From February 3-9, 2013, it was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Eating disorders and body image are often associated with girls, but they can also affect boys. The organism Youth, I listen, offers new content on its site for this purpose.
In 2012, around 1 in 3 consultation sessions at Kids Help Phone concerned mental health and about 3 sessions in a typical day concerned eating disorders, we learned in a press release issued recently by the organization. He also finds that the prevalence rate of anorexia and bulimia appears to increase during the transition period when adolescents become young adults.
Thanks to the posting of new resources on the subject, Kids Help Phone.ca wants to allow the population to learn about the various eating disorders, then to discover the reasons which can push a person to develop such problems. We are also focusing on how young people can find help, whether for themselves or for their friends.
This is a major concern for the body. Indeed, the problems related to eating disorders reported to Kids Help Phone are 95 % by young women, and adolescents aged 14 to 16 account for almost half of these cases. In fact, a study in Nova Scotia found in 2011 that a large proportion of 5-year-old girls think about dieting and that 60 % of girls aged 15 to 18 were following one (Urquhart and Mihalynuk, 2011).
We can find the resources of Kids Help Phone sure eating disorders here.
Body image, a guy's business too
In a 2002 study, 4 % boys aged 3e and 4e High schoolers admitted to using anabolic steroids, showing that both men and women are concerned about their body image and can both try to transform their bodies.
Body dissatisfaction in young people can point to physical and mental health problems in adulthood, including obesity and eating disorders. In contrast, acceptance of one's body is associated with better physical and mental health, including maintaining a healthy weight throughout life.
Kids Help Phone offers resources on the subject here.
Of course, young people are also invited to call or ask online questions. Qualified responders respond quickly and in a very reassuring manner.
Source: press release. Click here to see it in full.