A recent case study conducted by three Mayo Clinic doctors suggests that young people who have overcome obesity in the past are at a higher risk of developing eating disorders, and some locals are weighing in to confirm the data.
According to the study, published in the journal Pediatrics, a majority of adolescents who were diagnosed with eating disorders — typically bulimia or anorexia — also had a history of obesity.
Cathy Owen, a social worker at the UF Counseling and Wellness Center, said the explanation for these cases may trace back to a root problem: negative body image.
“Whether it’s alcohol, drugs or repetitive kinds of behaviors, in a way, it really becomes a way of coping with underlying emotional distress,” said Owen.
The condition can be deceitful because friends and family, and even doctors, likely won’t recognize the problem. In two cases cited in the study, there was no early detection.
The girl in one of the cases was classified as obese when she was 12. She received nutritional and medical advice, adopted a 1,500-calorie diet and strict exercise regime, and dropped about 80 pounds.
It wasn’t until her mother started noticing signs of poor nutrition, stress fractures, fatigue and menstrual problems, among other issues, that the girl got help for an eating disorder.
It’s a concern for local students, too.
In a 2010 survey of UF students, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men reported that feeling fat frequently interfered with their everyday happiness. One in 6 students worried about losing control over how much they ate.
Jose Garcia, a 23-year-old UF political science senior, said he knew eating disorders were prevalent, but he said he wouldn’t know where to start looking for help.
“My first thought would be the hospital, but what would I do?” he said. “Go up to the counter and say, ‘I think my friend has an eating disorder’?”
One thing to remember, Owen said, when confronting someone you are concerned about is to go about it in an open manner.
UF’s Counseling and Wellness Center offers individual and group counseling for eating disorders and body image issues, including a weekly group Making Peace with Food.
“As families and communities, we can start supporting these vulnerable kids and challenging our society’s message, too,” Owen said.
A version of this story ran on page 9 on 9/11/2013 under the headline "Beating obesity can lead to eating disorders"
