Nurse Insights into Eating Disorders in Adolescents

[knewb]

Hi,

I hope this isn't inappropriate, but I need to get insights from nurses on the best ways to prevent eating disorders in adolescent females. (This is for a paper in nursing school) Any insights along with your experience in eating disorders would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!:typing

[Altered]

Having been in Tx with a few adolescents, I'd say supportive parents and lack of trauma. Why don't you throw out your ideas from research. I can give you more once I know where you're going with this.

[Meraki]

On a more positive note, I would add that the best way to 'prevent' a full blown eating disoder is to catch it early. If parents notice the beginnings of under/over eating, exercising, purging, weight changes and intervene then with counselling and any other needed services before the body image and cognitive distortions become ingrained then there may be the opportunity to deal with the issues and divert away from an ED.

Another population who does seem to have disordered eating that is actually more about food / weight and thin is the tweens. We are seeing more and more 9 - 11 yr old girls who are copying eating/dieting behaviours of others and wanting to be thin or to look like Hollywood starlet A, B, or C. I'm not saying these kids never have any other issues but it seems that some just get caught up in the popular culture. I would add most are involved in some sport (i.e dancing, gymnastics) that may be providing the venue where they are seeing negative role modeling by older girls they look up to. Again I think with early intervention, we can sometimes prevent full blown eating disorders in these young girls.

[Altered]

On a more positive note, I would add that the best way to 'prevent' a full blown eating disoder is to catch it early. If parents notice the beginnings of under/over eating, exercising, purging, weight changes and intervene then with counselling and any other needed services before the body image and cognitive distortions become ingrained then there may be the opportunity to deal with the issues and divert away from an ED.

Another population who does seem to have disordered eating that is actually more about food / weight and thin is the tweens. We are seeing more and more 9 - 11 yr old girls who are copying eating/dieting behaviours of others and wanting to be thin or to look like Hollywood starlet A, B, or C. I'm not saying these kids never have any other issues but it seems that some just get caught up in the popular culture. I would add most are involved in some sport (i.e dancing, gymnastics) that may be providing the venue where they are seeing negative role modeling by older girls they look up to. Again I think with early intervention, we can sometimes prevent full blown eating disorders in these young girls.

How do you propose we catch "it early?" Where do you draw the line between a parent stepping into the stereotypical role of "overcontrolling" and trying to avoid psychiatric illness? I'd like to add, purging IS an eating disorder behavior. It's not the beginning of one.

Do you have support for that second paragraph? How does your proposition link to the paragraph. I guess my question is, how are you going to eliminate culture?

[SunnyAndrsn]

I agree, I would love to see data, evidenced based nursing. Nursing roles involve teaching clients about nutrition, but at what point do we see the clients? When they are already in the clinic after parents have brought them in? Then this is not a prevention tool. Public education has not proven to be effective in the prevention of eating disorders either. Public awareness has not even helped in this respect.

I was not taught practical nursing solutions for the prevention of eating disorders. I was taught nursing interventions for those with diagnoses of eating disorders.

Popular culture is not going away. Who do you see on the cover of popular magazines? "How fast she lost the baby weight" "Look who checked into the eating disorder clinic", "How she stays thin!" and lets not forget the "How to be bikini ready in 8 weeks", Slim Fast, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc...weight loss promotion.

How do you propose we catch "it early?" Where do you draw the line between a parent stepping into the stereotypical role of "overcontrolling" and trying to avoid psychiatric illness? I'd like to add, purging IS an eating disorder behavior. It's not the beginning of one.

Do you have support for that second paragraph? How does your proposition link to the paragraph. I guess my question is, how are you going to eliminate culture?