65% of Women Report Disordered Eating

     When writing my previous blog entry, I knew I heard recently that disordered eatings habits are rampant among young women, but I couldn't find remember who had done the study. I found it. Self Magazine and the University of North Carolina teamed up to administer an online survey to women between the ages of 25-45 and found 65% reported disordered eating and an additional 10% fit the description for having an eating disorder. So the statistics I quoted are low.
     But my sentiment remains the same: These disordered eating habits can eventually evolve into full-fledged eating disorders. We as women need to realize that some of our beliefs are illogical, and we have to recognize and halt problematic behaviors before they become a habitual part of our lives.

From Dieting to a Disorder

     Who am I to claim I can give you advice about preventing an eating disorder? Well, I had one. And it was a slow, slippery process.  Each false belief that I accepted as fact contributed to the demise of my self-esteem, and each unhealthy decision I made gradually contributed to my disease. Eventually, I was suffering from a full-blown eating disorder. I fit the clinical definition of bulimia.

     But before that, I was a “disordered eater.” 15% of young women are. It can mean everything from skipping meals and constant dieting to binge/purging, but these women are all at risk for developing a full-blown eating disorder. I was one of the ones who crossed that bridge.
     There are points where nutritious eating becomes restrictive, and exercise becomes excessive. There is a line between being body-conscious and body dysmorphia (or losing all sense of reality.) Dieting can turn to disordered eating, and disordered eating can turn into a clinical disorder.

     In our minds, thoughts we might have might seem normal. Maybe we think someone is skinnier than us who really isn't. Maybe we think people are staring at us, wondering if we should be eating that fattening food. Whatever the self-deprecating thought, it seems much more plausible in our mind than it does when written down or discussed with others. 

     Staying in shape while going to to school will be difficult. But it does not warrant obsession. (Nothing does.) It will require compromises, planning ahead, hard work and dedication. But you will also make mistakes. That's unavoidable. Demanding perfection is setting yourself up to fall short. 

     I hope you will share your stories with me. I hope you will open up about fears you may have. You will likely learn there are many others who feel the same.

Should I Avoid High-Fructose Corn Syrup?

     Are you one of those people that avoids high-fructose corn syrup? I always have. HFCS is found in everything from obviously sweet, processed junk food like Twinkies and soda to even ketchup and bread. Horror stories abound, linking it to cancer and obesity. Supposedly, its rise in popularity correlated with America's rapid rise in obesity rates.

     But the latest research does not link it to weight gain any more than regular table sugar (sucrose). Although more research is needed, because "there is a new body of research that suggested HFCS might be linked with higher triglyceride levels and other health effects," says Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina.

     In the mean time, it's important to note that the study only found HFCS was not more likely to cause obesity than glucose.  This is worth noting because HFCS normally replaces sugars like glucose in foods. In other words, foods that we should be avoiding anyways. It's not that we should be specifically shunning HFCS. We should be shunning foods with refined sugars in general. 

     So, I've decided to treat high-fructose corn syrup like I treat refined sugar. I try to avoid it, but I'm not going to stress myself out. I try to choose complex carbohydrates, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains, which regulate blood sugar. If you choose to do the same, read food labels and remember the general rule that simple sugars end in "ose," (glucose, maltose...)

Hangovers and Hunger

     I'm always a little jealous of my friends who say they can't eat when they're hungover. One of the symptoms of a hangover is aversion to food, but I only have that particular symptom in the morning. I'm always ravenously hungry later in the day, no matter how many alcohol calories I consumed the night before.

     So it made me feel a little better when I found out I'm not alone. Apparently, one effect of alcohol consumption is low blood sugar, which explains why I crave refined carbohydrates the next day, like chips and bread.

      The problem is that eating these fast carbs skyrockets your blood sugar levels, only to be followed by an inevitable crash, and more food cravings. It's a vicious cycle.

      It's best to eat foods that are known for regulating your blood sugar. In fact, a whole-grain breakfast can help regulate your blood sugar for up to ten hours, according to this study. 

     While you might be craving bagels, doughnuts, or fries (high-glycemic index foods that spike your blood sugar), it is especially important to consume low-GI foods when suffering from a hangover.(Read about GI)

     Some examples include fruit such as pears, apples, and oranges, or oatmeal, peanuts, beans, peas, and granola.

     Drinking water and exercise also helps regulate your blood sugar. 

I Wonder How Much That Girl Weighs

     I recently discussed how some girls are not the best judge of whether they really need to lose weight. We can't view our bodies objectively, so we probably don't have an accurate picture in our head of what we really look like. I talked about how the best predictor of our health is how we feel.

     However, I do understand the curiosity. We want to know how we appear to others. In the past, I've asked my boyfriend or friends "Am I bigger or smaller than that girl?" or even asked them to name someone of similiar size, because I wanted to know if my own perception was realistic. But as you can imagine, my bf was a little hesitant to answer that question, and you can never be sure if you're getting accurate answers.

     So finding two sites on the Internet that could help me out was a big help! Illustrated BMI Categories on Flickr and this Photographic Height/Weight Chart provide large photo collections of people of various heights and weights. 

     On Illustrated BMI Categories, you will have to click through each individual person to find one close to your measurements, but the time is well-spent. It's interesting because the creator has already calculated the subject's BMI. So if you know your BMI, you could find an approximation of what you'd look like if you were much taller or shorter. It seems like the goal of the site is too demonstrate the absurdity of BMI, because most people labeled "obese" look like very typical Americans, but I don't think we should accept the fact that they look average to mean that they are healthy.

     On the height/weight chart, you will only have to find your height on the side of the chart and weight at the top, then find where they meet to see a picture of a girl with stats close to your own.

     Of course, take into consideration different body shapes, muscle mass and fat. But I still think you'll find it interesting!

Learn to Keep Track of Calories

      The studies are often quoted. Many underestimate calories! But in this study, participants "almost perfectly estimated the number of calories in smaller meals."

     It was for larger meals that "participants strongly underestimated the number of calories." (By 38% in one version of the study, and 22.6% in the second.)

     So what does this mean for college dieters? Small meals do bode well for the college lifestyle. They also keep your metabolism constantly active.

      But if you must have a large meal, pay attention to portion sizes. I often hear about the benefits of food scales, but even I never went that far. It's just as effective to simply visualize.         

      These are the rules of thumb. Source

1 oz. meat: size of a matchbox

3 oz. meat: size of a deck of cards or bar of soap—the recommended portion for a meal

8 oz. meat: size of a thin paperback book

3 oz. fish: size of a checkbook

Medium potato: size of a computer mouse

2 Tbs. peanut butter: size of a ping pong ball

1/2 cup pasta: size of a tennis ball

Average bagel: size of a hockey puck.

1 oz. cheese: size of 4 dice

     Then, until you memorize the calorie content for the foods you typically eat, use a web calorie counter. FitDay is my personal favorite. Do you use another?

      I like FitDay because it has an enormous food list, which you can add to if needed. You can also figure out calories burned from your activities, the calories you burn in a typical day, and track how you have progressed at your goals, whether you're trying to lose weight, stay within a calorie range, or even eat more iron-rich foods. It's definitely worth checking out.

     I do have a caution. Do not use the site to enter your consumption every day. I check in every once in a while, on a typical day, to see if my diet is missing out on any critical nutrients. Or if I am unsure about the nutrition content of a new food, it's a good resource. But entering your calories every day becomes extremely tedious. Usually, I would just come up with a number very close to the one that I'd already estimated on my own, in a much shorter length of time.  You will eventually become adept at coming up with a figure in your head.  I know it may seem tempting to find the exact number, but it is a lot of time spent when you could be doing something you enjoy.  

     Hope this helps!

The Big Question: Do I Need to Lose Weight?

     Maintaining your weight throughout college is hard enough, but it seems like all the girls are trying to lose weight too. Sometimes it seems like they’re always on a diet to lose “the last five pounds.” Constantly striving for an unattainable goal is not only disappointing, but it’s priming yourself for a lifetime of an unhealthy relationship with food and body image.

     Are you one of those girls? Are you always trying to lose that "last five pounds?"

     One big problem is the perception of a “perfect” weight. You could spend half your life Googling “ideal weight” and come up with a million different answers. ( I have.) You could make yourself crazy.

     According to the BMI, a 5’5” female like me could weigh anywhere from 111 to 149 and still be considered healthy. I have never been above that, and I haven’t been below it since freshman year of high school, but I know I have been overweight and slightly underweight while still within that range, because of how my body felt.

     The Met Life height/weight tables are also highly quoted around the Internet. Originally, the Met Life Insurance Company devised them to determine what weight ranges were associated with the lowest mortality rates. Now, they’ve somehow picked up the label of “ideal” weights. Depending on your frame size and height, you are provided with a “healthy weight range.” For example, since I am 5’5’ with a small frame, I should weigh between 117-130. If I was large frame, I should aim to weigh between 137-155. So according to the Met Life tables, the range is 117-155, but according to BMI, it’s 111-149. If I weighed 112 or 150, I wouldn’t be too sure which to trust.

     The bottom line when determining whether you need to lose weight: What is the lightest adult weight you have ever been? Were you able to maintain that weight for a significant amount of time? Did you feel hungry all of the time? Unless you’ve always been overweight, you’re probably not going to be lighter than the lightest you’ve ever been. After all, you’re only getting older, right? If you were 115 pounds for 2 days in high school after you had the stomach flu in , that’s not a realistic goal. And it’s worth noting that if you don’t feel good at a certain weight, you don’t look good either.

     According to a recent survey, 75% of women exhibit some form of disordered eating. 53% are trying to lose weight, while at a healthy weight. Are you one of them?

     I used to be. When I first lost weight my freshman year of college, I still felt as if the weight was attached to me. I thought I needed bigger spaces to walk through than I did. I thought I needed to wear a bigger size. I felt like everyone was looking at me and thinking that I was fat. My beliefs were so extremely real to me that it would have been classified as a mental illness, body dysmorphia, had it not been related to another mental illness (my eating disorder.)
     Even if you don’t have an ED, there is a good chance that as college woman you have an unrealistic view of your body. Remember everyone is not looking at you. They are more likely to be worrying about their own bodies than judging yours.

     If you are sick of being on a diet, ask yourself if you feel good at the weight that you are. Do you feel as if you could go hiking if you wanted to, or run a mile? Do you feel energetic? Answering these questions will help you discern what your body needs more than picking an arbitrary number of pounds you think you need to lose. Make new goals instead. Aim to run a little bit farther, or eat a little bit healthier. Nobody has to see the number on the scale but you.

I want to know. Do you really need to lose weight?