Helping Your Teenager Avoid Fad Diets and Improve Her Relationship with Food

Every week there seems to be a new fad diet, claiming to be the latest and greatest method to “lose weight, and lose it fast!” Low carb, high fat, no fat, only plant-based foods, Vegan, Keto, Atkins, Whole 30, Paleo – the list is endless and ever-changing.

The trouble is, dieting in any shape or form can be destructive and potentially triggering, and especially for a teenager who may be susceptible to mental illness or an eating disorder. Fad diets come and go because they are simply not sustainable for the long-term, nor are they a realistic way of living.

Most individuals who attempt a fad diet may see some initial weight loss but often regain the lost weight plus additional pounds as well. This can create a vicious cycle that triggers many consequences, including damages to physical and mental health, low self-esteem, and poor body image. Research has found that 95% of diets fail, and most individuals who diet will regain their lost weight in 1-5 years [1]. Teenagers who diet can be at increased risk for other health-compromising behaviors, including substance abuse, unprotected sex, and smoking.

The Appeal of Dieting Among Teenagers

For teenagers who are becoming more autonomous and independent, dieting can have a luring appeal or something to try, simply because it is trendy and socially acceptable. On the surface level, dieting may seem like an innocent attempt to be “healthier”, but in actuality, dieting can progress into disordered eating or be a precursor for an eating disorder [2]. Dieting also gives a false impression that weight is something that can and should be manipulated, but this is a dangerous mindset, especially for a growing teen.

The concern with weight and shape is also very prevalent during the adolescent years, and teenagers are constantly exposed to an unrealistically thin beauty ideal that is portrayed in the mainstream media [3]. While there may be a variety of reasons for a teenager to be drawn into a fad diet, the desire to achieve a thinner body size and body image dissatisfaction, in general, are motivating factors behind the majority of weight loss attempts [4]. Research on adolescent dieting has found that 41% to 66% of teenage girls and 20% to 31% of teenage boys have attempted weight loss at some time in the past [3].

Teenagers are highly influenced by their friends and peers, though research has shown that adolescents’ communication with parents has a stronger impact on their health and well-being [5].

How to Help Your Teen Avoid Fad Diets

While it may seem impossible to be a voice of reason over the external noise your teenager may be exposed to, the good news is that you are more influential than you may realize. There are many different approaches you can take to help educate your teenager about the dangers of fad dieting and encourage better eating behaviors. Here are some practical ways that you can help your teen avoid fad diets and the associated consequences:

• Keep communication open: It’s important for your teen to feel that they can talk to you, to reinforce the fact that they can always communicate with you about anything. Make consistent and regular time to check in with your teen and ask open-ended questions to prompt conversation. Listen intently and give her uninterrupted time to share with you. This will help build trust and encourage her to speak with you about various things going on in her life.
• Be aware of red flags: If you are talking regularly with your teen, it’s important to be aware of anything that might seem off, in both conversation and in behavior. If you notice her skipping meals, avoiding social events, or disengaging from activities she previously enjoyed, these things should not be ignored. Gently communicate your concerns and try to get to the root of the problem. Remember – dieting is not about food, there is likely an underlying issue that is triggering her urge to lose weight or diet.
• Have regular family meals: With overloaded schedules today, family meals have become more and more scarce. Making this a priority for your family ensure that you are having time to connect on a regular basis. This also allows you the opportunity to observe any behaviors in your teen that may warrant more attention. Just like you would schedule other important activities, make family meals part of your regular calendar.
• Be the example: Teens learn and observe behaviors from their parents and the people they live with. If you teenager observes you or another parent regularly dieting or speaking negatively or your body, this will likely influence her perception of herself as well. If you frequently jump from fad diet to fad diet, feel unhappy in your body, or are actively trying to lose weight, consider how this might impact your teen. Enlist the help of professional support if needed to nurture a more peaceful relationship with food and your body.

Connecting to Help and Support

At The Meadows Ranch, we understand how important the family system is and the necessity for nurturing and supporting relationships. If your teenager is struggling with chronic dieting or an eating disorder, this can be difficult to understand and accept, which may disrupt the overall family dynamic. Know that you are not alone on this journey, and we are here to help your family heal. Recovery from an eating disorder is possible, and families are an integral part of the journey. Connect with us today to find out how we can help.

References:

[1]: Statistics on Weight Discrimination: A Waste of Talent, The Council on Size and Weight Discrimination, Accessed 12 July 2018

[2]: Pathological dieting, precursor to eating disorder, Philadelphia Eating Disorder Examiner, Accessed 12 July 2018

[3]: Dieting in adolescence. (2004). Paediatrics & Child Health, 9(7), 487–491.

[4]: Wertheim, EH, et al. Why do adolescent girls watch their weight? An interview study examining sociocultural pressures to be thin. J Psychosom Res. 1997 Apr; 42(4):345-55.

[5]: Tomé, G., de Matos, M. G., Simões, C., Camacho, I., & AlvesDiniz, J. (2012). How Can Peer Group Influence the Behavior of Adolescents: Explanatory Model. Global Journal of Health Science, 4(2), 26–35.

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Five Warning Signs You Need a Higher Level of Care for Eating Disorder Relapse

Recovering from an eating disorder is a process that involves diligence, perseverance, and the support of people and professionals who know how to best help you. The eating disorder recovery journey is highly individual and will look different from one person to the next. A common experience among women recovering from an eating disorder is a relapse episode, or temporary regression to past eating disorder behaviors.

While eating disorder relapses do not mean that a person has somehow “failed” at recovery, the experience of a relapse could reflect that more help and support is needed along the recovery journey.  Research on eating disorder relapse is limited, but studies have found that risk of relapse may be higher among women with more severe eating disorders [1]. Studies have also found that the rates for relapse are higher in the first 18 months post-treatment [1].

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Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Bulimia

Eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, often co-occur with other mental health conditions, such as mood disorders. Mood disorders that might interplay with eating disorders include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder. Research has found that mood disorders occur more frequently among individuals with eating disorders than those without eating disorders, making the illness and prognosis more complex [1].

A combination of mental illnesses that can develop alongside one another is bulimia nervosa and depression. Because of the severity of symptoms that can result from these co-occurring mental illnesses, professional and comprehensive treatment is necessary for healing and recovery. Important treatment options to consider for co-occurring bulimia and depression include psychotherapy, medication management, medical nutrition therapy, and more.

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30 Things You Need to Know about Trauma and PTSD: PTSD Awareness Month

My therapist prescribed me to drink more alcohol. I had described symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet once again, the diagnosis was completely missed. Even worse, this uniformed therapist suggested that I drink wine “medicinally,” beginning in the morning, to help cope with what he said was high anxiety. What makes this horrible advice even more dangerous is the fact that upward of fifty percent of those with PTSD also battle substance use disorder.

PTSD is often missed, and trauma is frequently dismissed. It is no wonder that so many of us who struggle don’t know it. Many of us already think “what happened to me wasn’t that bad,” so PTSD is nowhere on our radar. Using specific language like the words “trauma” and “PTSD” isn’t about labeling but rather about serving as a compass for help. 

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How PTSD Treatment Cured my Back Pain and More on the Mind-Body Connection

I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in my early twenties. Why were my young bones already losing tissue? Women who struggle with anorexia nervosa, like me at the time, are at a higher risk for developing the disease.

I also believe that my eating disorder may have contributed to my sluggish thyroid. Many people don’t realize that the malnutrition in patients with eating disorders can lead to abnormal thyroid function.

An eating disorder is a serious, life-threatening mental illness that directly impacts every part of your body, from the hair on your head to the tips of your toes, and everything in between. After all, an eating disorder impacts eating, and, truly, we are what we eat.

Some additional physical effects of eating disordered behaviors are listed below.

Restricting:
• Hair loss or thinning hair
• Dry and brittle nails
• Menstrual irregularities, which can contribute to bone loss
• Baby fine hair (lanugo) covering the body
Bingeing and/or purging:
• Swollen salivary glands (appearance of “chipmunk cheeks”)
• Sore throats and hoarse voice
• Tooth decay
• Acid reflux
Restricting as well as bingeing and/or purging:
• Gastrointestinal problems like stomach pain and bloating, bacterial infections, and slowed digestion called gastroparesis
• Cardiovascular issues, including heart failure (Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. About half of these are sudden cardiac deaths.)

Our mind impacts our body

Over ten years after entering treatment for my eating disorder, I embarked on my second recovery. This time, I was battling posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD. Since I no longer struggled with eating (full recovery is possible), I didn’t think that PTSD would impact my physical health quite as much. Boy, was I wrong!

The chronic stress put on my body by PTSD took a serious toll. I developed a laundry list of physical problems, ones that I had never struggled with before, including costochondritis (a fancy word for inflammation of the cartilage in the rib cage), shoulder pain, recurrent high fevers, perturbed thyroid hormones (once again), interstitial cystitis (bladder pain), lower back pain, among many others.

The following are just a few of the physical problems associated with PTSD:
• Musculoskeletal problems like chronic pain
• Gastrointestinal issues like bloating, heartburn, indigestion, gas, acid reflux and other irritable bowel problems
• Cardiovascular problems
• Compromised immune function

When I entered a treatment program for PTSD, I was surprised that, like me, every single patient suffered with back pain. Our group even began informal research, as we’d ask each new person who admitted, “Do you have back pain, too?”

According to one study, the National Center for PTSD reports that 51% of patients with chronic low back pain also have PTSD symptoms.

The National Center for PTSD also shares that approximately 15% to 35% of patients with chronic pain have concurrent PTSD. Interestingly, only 2% of people who don’t have chronic pain have PTSD.

For some with PTSD, the chronic pain is a direct result of their trauma (e.g., car accident or assault). Here, the pain can serve as a reminder of the traumatic event, which can understandably exacerbate PTSD.

Our body impacts our mind

So, in the same way that our mental health can impact our body, our physical health affects our mental health. When I developed all of those physical problems related to PTSD, you can imagine that I became even more depressed and anxious.

Cancer diagnosis and treatment can be accompanied by increases in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Diabetes can do the same. And, let’s not forget about anger and fear, which can come along for the ride with many physical illnesses.

Our mind and body are one

This National Women’s Health Week, let’s not forget that mental health is inextricably linked to physical health. As another example, PTSD and eating disorders both actually change the brain, which is the most complex organ in the body. Research is currently underway that will help us to view mental health disorders through a lens of biological markers, rather than symptoms.

In an attempt to heal my body during PTSD recovery, I went back and forth to doctors. Think cortisone shots, physical therapy, chiropractor adjustments, and more. I spent thousands of dollars on these experts when, for me, what I really needed to focus more on was recovering from PTSD.

In my personal experience, the physical problems, including most of the chronic pain, went away with PTSD treatment and recovery. Essentially, I needed to check myself into mental health treatment in order to heal my lower back. That said, there is, of course, a place for medical doctors and others in healing physical pain. Today, I see a doctor who is helping immensely with a bit of lingering shoulder pain.

Importantly, like eating disorders, PTSD is not a life sentence. While trauma doesn’t go away (it’s history), with treatment, PTSD can heal.

What about my osteoporosis? It’s gone. My doctor said that food was the best medicine. Today, my bones, like my mind, are strong and healthy.

Remembering mind, body, and spirit

Let’s not forget about the spirit, which, for me, was a big part of becoming whole and healthy. Spiritual concepts like a belief in a higher power and letting go are what fueled my hope that healing in all realms—the physical and mental—was possible.

This National Women’s Health Week, what steps can you take to better your health?

A Senior Fellow with The Meadows and advocate for its specialty eating disorders program, The Meadows Ranch, Jenni Schaefer is a bestselling author and sought-after speaker. 

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