[/caption]Carol Forsloff - Those women strutting along the beach in swim wear and looking like they feel good about themselves may not have those good feelings after all, just like many of the rest of us where negative body perceptions are aggravated during warm weather.
At Timberline Knollls Residential Treatment Center professionals have found that summer is the time young people have particular problems about body image. Summer is when clothing is thin and more of the bumps and small irregularities become magnified in the mind, especially of very young women. Or they want to show off their assets and will take drastic measures to be the size they believe is beautiful.
Praise by others will keep that behavior going as people continue to lose weight, which quickly can turn into a full-blown eating disorder.
Timberline says this as a warning, "Watching for warning signs of an eating disorder during these months leading up to the summer is crucial for loved ones and friends âEUR" and not being afraid to talk to someone if you suspect they have a problem. Anorexia nervosa has the highest premature mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, so the earlier it is addressed, the more likely the individual is to find recovery and begin to work on their own self esteem and body image issues.
The treatment center maintains that someone with a problem of self image will continue to have problems even when they get to what others perceive as the right size.
"Even when someone does lose weight to fit into that swimsuit, if he or she is not comfortable from the inside out they will never feel good in anything they wear. As people continue to lose weight and receive praise, they feel they need to keep going and keep losing weight, which quickly turns into a full-blown eating disorder. " declares Timberline. It is an issue that confounds friends and family, but the problem can worsen in summer.
"Many people who suffer from eating disorders are not clinically overweight. they simply see themselves in a distorted fashion, so it is best to consult with a doctor if you want advice about losing weight. Eating healthfully one day at a time is the only way to maintain consistent and healthy weight loss if a doctor determines you have a weight issue, said Dr. Dennis, a treatment advisor who helps people understand the problems of anorexia. "Crash dieting because you have to fit into a swimsuit this summer is not healthy, nor is it safe."
The way to address these problems in summer comes with Timberline's reminder, "Most people have difficulty seeing the impact of an unhealthy relationship with food, eating, exercise, or their body fully on their own. If not identified or treated during the early stages, eating disorders can become chronic, debilitating and even life-threatening. "
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