Poor body image may lead to unhealthful and harmful eating behaviors.
body image
fad diets
weight cycling
eating disorders
anorexia nervosa
bulimia nervosa
binge eating disorder
Your Body Image
The media and other influences can affect your body image.
Try to accept yourself the way you are.
Your Body Image
When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see? If the answer is yes, that means that your body image is positive.
Body imageThe way you see your body
Your Body Image
Images shown in the media aren’t always realistic.
Peers and media images can influence body image.
Accepting Yourself
May cause other teens to gain weight. Hormonal Changes
May cause some teens to look thin. Growth Spurts
AffectPhysical Change
Fad Diets
Fad diets are neither safe nor reliable ways to lose weight.
People on fad diets may lose weight temporarily, but they usually regain it after going off the diet.
Fad Diets
Teens who want to lose weight may be tempted to try fad diets that promise quick, easy weight loss.
Fad dietsWeight-loss plans that tend to be popular for only a short time
Fad Diets
People who follow fad diets may fall into weight cycling.
Weight cyclingA repeated pattern of losing and regaining body weight
Types of Fad Diets
Types of Fad Diets
Miracle Foods
Magic Combinations
Liquid DietsDiet Pills
Fasting
Recognizing Fad Diets
Any diet plan that does not follow the MyPyramid guidelines may deprive your body of nutrients.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are extreme and dangerous eating behaviors that require medical attention.
Eating disorders are classified as mental illnesses.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are often linked to depression, low self-esteem, or troubled personal relationships.
Eating disordersExtreme, harmful eating behaviors that can cause serious illness or even death
Eating Disorders
Social and cultural forces that emphasize physical appearance can play a role in eating disorders.
Research also suggests that genetics may be a factor in the development of eating disorders.
Anorexia Nervosa
People with anorexia nervosa see themselves unrealistically as overweight even when they are dangerously thin.
Anorexia nervosaAn eating disorder in which an irrational fear of weight gain leads people to starve themselves
Anorexia Nervosa
People with anorexia develop obsessive behaviors related to food, such as:
avoiding food and meals
eating only a few kinds of food in small amounts
weighing or counting the calories in everything they eat
exercising excessively
weighing themselves repeatedly
Anorexia Nervosa
Possible health consequences
Brittle bones
Drop in body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure
Reduction in organ size
Heart problems and sudden cardiac death
Bulimia Nervosa
People with bulimia nervosa regularly binge then purge.
Bulimia nervosaAn eating disorder that involves cycles of overeating and purging, or attempts to rid the body of food
Bulimia Nervosa
Binging is eating a huge amount of food in a single sitting.
Purging is forcing vomiting, taking laxatives to flush food out of the system, or fasting or exercising frantically after a binge.
Bulimia Nervosa
Possible health consequences
Dehydration
Sore and inflamed throat
Swollen glands
Damaged teeth
Damage to the stomach, intestines, or kidneys
Irregular heart rhythms, heart failure, and death
Binge Eating Disorder
People with binge eating disorder do not purge.
Binge eating disorderan eating disorder in which people overeat compulsively
Binge Eating Disorder
Consequences of binge eating disorder include:
Becoming overweight or obese
Developing the health problems associated with obesity
Seeking Help
Eating disorders are serious illnesses that require medical help.
Medical help may involve counseling, nutritional guidance, a doctor’s care, and, in extreme cases, a hospital stay.
Seeking Help
If you think that you or someone you know may have an eating disorder, talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent, counselor, or school nurse.
After You ReadReviewing Facts and Vocabulary
Any two: Insecurity about physical changes during adolescence, images in the media, attitudes of friends and family
1. List two factors that influence body image.
After You ReadReviewing Facts and Vocabulary
2. Define fad diets.
Fad diets are weight-loss plans that tend to be popular for only a short time.
After You ReadReviewing Facts and Vocabulary
3. List three types of eating disorders.
Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder