A Healthy Body,
Healthy Weight
Ms. Pierre’s Health class
What is Body Image
Body image is how you view your physical self — including
whether you feel you are attractive and whether others like
your looks. For many people, especially people in
their early teens, body image can be closely linked
to self-esteem
Body Types
• Ectomorph
•Mesomorph
• Endomorph
Ectomorph
• Small “delicate” frame
and bone structure
• Classic “hard-gainer”
• Flat chest
• Small shoulders
• Thin
• Lean muscle mass
• Finds it hard to gain
weight
• Fast metabolism
Mesomorph
• Athletic
• Generally hard body
• Well defined muscles
• Rectangular shaped
body
• Strong
• Gains muscle easily
• Gains fat more easily
than ectomorphs
Endomorph
• Soft and round body
• Gains muscle and fat
very easily
• Is generally short
• "Stocky" build
• Round physique
• Finds it hard to lose fat
• Slow metabolism
• Muscles not so well
defined
A Combination of Body Types
These body types aren’t set in stone. In fact,
most guys have a combination of two body
types. These combinations are either
ectomorph/mesomorph or
mesomorph/endomorph. It is not
uncommon to find a pure mesomorph that
gains weight like an endomorph for example.
What is a Fad Diet ?
Popular nutrition Any of a
number of weightreduction diets that
either eliminate one or
more of the essential
food groups, or
recommend consumption
of one type of food in
excess at the expense of
other foods; FDs rarely
follow modern principles
for losing weight.
Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a
complex eating disorder
with three key features:
1. refusal to maintain
a healthy body
weight
2. an intense fear of
gaining weight
3. a distorted body
image
Anorexia Nervosa
There are two types of anorexia.
• Restricting type of anorexia, weight loss is achieved by restricting
calories (following drastic diets, fasting, and exercising to excess
• Purging type of anorexia, weight loss is achieved by vomiting or using
laxatives and diuretics
Signs of Anorexia Nervosa
Restriction signs
Purging Signs
• Dieting despite being thin – Following a
• Using diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics –
severely restricted diet. Eating only certain lowAbusing water pills, herbal appetite
calorie foods. Banning “bad” foods such as
suppressants, prescription stimulants,
carbohydrates and fats.
ipecac syrup, and other drugs for weight
loss.
• Obsession with calories, fat grams, and
nutrition – Reading food labels, measuring and
• Throwing up after eating – Frequently
disappearing after meals or going to the
weighing portions, keeping a food diary, reading
bathroom. May run the water to
diet books.
disguise sounds of vomiting or reappear
• Pretending to eat or lying about eating –
smelling like mouthwash or mints.
Hiding, playing with, or throwing away food to
• Compulsive exercising – Following a
avoid eating. Making excuses to get out of meals
punishing exercise regimen aimed at
(“I had a huge lunch” or “My stomach isn’t
burning calories. Exercising through
injuries, illness, and bad weather.
feeling good.”).
Working out extra hard after bingeing or
• Preoccupation with food – Constantly thinking
eating something “bad.”
about food. Cooking for others, collecting
recipes, reading food magazines, or making
meal plans while eating very little.
• Strange or secretive food rituals – Refusing to
eat around others or in public places. Eating in
rigid, ritualistic ways (e.g. cutting food “just so”,
chewing food and spitting it out, using a specific
plate).
Physical symptoms of Anorexia
Nervosa
• Dramatic weight loss – Rapid, drastic weight loss with no medical
cause.
• Feeling fat, despite being underweight – You may feel overweight in
general or just “too fat” in certain places such as the stomach, hips,
or thighs.
• Fixation on body image – Obsessed with weight, body shape, or
clothing size. Frequent weigh-ins and concern over tiny fluctuations
in weight.
• Harshly critical of appearance – Spending a lot of time in front of
the mirror checking for flaws. There’s always something to criticize.
You’re never thin enough.
• Denial that you’re too thin – You may deny that your low body
weight is a problem, while trying to conceal it (drinking a lot of
water before being weighed, wearing baggy or oversized clothes).
Bulimia
Bulimia nervosa is
an eating disorder
characterized by
frequent episodes
of binge eating,
followed by frantic
efforts to avoid
gaining weight.
Signs of Bulimia
• Lack of control over eating – Inability to stop eating. Eating
until the point of physical discomfort and pain.
• Secrecy surrounding eating – Going to the kitchen after
everyone else has gone to bed. Going out alone on
unexpected food runs. Wanting to eat in privacy.
• Eating unusually large amounts of food with no obvious
change in weight.
• Disappearance of food, numerous empty wrappers or food
containers in the garbage, or hidden stashes of junk food.
• Alternating between overeating and fasting – Rarely eats
normal meals. It’s all-or-nothing when it comes to food.
Physical Symptoms of Bulimia
• Calluses or scars on the knuckles or hands from sticking
fingers down the throat to induce vomiting.
• Puffy “chipmunk” cheeks caused by repeated vomiting.
• Discolored teeth from exposure to stomach acid when
throwing up. May look yellow, ragged, or clear.
• Not underweight – Men and women with bulimia are usually
normal weight or slightly overweight. Being underweight
while purging might indicate a purging type of anorexia.
• Frequent fluctuations in weight – Weight may fluctuate by 10
pounds or more due to alternating episodes of bingeing and
purging.
Maria’s Story
Seventeen-year-old Maria has been on one diet or another since
she was in junior high. She recently lost 10 pounds from an
already slender frame after becoming a strict vegetarian. Her
parents are concerned about the weight loss, but Maria insists
that she’s just under stress at school. Meanwhile, her vegetarian
diet is becoming stricter by the day.
Maria obsessively counts calories, measures food portions, and
weighs herself at least twice a day. She refuses to eat at
restaurants, in the school cafeteria, or anywhere else in public,
and she lives on salad dressed with vinegar, rice cakes, and sugarfree Jello. Maria also has a large stash of fat-free candy in her
room. She allows herself to indulge as long as she goes for a run
right afterwards.
Amy’s Story
• Once again, Amy is on a liquid diet. “I’m going to stick with it,”
she tells herself. “I won’t give in to the cravings this time.” But
as the day goes on, Amy’s willpower weakens. All she can
think about is food. Finally, she decides to give in to the urge
to binge. She can’t control herself any longer. She grabs a pint
of ice cream out of the freezer, inhaling it within a matter of
minutes. Then it’s on to anything else she can find in the
kitchen. After 45 minutes of bingeing, Amy is so stuffed that
her stomach feels like it’s going to burst. She’s disgusted with
herself and terrified by the thousands of calories she’s
consumed. She runs to the bathroom to throw up. Afterwards,
she steps on the scale to make sure she hasn’t gained any
weight. She vows to start her diet again tomorrow. Tomorrow,
it will be different.
Assessment Questions
Please answer the following in schoolspace and placein the Healthyweight drop box.
1. Explain why a fad diet is not a healthy
nutritional choice. Provide one example.
2. Explain why anorexia nervosa is not a healthy
nutritional choice. Provide one example.
3. Explain why bulimia is not healthy nutritional
choice. Provide one example.
Resources to help those with
Eating disorders
• https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
• http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eatingdisorders/complete-index.shtml
• http://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/?gclid=CLDH1eCsbUCFQWCnQodGkYAOA