Bulimia represents a major health problem in the United States, especially in high schools, colleges, and universities. This paper reviews literature on the definition, etiology, and therapeutic approaches for bulimia. The literature points to potential physiological bases for the disorder since some researchers reported similarities between it…

Daily educators are confronted with children who self-abuse through self-harm behaviours, eating disorders, drug or alcohol abuse or observe incidents that involve social isolation, for example racial abuse. Educators are also aware of cases of bullying and aggression that reaches extremes and they witness the harm inflicted on children through a…

This article discusses issues related to body image in adolescents, explaining what school practitioners can do to encourage lifelong healthy habits that enhance body image. Body image is the picture of physical self carried in the mind's eye. This impression can have little resemblance to how a teen actually looks. Body image culturalization is…

This book examines how four adolescent girls constructed the meaning of their bodies, discussing oppression and resistance, voice and silence, and girls' desires to be seen and heard for who they are as they experience themselves individually and socially. It presents the struggles of two educational researchers trying to create ethical research…

A study employed Q methodology, personal interviews, and a self-administered questionnaire to explore how female college students, a population segment with one of the highest incidences of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders, rank magazine advertisements that feature a variety of potentially harmful female stereotypes. Specifically, the…

This article describes an approach to evaluating and managing feeding disorders in children with developmental disabilities and examines effects of these management strategies on growth and clinical outcomes. A structured approach is stressed and a diagnostic and treatment algorithm is presented. Use with 79 children found that diagnostic-specific…

The effects of two methods of negative reinforcement on three young children (ages two and three) with developmental delays and chronic food refusal were examined. Physically guiding the child to accept food contingent on noncompliance and nonremoval of the spoon until the child ate were tested. Both treatments were effective; however, parents…

Examined eating attitudes, body satisfaction, reasons for exercise, and psychological wellbeing among female nonathletes and college athletes. Data from participant surveys revealed less eating disorder symptomatology and more healthy psychological functioning among athletes, suggesting that female athletic involvement could be associated with…

A study of 405 Irish children (ages 2-18) with Down syndrome, autism, and cri du chat syndrome, and 280 siblings found most had some level of self-feeding skills. Chewing problems were reported for some children, including siblings of children with Down syndrome and autism. Behavioral problems at meals were common. (Contains references.)…

This study examined the relationships among childhood sexual and physical abuse, body image disturbance, and eating disorder symptomatology in college students, of whom 29 had been sexually abused, 32 physically abused, and 29 nonabused. There was no evidence that child sexual or physical abuse was associated with the development of body image…

Analysis of questionnaire responses from 182 professionals, 393 students, and 39 patients with eating disorders found a significant consensus across groups in the ranked order of perceived characteristic long-term outcomes of child sexual abuse. Respondent sex, social class, or past sexual abuse experience had no significant effect on this…

Surveyed 175 female junior high school students in an effort to ascertain both their present eating behavior and their attitudes regarding dieting and concern about body weight. Many subjects appeared to have considered these matters as early as elementary school. Limitations and implications of these findings are discussed. (RJM)

Self-mutilating behavior (SMB), suicide, and eating disorders are examined in adult females (N=42) in relation to childhood sexual abuse. A statistically significant relationship was found between SMB and suicide attempts. Findings support the contention that SMB and sexual abuse are closely related to eating disorders. (Author/EMK)

Examines the eating behaviors of 192 Australian and 129 Swaziland university students using the Eating Attitudes Test. Reports no significant differences between the Australian and Swazi samples in terms of eating disorder symptoms, but indicates that more Australians saw themselves as overweight and were on a weight loss diet. (CMK)

Finds that black adolescent girls were more satisfied with their bodies and had a larger personal ideal size than white adolescent girls, but engaged in no fewer eating-disordered behaviors and had no less drive to be thin; and these girls idealized television images equally and were as likely to compare themselves and their friends to television…