FACT SHEET: Facts about Nutrition and Eating Disorders

What We Know

• At any given time 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men are trying to lose weight.
• More than $33 billion per year is spent on weight control products and services, according to the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
• 52 percent of women consider themselves to be overweight, and 50 percent are trying to lose weight.
• The National Institute of Mental Health says more than 5 million Americans suffer from eating disorders.
• Over 1,000 women die each year from eating disorders.

Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa

• Victims starve themselves because of a negative body image.
• There are 8 million victims in this country and 90 percent are women.
• 6 percent of serious cases result in death.

Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:

• amenorrhea, which is the absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles;
• relentless pursuit of activity and exercise;
• constant comments about being fat;
• complaints of being excessively cold; or
• skipping meals.

Bulimia Nervosa

• Characterized by binge eating before self-induced vomiting and misuse of laxatives or diuretics.

Symptoms of bulimia nervosa include:

• feeling that the victim cannot stop eating or cannot control what and how much they eat; and
• eating significantly more food than most people would eat during a similar period of time.

Binge Eating Disorder or Compulsive Eating

• Involves uncontrolled eating usually kept secret.
• Unlike bulimia, sufferers do not purge after overeating.
• Food is used as a means of coping with psychological problems.
• 40 percent of obese people may be binge eaters.

Symptoms of binge eating or compulsive eating include:

• eating rapidly;
• feeling uncomfortably full;
• eating large amounts of food even if they are not hungry; and
• eating alone because of embarrassment.

Facts on Obesity

• According to the National Institute of Health, obesity affects 97 million American adults (55 percent).
• Obesity affects about 10 percent of women aged 25 to 45.
• Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI), a measure of excess weight, of 30 and above. The equation for BMI is weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared.
• Obesity increases women’s risk for heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis and some types of cancer.
• See also the Web site of the American Diabetes Association. Seventy percent of obese children remain obese as adults.
• Obesity-related diseases cost nearly $70 billion each year according to the American Dietetic Association.

Healthy Weight Loss

• It is unhealthy to lose more than 0.5 to 1 pound a week.
• Do not restrict calories to less than 1,200 a day.
• Choose an exercise program appropriate to your physical ability.
• Always consult your osteopathic family physician before starting a strenuous exercise program.

Recommendations for a Healthy Diet

• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
• Drink alcohol in moderation (drinking with meals, and only when consumption does not put you or others at risk).
• Watch your calorie intake:
• Inactive women need 1,600 calories per day,
• Active women need 2,000 calories per day, and
• Very active women, or women pregnant or breast feeding, need 2,400 calories per day.
• Proteins should make up 15 percent of calories in an average woman’s diet.
• Carbohydrates should make up 55 percent of calories in an average woman’s diet.
• Fats should make up no more than 30 percent of calories in an average woman’s diet.
• Vitamins, minerals and water can be taken by supplements or enriched foods. Experts recommend eight 8 - ounce glasses of water a day.
• According to experts, body types are a good indicator of health risks. The pear body shape, where excess weight is carried in the thighs and hips, is less of a health risk than the apple body shape, where excess weight is carried in the stomach. The apple body shape is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
• Eat a variety of foods.
• Use sugars only in moderation.
• Use salt and sodium only in moderation.

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