News 09

Anorexia - spanning cultures
The theory that media images of thin models encourages anorexia among young girls may not be correct, suggest doctors. A study carried out in rural Africa found that the eating disorder may exist there and may not be a solely 'western' phenomenon.

Teen helps others deal with anorexia
When Kristen Renzi talks, other kids listen. When she talks about diet and over-dieting, they understand. "Everybody was pretty receptive," she said, recalling her three presentations before health classes at Mason schools. "I think it was very helpful for them to see."

Bulimia nervosa:
Mood changes do have an impact on body width estimation.
This study was designed to investigate the impact of mood changes on body width estimation in women with bulimia nervosa. Induction of negative mood increased and induction of positive mood decreased the body width estimations of women with bulimia.

When Fitness Goes Too Far
Young men circle through a humid room. Most are wearing several layers of shorts, t-shirts and sweats -- and, in some cases, rubber suits. As their workout comes to an end, many rinse their mouths with water, but do not swallow. They are wrestlers trying to "make weight," using one of many potentially dangerous techniques to drop pounds just before a match in order to squeeze into the high end of the lowest possible weight category.

Olympic Fever: Skeletons on Parade
The run-up to the Summer Olympics has begun in earnest. All of a sudden, track and field is back on network television. Citizens who six months ago could not tell a javelin from a newel post are suddenly assessing our nation's chances in the 4x100 relay. And viewers also get to play America's favorite at- home quiz show: Famine victim or female distance runner?

Core beliefs in anorexic and bulimic women.
There is research evidence to suggest the presence of dysfunctional cognitions in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa that are not related to food, weight, or shape. The results indicate that both anorexic and bulimic women had significantly higher levels of unhealthy core beliefs than comparison women, but the clinical groups only differed on one individual core belief: entitlement.

Guided and unguided self-help for binge eating
This study compared the relative short- and longer-term efficacy of therapist-guided and unguided use of a cognitive behavioral self-help manual for binge eating (Overcoming Binge Eating). The guided self-help condition was notably superior in reducing the occurrence of binge eating and its associated symptomatology, as well as lowering interpersonal sensitivity.