Eating Disorders - Girls

[Mr.X]

Eating Disorders - Girls
Eating Disorders Widespread in Girls
As many as one in four teenage girls may suffer from the symptoms of an eating disorder, (like anorexia, binge-eating, bulimia) research suggests. In many girls, the problems appear to set in from a very early age.

Scientists from Canada quizzed 1,739 girls aged 12 to 18 about their eating habits.

They found that 27% had significant symptoms of eating disorders such as binge eating or purging.

The girls who took part in the study were asked to complete a standardised questionnaire on eating disorders.

The findings showed:

23% said they were currently dieting
15% reported binge eating associated with loss of control
8.2% reported self-induced vomiting
2.4% were using diet pills
The researchers also found that teenage girls are starting to engage in
"severely disordered behaviours" at an earlier age.

They found that 12% of girls aged 12 to 14 reported binge eating episodes in the previous month. Almost 7% of this age group reported self-induced vomiting to lose weight.

SOURCE: www.bbc.co.uk 2001