Lately, I have been hearing quite a fair bit of comments from my students that more and more teenagers are having this eating disorder. They are heavily influenced by the "lead of the pack" and also brainwashed by the media; how being slim is the in thing and misconstrued as the right thing to do.
They would skip eating during meal hours which is fine for a period of time (like fasting) but what is worrying is they would do excessive running at noon time to increase weight loss. The mirror which is supposed to reflect what we see ourselves physically now reveals a new image - the desired one they see in their mind.
The eyes being to see what their mind projects out the image and the stronger the affiliation they stay within the group that practise or uphold such values ; Beauty and slim, the more motivated their continuous actions will be.
As a young father of two kids and a trainer at many schools, I am deeply concerned. Are their parents aware of their children behaviour? How about the school? Is this an area that the school should get involved or one that infringes on privacy?
From a physical and mental health point of view, I do think it is not acceptable to adopt such eating habits, one that is un- natural and obsessive. It destroy the self esteem and confidence of a person over time, having to resort to such acts to be socially accepted within the group.
I did some research online and discovered the following :
a) Depression
b)Past emotional hurt
c) Sense of control
Of the 3 causes above, the third one seems to most irrational to most people. Why would people who wants to seize control mutilate their own body this way? One needs to see from a wider perspective and may then unravel the mystery behind. Our body is directly under the control of our actions and the actions one take is determined by our thoughts. That shows that the importance of controlling the flow of thoughts that goes into our mind and what comes out of it.
If you are a parent, the following suggestions may be helpful :
1) Be mindful of what you say to your children. As primary caregiver, what we say and how we put it across can means the world to our children. While the effect may not be instantaneous, the seed is being planted in their mind and over time, it will grow and harm them.
2) Be a role model when comes to food - We need to lead by examples, therefore we need to educate ourselves first on the proper nutrition and healthy eating. Only when our deeds are consistent with what we said to our children, it becomes a powerful message.
3) Spend quality time together as a family - Many confide to me they have no time as they have to work and make money. Yes, I agree we do need money to live in this world but to make the money at the expense of losing the time to spend with your loved ones is not a healthy sign. In fact, that is often where communication breakdown, marital affairs starts to find its breeding grounds.
If you or know of someone undergoing such eating disorders, here is where you can get some help :
1) Support for Eating Disorder Support Group
2) Singapore General Hospital
Tel : 6321 4377
Email : eatingdisorder at sgh dot com dot sg
We are all created to spend some time here on planet earth, some spend longer while others shorter. To me, the quantity matters lesser compared to the quality of time we give to one another , our family and closed friends. Show your support in whatever small ways you can to someone who may need help. Sometimes, a listening ear is all you need and you would be pleasantly surprised how much healing both physically and emotionally you had extended to that person.
Jesus said ; 2 John 1:5
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.
Love yourself , love your body so that you are so filled with love in your hearts that it overflows that you can reach out to more people and love them and spread the message around............
They would skip eating during meal hours which is fine for a period of time (like fasting) but what is worrying is they would do excessive running at noon time to increase weight loss. The mirror which is supposed to reflect what we see ourselves physically now reveals a new image - the desired one they see in their mind.
The eyes being to see what their mind projects out the image and the stronger the affiliation they stay within the group that practise or uphold such values ; Beauty and slim, the more motivated their continuous actions will be.
As a young father of two kids and a trainer at many schools, I am deeply concerned. Are their parents aware of their children behaviour? How about the school? Is this an area that the school should get involved or one that infringes on privacy?
From a physical and mental health point of view, I do think it is not acceptable to adopt such eating habits, one that is un- natural and obsessive. It destroy the self esteem and confidence of a person over time, having to resort to such acts to be socially accepted within the group.
I did some research online and discovered the following :
a) Depression
b)Past emotional hurt
c) Sense of control
Of the 3 causes above, the third one seems to most irrational to most people. Why would people who wants to seize control mutilate their own body this way? One needs to see from a wider perspective and may then unravel the mystery behind. Our body is directly under the control of our actions and the actions one take is determined by our thoughts. That shows that the importance of controlling the flow of thoughts that goes into our mind and what comes out of it.
If you are a parent, the following suggestions may be helpful :
1) Be mindful of what you say to your children. As primary caregiver, what we say and how we put it across can means the world to our children. While the effect may not be instantaneous, the seed is being planted in their mind and over time, it will grow and harm them.
2) Be a role model when comes to food - We need to lead by examples, therefore we need to educate ourselves first on the proper nutrition and healthy eating. Only when our deeds are consistent with what we said to our children, it becomes a powerful message.
3) Spend quality time together as a family - Many confide to me they have no time as they have to work and make money. Yes, I agree we do need money to live in this world but to make the money at the expense of losing the time to spend with your loved ones is not a healthy sign. In fact, that is often where communication breakdown, marital affairs starts to find its breeding grounds.
If you or know of someone undergoing such eating disorders, here is where you can get some help :
1) Support for Eating Disorder Support Group
2) Singapore General Hospital
Tel : 6321 4377
Email : eatingdisorder at sgh dot com dot sg
We are all created to spend some time here on planet earth, some spend longer while others shorter. To me, the quantity matters lesser compared to the quality of time we give to one another , our family and closed friends. Show your support in whatever small ways you can to someone who may need help. Sometimes, a listening ear is all you need and you would be pleasantly surprised how much healing both physically and emotionally you had extended to that person.
Jesus said ; 2 John 1:5
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.
Love yourself , love your body so that you are so filled with love in your hearts that it overflows that you can reach out to more people and love them and spread the message around............
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