(Un)twisted: talking back to media representations of eating disorders

In 2014-15, there were several news reports about a rise in the diagnoses and treatment of eating disorders (EDs), as attributed to the use of image-driven social media. Such coverage can be situated within a long history of concern in which those diagnosed with an ED are constructed as ‘especially vulnerable’ to the power of media images – a subjectivity which is pathologised and devalued precisely through its association with femininity. The most incisive objections to EDs being presented as a response to the ‘weight’ of media representation have come from Abigail Bray (2005) in her work on how anorexia is constructed as a reading as well as an eating disorder. Indeed, there is a whole history of empirical work in Feminist Media Studies and Girlhood Studies which has challenged the pernicious construction of female subjectivity as ‘excessively’ invested in, and ‘damaged’ by, the consumption of mass mediated forms. Yet the media consumption practices of those with experience of an ED have not been subject to similar feminist re-evaluation – an omission which this research seeks to address. In exploring the results of 17 semi-structured interviews with people who have experience of an ED discussing their encounters with media representations of EDs (material that is often co-opted into debates about the ‘toxic’ nature of media culture in this regard), this article seeks to intervene in how such imagined media consumption practices are often defined. In seeking to speak back to historically pathologising constructions, the article seeks to explore the qualitative responses in the context of more ‘every day’ understandings of media engagement, thus working against the gendered othering which has persistently occurred

Factors influencing research drug trials in adolescents with anorexia nervosa

This study examined factors that contributed to patient's eligibility and participation in a randomized controlled trial involving olanzapine for the adjunctive treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN). Factors involving patient eligibility and willingness to participate were systematically recorded for all patients approached to participate. Of the 92 patients that were assessed and treated over the study timeframe, only 27 patients (29%) met full criteria for inclusion, of which just 7 enrolled (26%). The most common reasons for study refusal related to fears associated with medication effects and refusal to consider medication as a treatment option (70%). Factors affecting recruitment in psychopharmacological studies involving AN in youth are discussed

Exploring avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder in eating disordered patients: A descriptive study

Objective To assess and compare clinical characteristics of patients with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) to those with anorexia nervosa (AN). Method A retrospective review of adolescent eating disorder (ED) patients assessed between 2000 and 2011 that qualified for a diagnosis of ARFID was completed. A matched AN sample was used to compare characteristics between groups. Results Two hundred and five patients met inclusion criteria and were reviewed in detail. Of these, 34 (5%) patients met criteria for ARFID. A matched sample of 36 patients with AN was used to draw comparisons. Patients with ARFID were younger than those with AN, more likely to present before age 12, and more likely to be male. Patients in both groups presented at low weights. Common eating-specific behaviors and symptoms in the ARFID group included food avoidance, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and fear of vomiting. Rates of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and medical morbidity were high in both groups. Almost 80% of AN patients and one-third of ARFID patients required hospital admission as a result of medical instability. Symptom profiles in 4/34 ARFID patients resulted in eventual reclassification to AN. Discussion This study supports the notion that a small percentage of adolescent patients presenting with restrictive eating disorders meet criteria for ARFID. Patients are younger than average, more likely to be male compared to adolescent AN samples, and have high rates of psychiatric and medical morbidity. The study also suggests that a proportion of patients evolve into AN as treatment progresses

Self-silencing in a clinical sample of female adolescents with eating disorders

Objective: The present study was designed to assess the relationship between self-silencing behaviours and eating disorder symptoms in a female adolescent population with eating disorders. Method: One hundred and forty-nine adolescent girls between the ages of 13 and 18 completed a comprehensive assessment at a tertiary care ch

An Examination of Medical and Psychological Morbidity in Adolescent Males With Eating Disorders

The objective of this study was to examine the clinical profile of adolescent male patients presenting for eating disorder (ED) assessment over a 17-year period. A retrospective cohort study was completed. A total of 52 patients (8% of the total sample) were included in the study. The average age of patients was 14.7 years and the most common diagnosis observed was Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). Rates of concurrent depression and anxiety were very high, as were rates of medical co-morbidity, including osteoporosis. Our study supports findings documented in previously published reports of males with eating disorders and adds to the limited knowledge base which targets adolescents specifically. Multi-center controlled trials are required to further investigate male-specific ED symptomatology, treatment courses, and outcomes

Growth trajectories of maintenance variables related to refractory eating disorders in youth

Despite decades of eating disorder (ED) research, studies of factors involved in long-term EDs are still lacking. This longitudinal study i

A Psycho-Education Intervention for Parents of Adolescents With Eating Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study evaluated the efficacy of a 2-hour psycho-education session combined with bi-weekly telephone support in increasing parent/caregiver knowledge about eating disorders, increasing self-efficacy by empowering parents to support their child’s recovery, and decreasing the impact of eating disorder symptoms on the family. The intervention was targeted at parents/caregivers whose child was waiting to be assessed for an eating disorder. Participants included 51 parents/caregivers and 36 youths. The brief intervention successfully increased parent/caregiver knowledge of the illness, feelings of self-efficacy, and help-seeking behaviors. These findings are clinically useful as waiting lists are common in Canada