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Online care to save girls from eating disorders
Sophie Goodchild, Health Editor09.04.08
Simple online treatments could save many women from developing "size zero" eating disorders, experts said today.
Research shows computer-based therapy has a dramatic impact on those at risk from anorexia and bulimia.
Experts at City University found "do-it-yourself " psychological treatments accessed over the internet could boost self-esteem as well as reducing concerns about shape and weight.
The findings are based on a survey of 1,107 female students, aged 17 to 36, who were asked to "self-administer" by completing computer-based questionnaires. These included completing a daily "food log" to help identify specific triggers for abnormal eating.
Despina Learmonth, who led the study, called for online treatment to be made more widely available.
She said: "Eating disorders seem to be becoming increasingly prevalent in Western societies and they are difficult illnesses to treat.
"The cost of treatment for them is extremely high. It's vital that successful and easy-to-administer prevention programmes are developed and made available to those in need."
Anorexia has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric illness. It can also lead to problems such as infertility and heart complaints.
Traditional approaches to eating disorders involve hospital stays and are intensive and costly.
An additional problem is diagnosis. A person with bulimia, for example, may maintain a normal body weight so their condition can go unnoticed for years.
The "size zero" computer therapy is aimed at people with low self-esteem. It is based on treatments used by psychologists to enable patients to overcome negative thinking patterns. This includes cognitive therapy which has been endorsed by watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
Experts have warned that the bombardment of girls with images of US "size zero" models is to blame for the rise in eating disorders. The US size zero is equivalent to British size four.
An editorial in the British Journal of Psychiatry by Professor Janet Treasure said the growing obsession with being ultra-thin was having a " dangerous influence on the public".
Professor Treasure, from King's College, has already called for a ban on models with a dress-size under British size four at London Fashion Week.
DIY THERAPY ...
1. List the negative consequences of experiencing your current problem. Think about difficulties you are experiencing. For example, perhaps you are feeling dizzy, or cannot concentrate because of your preoccupation with food.
2. List the positive aspects of your problem. There are positives and negatives about almost every situation. For example, perhaps you have been using eating to manage painful feelings.
3. List the personal benefits you expect if you change. Think about a general goal and how you will have to change. For example, perhaps you will be able to enjoy eating out with friends.
4. List the personal costs you expect if you change. What do you think you will need to give up in order to change? There are costs and benefits to almost all types of change. For example, perhaps you will need to get out of your comfort zone.
