A Recent Study Suggests Changing the Face of Eating Disorders to Include Males and Other Ethnic Groups

For many, the stereotypical face pictured when thinking of an eating disorder is generally that of a teenage female. As research on eating disorders expands, it appears more men and boys are suffering from this affliction than previously thought. Additionally, many ethnic groups need to be closely examined as well.

As discussed in a recent article released May 1 2007 by the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford Website, the ideas concerning eating disorders should be broadened to include groups that had not been previously considered. Rebecka Pebbles, MD who is an Eating Disorder Specialist in Adolescent Medicine, points out that current treatments and how they diagnose patients are based on criteria that assume the patient is a female, white teenager.

Curent research shows that about 10 percent of diagnosed eating disorder cases are male but getting a diagnosis is sometimes difficult. Rebecka Pebbles, MD discusses some differences that have been found in boys than in the stereotypical girl. Boys with eating disorders tend to show very different symptoms or clues to this disease than girls. Instead of purging and laxatives boys tend to show interest in becoming more "physically fit" and put alot of emphasis on healthy eating and exercise.

These behaviors make it very hard to diagnose because these actions do not trigger the same red flags for parents or for many in the medical field. The key seems to be the degree or extreme in which diet and exercise are used. These two indicators are just as important as the binging and purging clues that present in girls but are much harder to recognize as they are more easily hidden in boys.

Parents of boys need to look for symptoms or signs such as restricting their dietary intake to an unhealthy degree along with extreme or excessive exercise. Many times even with dieting and strict exercise rituals these boys feel they are never thin enough.

According to Dr. Peebles, other ethnic groups need to be explored as well. Via a Website Questionnaire, data collected suggests American Indians and Alaskan Natives are using laxatives for weight loss at a much higher level versus people of the Caucasian Race.

These new findings show that the medical community and parents need to think out of the box when facing eating disorders among other ethnic groups and genders alike. Rebecka Peebles MD. Intends to continue her research on these two groups and hopes to gain more insight for what she terms the "walking wounded."

Sources include:
Gender, Ethnic Differences May Hamper Eating Disorder Diagnosis, Say Packard/Stanford Researchers on the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford Website : For Release: May 1, 2007
www.lpch.org/NewsEvents/NewsReleases/2007/eating.html