THE MIXED MESSAGES THAT DRIVE YOUNGSTERS TO EATING DISORDERS
▶ Family, media and lifestyle changes can trigger young people’s body perceptions, study finds
Family influence and the transient nature of life and work in the UAE play a part in triggering eating disorders and affecting young people’s body image perceptions.
A study of hundreds of mainly Arab university students found that even though 60 per cent of them were of normal weight, 45 per cent had body shape concerns and 33 per cent were at risk of developing an eating disorder.
The study surveyed 662 students (407 women and 255 men) from the three universities in Sharjah. They were aged between 18 to 25.
About a third (32.5 per cent) of respondents in the University of Sharjah study said their families were an influence on their body image perceptions, the highest-ranking influence. Then came media, criticism and social media.
Experts said that the upheaval of moving to a new country, home and school had a major bearing on young people’s chances of developing an eating disorder.
Ayla Coussa, a clinical dietitian at Fakih IVF in Dubai, believes that change can be a big factor in eating disorders in young people.
The transient nature of life for many in the UAE means huge changes in school and culture, she said.
“Many teenagers want to be in control and change is something that can be a trigger for eating disorders,” Ms Coussa said.
“Moving to a new country is all about changing environment, changing schools, getting accustomed to new culture and making new friends.
“The only way teenagers sometimes try to be in control is through their food and their new lifestyle. If it’s not anorexia, it can be binge eating.”
Eating disorders appear to be on the rise. The 33 per cent found to be at risk in this study is an increase on a 2006 report that found that one in four young women were at risk.
“This is a high score for eating disorders among university students and we need to start investigating,” said Dr Hadia Radwan, the lead researcher and an assistant professor at the department of clinical nutrition and dietetics at the university.
“These students are a highrisk group and are likely to develop eating disorders. We see more and more eating disorders among teens.
“Comments from family members affect the eating behaviour of children. We found that the comments they receive from parents, especially in the mother and daughter relationship, has an impact on future health and body satisfaction.
“Families are pushing their children towards eating disorders and they don’t realise this. They are one of the major contributors towards developing eating disorders.
“The most important thing we found is the strong influence of media and family on college students, putting them at risk of developing an eating disorder.
“This group needs to be screened and early intervention can be done. Start early at school level and don’t wait for them to reach college.
“Start introducing a healthy body image and discussions on healthy weight and what this means.”
Lina Doumani, a clinical dietitian and expert on eating disorders at Camali Clinic in Dubai, has worked in the UAE for 13 years and has witnessed a steady increase in the number of cases of eating disorders in that time.
“Eating disorders are definitely on the rise and there are many factors influencing it. I see between five and seven patients with eating disorders every week,” Ms Doumani said.
“Social media is a trigger making people crave a thin figure. College students could also develop eating disorders as they move away from their homes or their safe places. They feel threatened and feel that they are losing control.”
Eating disorders are linked with low self-esteem and low self-confidence, she said. “If the child equates their self worth to their body image then they are going to feel bad if they receive a negative comment about the way they look,” Ms Doumani said.
The dietitian said patients often confided in her about how being called chubby or fat as a child affected them, and many said that a family member’s words had influenced them greatly.
Ms Doumani said people needed to be aware of how their words could affect others and that more qualified people needed to work in this area.
“We don’t have a lot of people specialising in the field of eating disorders,” she said.
The study was a student project at the university, led by Dr Radwan and Dr Hayder Hasan.
A 2015 study found that more than 725,000 people in the UK were affected by an eating disorder, while in the United States, the figure was at least 30 million.
The most important thing we found is the strong influence of media and family on college students, putting them at risk of developing an eating disorder DR HADIA RADWAN of the University of Sharjah