Teens with eating disorders look at images of women differently

Everyday we encounter advertisements showing provocative photos of women. Magazine ads, tv commercials, and billboards all work by grabbing our attention. How do girls with an eating disorder, who, by definition, are preoccupied with body image, deal with these photos?  New research released online this month tracked the actual eye movements of teens as they viewed various pictures of women – and found differences between teens with and without an eating disorder.

Click to read more ...

Is your brain wired to make you crave food when you’re sad?

In the moments before people begin to binge eat, they often feel some kind of negative emotion – from sadness to anxiety to loneliness. Does binge eating make them feel better? Why do some people have an urge to eat when they’re down while others don’t? New research released online this month investigates how the brain reacts to food when people with bulimia are experiencing negative emotion.

Click to read more ...

How binge eating affects your marriage/relationship

A myriad of personal factors influence how we function in relationships, from personality to financial habits to cleanliness – and eating issues are no exception. New research to be published next month investigated how binge eating is related to the quality of marriage. Are people who binge eat as happy in their marriage as those who don’t binge eat? The research suggests this isn’t the case.

Click to read more ...

The burden of caring for someone with an eating disorder

Eating disorders are often suffered in secret – like late night binging on hidden foods. Such behaviors are difficult to overcome alone and reaching out to others for support can be vital to recovery. However, eating disorders can take a toll on family and friends, too. A new study released online last week examined the degree to which caregivers feel burdened and how their perception of the burden changes over time.

Click to read more ...

When teenage dieting leads to adult binge eating (and when it doesn’t)

Binge eating in adulthood is often associated with dieting as a teen. Of course most people who diet do not go on to develop binge eating or other eating disorders. However, for those who do – what sets them apart from the rest? What’s different about people who diet and later develop binge eating compared to others who do not? A new study released online last week identified 2 key factors in the relationship between dieting and binge eating.

Click to read more ...