Fad Diets and Eating
Disorders
Are you familiar with promises like
these?
They promise quick and easy weight
loss.
What do they actually deliver?
Risky Weight-Loss Strategies
• They not only fail to produce longterm results but also can cause
serious health problems.
• Several types:
– Fad Diets
– Liquid Diets
– Fasting
– Diet Pills
Risky Weight-Loss Strategies
Fad Diets
Fasting
• Weight-loss plans that
are popular for only a
short time
• Often hard to stick to
and costly
• Fail to provide the body
with the nutrients it
needs for health and
growth
• Any weight-loss is
usually regained
• To abstain from eating
(not eating)
• Deprives your body of
needed nutrients and
energy
• After a certain period of
time, your body begins to
break down protein stored
in muscle tissue for energy
Risky Weight-Loss Strategies
Liquid Diets
Diet Pills
• A person on a liquid
diet replaces all of his
or her food intake with
a special liquid formula.
• Low-calorie
• Leave you feeling
fatigued
• Do not provide the body
with fiber and needed
nutrients
• Can result in death
• Diet pills work by
suppressing appetite.
• May cause drowsiness,
anxiety, a racing heart, or
other serious side effects,
even death (Anna Nicole –
TrimSpa)
• May be addictive
• Can lead to dehydration
due to excess water loss
Weight Cycling
• The repeated pattern of loss and
regain of body weight.
• Common in people who follow fad diets
• Studies have shown this to be harmful
to the body
• Slow, steady, healthy weight loss is the
best strategy for long-lasting results.
The Risks of Eating Disorders
• Sometimes a person’s concerns about weight and efforts
to lose weight can get out of control. Becoming
obsessed with thinness can lead to eating disorders.
• An eating disorder is an extreme, harmful eating
behavior that can cause serious illness or even death.
• The exact cause is unknown.
• May be brought on by mental or emotional factors,
social and family pressures, and perfectionism.
• About 90% are female
• Serious health problem requiring professional help
• 3 Types: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating
Disorder
Anorexia Nervosa
• A disorder in which the irrational fear of
becoming obese results in severe weight
loss from self-imposed starvation.
• A psychological disorder with emotional
and physical consequences.
• Develops most often in teenage girls and
young women
• Symptoms: extremely low caloric intake,
an obsession with exercising, emotional
problems, an unnatural interest in food, a
distorted body image, and denial of an
eating problem.
Anorexia Nervosa
• Physical consequences are related to
malnutrition and starvation.
• Physical Consequences:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Amenorrhea (absence of menstrual cycle)
Loss of bone density
Low body temperature
Low blood pressure
Slowed metabolism
Reduction in organ size
Serious heart problems
• Treatment: Professional psychological
help, possibly stay at a clinic or hospital
where the person can receive nutrients to
regain weight and strength
Bulimia Nervosa
• A disorder in which some form of purging or
clearing of the digestive tract follows cycles of
overeating.
• After binging, overeating, a person with bulimia
will vomit or take laxatives to purge the food from
their body.
• Person has a distorted body image
• Repeated binging, purging, and fasting can cause
serious health problems or even death.
• Frequent vomiting and diarrhea can lead to
dehydration, kidney damage, and irregular
heartbeat.
• Treatment: Both medication and psychological
counseling
Binge Eating Disorder
• A disorder characterized by compulsive
overeating.
• People with this disorder consume huge
amounts of food at one time but do not
try to purge.
• Food is used as a coping mechanism for
strong emotions or depression.
• Often results in unhealthful weight gain
and the health problems associated with
overweight and obesity.
• Treatment: Professional psychological
counseling and sometimes medication
Help for Eating Disorders
• People with eating disorders need
professional medical and psychological
help.
• They may also benefit from support
groups and clinics.
• Consult a trusted adult if you think that a
friend may have an eating disorder.
• Encourage your friend to seek
professional help and be supportive.
Extra Credit Poster
Assignment
Due no later than Friday, October 31, create
a poster advocating against fad diets
(should be relevant to high school
students). Come up with a concept that
conveys the message of the potentially
harmful effects of fad diets. Use pictures
and advertisements for fad diets either
printed from the internet or torn out from
magazines. Also use pictures depicting
information about healthful weight-loss
strategies.
True Life: I Have An Eating
Disorder
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four