Eating Disorder Research

Many teens are turning to the web for information about eating disorders. In a recent survey, one hundred and eighty-two people participated -- 76 teens and 106 parents. 41% had visited a pro-eating disorder Web site 36% had visited a pro-recovery Web site 25% had been to both types of sites. 96% of the teens who went to pro-eating disorder sites reported gleaning new weight-loss or purging information from the sites. More alarmingly, 46% of those who went to a pro-recovery Web site said they had gained new information about different weight-loss techniques. Only 28% of the parents had brought up the subject of eating disorder Web sites with their teen.  Almost 2/3 of parents were unaware that there were pro-recovery Web sites on the Internet. In conclusion, it is important that parents talk to their children about eating disorders or body images.  They should not deny their children access to the Internet, but to focus on building strong bonds with them.

A new set of Scottish guidelines, issued by the Mental Welfare Commission, requires doctors to legally allowed to force-feed anorexic patients close to death. The rules state that if two doctors believe an anorexic patient is mentally ill and in danger of dying, the patient can be sedated and tube-fed against his/her will. The new Scottish guidelines also require dangerously underweight children to be force-fed against the wishes of their parents. Anorexia affects a growing number of Scots and there has been severe criticism of the lack of specialist services. Scotland had 217 people diagnosed with anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders last year.  This represents an increase of 35% as compared to the number of cases in 1999. Still, experts say that the true number of undiagnosed cases is far higher.  Some estimates believe that the number is closer to 83,000 Scots have some form of eating disorder. The practice is allowed under existing mental health laws,.  Still, there are no specific guidance on when and how anorexic patients should be force-fed, leaving medics vulnerable to compensation claims.