SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. -- Think of a person with an eating disorder and your first thought will likely be of a college coed. Yet children as young as six and retired seniors are increasingly being treated for eating disorders. Those with eating disorders have both the highest mortality rate and the highest suicide rate of any psychiatric illness, according to speakers at “Disordered Eating Across the Lifespan,” a conference sponsored Thursday by Walden Behavioral Care, LLC and Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN) at Maneeley’s Banquet Facility. James M. Greenblatt, M.D., Medical Director of Eating Disorder Services at Walden, said the mortality rate of those with anorexia is 10% among those who have it for 10 years and 20% for those who have it for 20 years. Anorexia is an eating disorder that results in fear of and avoidance of food. Progress Being Made When Walden was founded 10 years ago, there was very limited research about eating disorders. “We still don’t have all of the answers,” Dr. Greenblatt said. “We can do so much for so many other diseases, but for the psychiatric disease with the highest mortality rate, we have the most limited options.” Progress is being made, however. For example, he said, research shows that adding zinc to the diet of young people with anorexia can help them regain their appetite. While research shows that genetic traits and cultural factors may predispose individuals toward developing eating disorders, Dr. Greenblatt said the number one factor in young people may be their decision to become vegetarians. While a vegetarian diet can be healthy in adults, young vegetarians do not have enough fat in their diet to enable their brain to develop as it should, according to Dr. Greenblatt, who added that the brain is 60% fat. Adding fish oil to the diet of young people can be effective in helping to prevent eating disorders, according to Dr. Greenblatt. Body Image and Anorexia Margo Maine, Ph.D., co-founder of the Maine & Weinstein Specialty Group in West Hartford, said the cultural focus on thinness being a reflection of a person’s self-worth has led to an increase in anorexia. While the first runway models weighed 155 pounds or more, today the average fashion model is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighs 107 pounds and has a body mass index (BMI) of 15.4, Dr. Main said. That’s lower than the BMI cutoff for anorexia, which is 18.5. “Weightism is the politically correct form of prejudice,” according to Dr. Maine. Women are obsessed with their weight, she said, and when they get together and have a conversation, it almost always includes a discussion about weight, food, body image or personal appearance. While males also develop eating disorders, given the importance placed on a woman’s weight, she said, it’s no wonder that women develop eating disorders far more often than men. In adult women, an eating disorder is often triggered by a life-changing event, such as pregnancy, menopause, divorce, infidelity, work issues or retirement. Dr. Maine said that when adult women have an eating disorder, they often feel shame about developing what they may consider to be a “teen ager’s problem.” They often find it more difficult to admit the need for help and to be motivated to receive treatment. They have increased anxiety about their appearance because of the natural aging process, she said, but there are more obstacles to seeking treatment because of their responsibilities; they are too busy raising children and advancing their career and taking care of their family to deal with their eating disorder. She said it is natural for women to gain eight to 12 pounds during menopause, adding that moderate weight gain at mid-life is associated with longer life. Anyone Can Develop an Eating Disorder While the conference focused on eating disorders in the young and old, virtually anyone can develop an eating disorder. The speakers said that a person of any age, female or male, and of any socioeconomic background can develop an eating disorder. In today’s high stress environment, where society values thinness and people are too busy to prepare nutritious meals, eating disorders are becoming more prevalent and will continue to increase until more attention is paid to preventing and treating them. It was the first conference co-sponsored by Walden, one of the country’s leading hospitals for treating eating disorders, and ECHN, a not-for-profit community-based healthcare system, since they opened a clinic in South Windsor last year.
