fact necessary for the kids and parents to acknowledge weight problems in order to make changes? Personally I don't think so, and I believe focusing on weight as a measure of health is foolish anyway. After all, this is a group who has type 2 diabetes (linked with being overweight) and you're telling me that explaining diet and exercise are crucial to diabetes management and even reversal is not good enough? These kids have a disease that gives them incentive and reason to make lifestyle changes that would almost certainly result in weight loss. That's more important than highlighting weight, and trust me, they'll get the weight message from many different sources for the rest of their lives.

Moms Suffer From Stressorexia, Lose Weight

Karen Murphy — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:45:00 GMT

Does this describe you: drained, anxious and stressed-out? How about: motivated and intelligent, and with high expectations?

Could be you're a candidate for "stressorexia", a "new" eating disorder affecting women in their late 20's to 40's, often resulting in dramatic weight loss. Oh, it's insidious: a skipped lunch here for lack of time, feeding the kids mac and cheese while you dine on air one night, then liking the resulting weight loss and going for more. And more. And more.

And continuing to push yourself farther and farther all the while.

Sound familiar? It does for me. I rarely sit down and eat with my kids any more. And I deal wth stress with exercise. Uh. Great role model, eh? (the not-eating part)

But it could be you, too, without you hardly realizing it.

"Regular" anorexia is thought to stem from control issues and negative self-image blah blah blah, but this newish angle is thought to combine issues of anxiety and depression. Anxiety can curb the appetite by releasing a corticotropin-releasing hormone, which regulates the nervous system's response to stress, as well as adrenaline, which speeds up your metabolism and makes you feel shaky and hyper. When I feel shaky and hyper, I don't eat. (Of course, there's a flip side as lots of people eat MORE when they're anxious.)(And there's a part of me that's saying, "Lose weight? What's wrong with that?")

And it's thought that moms are especially prone to this disorder, having 1.) the whole media-fueled body image thing to contend with (hey! weight loss is good, right??), and 2.) often a desire to "do it all" in terms of being a mother and working at the same time, feeling pressure to Do All and Be All plus be great in bed, blah blah blah.

It's an effing lot of pressure, and admittedly often mainly self-inflicted.

So pretty soon we'll all be looking fabulous but feeling like shit.

Photo: www.dailymail.co.uk

It's Never Too Early To Make Your Kid Feel Fat

Kelly Mills — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:31:00 GMT

You know, sometimes I think kids don't get enough messages about the fundamental importance of being thin. Sure, they are bombarded with waifish models and diet ads, and girls as young as six are talking about dieting, and even boys are getting caught up in the body image drama. And yes, eating disorders can have dire health consequences, and many of us have personally struggled with unrealistic expectations of beauty for much of our lives. But I feel like we haven't done enough to target babies. Babies, I hear, are often content with how they look, even to the point of eating fatty milk whenever they want. Gross!

Well, thank goodness someone is finally addressing this and working to send messages about physical insecurity to our sweet little infants. The 5 Resolutions blog alerted us to the fact that Tesco has this shirt for 3-6 month olds, and it reads, "Does my bum look big in this?" Ha. Ha. Ha. Hey, those diapers are not the most ass-flattering of garments. I guess it might be slightly more amusing if our kids didn't already get so much crap about the importance of size.

Maybe we could also get onesies that say "I hate my legs" and "I know I ought to get to the gym if I'm ever going to lose this gut"? Please?

Super Brrrrilliant and Intense Video On What Our Girls See

Kelly Mills — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:32:00 GMT

Have you seen the new "Onslaught" campaign spot? I saw this yesterday on the 5 Resolutions blog, I have to hand it to Dove, they are coming out with some great stuff about our media-distorted sense of beauty. This one highlights what our li'l girls see, and well, why half of girls in grades three to five worry about their appearance. I've been thinking about the spot ever since I watched. And cringing for my girl. And wanting to do something--anything--to protect her from this.

I highly recommend you check this out, after the jump.

If you are looking for resources, there's the Dove site, and I'd also advise checking the 5 Resolutions blog. They've been keeping a close watch over the plastic-too-skinny-highly-airbrushed crap we and our kids see every day. And they advocate for healthy beauty. I feel extra passionate about getting behind that right about now.

"Superwoman Syndrome" Affecting Teenage Girls

MetroDad — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 22:51:00 GMT

From Telegraph comes an interesting article with details from a study about the "Superwoman Syndrome." That's when teenage girls try so hard to be perfect that they damage their physical and mental health, with many of them suffering from eating disorders as a result. The study found that girls as young as 13 are under extreme pressures from trying to do well in school while looking good, staying thin and excelling at sports.

The study, in behavioral science journal Sex Roles, found that these girls who were trying to live up to the ideal were at increased risk of emotional problems - with pupils at more pressured schools more likely to be affected.

Dr. Janell Lynn Mesinger, who directed the Sex Roles survey which questioned 900 girls at American schools, said: "What fuels disordered eating in some women is the desire to be the ultimate woman. Superwomen want the perfect life. No matter how well they are doing, they never feel quite good enough. The eating disorder is a coping mechanism to deal with the fulfilment of multiple demanding roles."

Beat, the eating disorder charity, said that teenage girls felt inadequate when faced with the lives of successful celebrities such as the supermodel Kate Moss, the double Olympic medal winner Dame Kelly Holmes and the author JK Rowling. Mary George, the charity's spokesman, said: "Young women are under more pressure to live up to celebrities. All around us we are surrounded by stories of high-achieving women."

Have any of you with teenage daughters noticed the effects of all the pressure put on them to succeed in so many different arenas while also maintaining their physical appearance? Between juggling academics, sports, extracurricular activities, and a social life, it's surprising that we don't hear more of these stories about young teenagers.

Starving Daughters: Size Shouldn't Matter

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 15:42:00 GMT

Size shouldn't matter. Get your minds out of the gutter. I'm talking about what size clothes you wear. It shouldn't matter and it shouldn't bother us, but if you are like me - it does. And is does because there are books with titles like "Size 12 Isn't Fat". Now I completely agree with that statement, depending on your height and body frame. I look good in a 12, but the book title alone suggests that other people think a size 12 is fat and so I should feel bad about myself.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to look like Nicole Richie or Kate Moss. I think they look kind of gross, but I sure wouldn't mind looking like the model they kept referring to as "big" on Project Runway. Anyway, I don't think I am alone. Women my age (and older and younger) are obsessed with weight. In fact, I know I am not alone. Jane Gordon wrote a whole article about it. Courtney Martin wrote a whole book about it.

The book is called Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body. I haven't read it - yet, but that is only because I hadn't ever heard of it until yesterday. In the book Martin talks about how to teach our daughters to have better body images than we (their mothers) have. We need to feel better about ourselves so that we can teach our daughters by example.

I will lead by example so that my daughter never feels like she has to starve herself or throw up after every meal. For me that is even a better motivator to exercise and eat right than wanting to be thin anyway.

Eating Disorders: The Mom-Daughter Gift That Keeps on Giving

Karen Murphy — Sat, 05 May 2007 13:10:00 GMT

My mom was always proud that she stayed 120 pounds through most of her adulthood, and still svelte during my teen years she proudly tucked her turtlenecks into her hip-slung jeans when we went off to ride horses together. Sure, and the fact that I never saw her eat much, that couldn't mean anything, could it? Or that she chewed antacids because her stomach was torn up from chewing gum all day to keep from eating? My mom had an eating disorder? My mom? I never put the obvious two and two together until after reading this Huffington Post article on the book "Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders", but I guess now that it's no wonder I pared my already-slender 5'7" frame down to a skeletal 93 pounds when I was 25.

Not that I can blame my mom, really. After all, she was yelled at by her pediatrician for gaining more than 10 pounds during her pregnancies. And like her before me, I chose my own path through the confusing maze of body image and pressure to be perfect.

But when I hear my very tall and stick-thin son,only 11, complain that he's "fat", it gives me pause. Is my own habit of eschewing dinner sending him and his younger siblings, 7 and 3, the wrong message? How can I prevent my children from experiencing the same pain that I have surrounding what I perceive as an enormous pressure to be and stay thin? Or can I? Genetics? Or upbringing? It looks like "Gaining" is a good place to start to find the answers.

Another Reason for an Eating Disorder: Gaining Extra Weight During Pregnancy Can Get You a Fat Kid

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 21:52:00 GMT

As if women didn't have to worry about their weight enough already.

(sigh)

Now a study is showing that women in the study who gained the recommended amount of weight ran four times the risk of having a child who was overweight at age 3, compared to women who gained less than the advised amount. Not excessive amounts of weight, not obese women having children, not women with crazy cholesterol issues or high blood pressure - just mothers that gained the recommended amount of weight.

I feel sick. Not just morning sickness or bulimia kind of sick either. Why do they keep doing this to us? As soon as we take one step forward we tell women not even to gain weight when they are growing another person IN THEIR BODY? Be prepared parents. Your daughters are all going to binge and purge or end up like my friend that would eat one life saver for her daily nourishment. I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather have a kid that was slightly overweight at 3 than one felt like she had to diet while she was pregnant.

Maybe I'm overreacting, but probably not.