Does Health Education Promote Eating Disorders?

Adolescence and the diet‐dieting disparity: Healthy food choice or risky health behaviour?

“…Although young dieters may translate health promotion information into good practice, our concern is that, for vulnerable individuals, adherence to`diets' that are apparently healthy may inadvertently reinforce their resolve to lose weight when such weight loss may not be necessary. It follows that individuals who are vulnerable to developing eating disorders may be particularly susceptible to`health eating' advice by using it to vigorously pursue low-fat diets (Hartley, 1996). If health promotion messages are misinterpreted then children may become obsessed with thinness rather than developing a balanced and healthy attitude to food choice.…”

“…These ®gures may be overestimating the incidence of true slimming activity as the term`dieting' is used in a very general way by adolescents as an`umbrella term for different behaviors aimed at weight control' . Health promotion in the UK over the past 20 years has emphasized the consequences of being overweight and arguably may have inadvertently contributed to the rise of dieting in young women (Hartley, 1996). The growing incidence of obesity in childhood and adolescence (Rudolf, Sahota, Barth, & Walker, 2001) is a phenomenon that has occurred in tandem with increases in dieting.…”

Identification and Management of Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents

“…Multisession programs were more effective than single-session programs, 140 and there has even been some concern that single-session programs may be counterproductive. [141][142][143][144][145][146] An important question currently being asked is whether we can work simultaneously toward the prevention of eating disorders and obesity. 15 Reimbursement issues continue to limit the access of many patients with eating disorders to appropriate services.…”

Eating disturbance as a manifestation of the stress process: a review of the literature

“…Health education material does promote low fat and/or low cholesterol diets as generally bene®cial, and a subject with a susceptibility to eating disturbance could see this as an avenue to success. 117 Hartley 117 states that:…”