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Perfectionism Reinforces Eating Disorders

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May 20 2006 | 4,418 views

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College-aged young adults already concerned with their physical appearance can have tendencies toward eating disorders reinforced by perfectionist fathers.

A survey of more than 400 male and female college students showed that fathers are more likely than mothers to create the kinds of pressures that can lead to disordered eating, and eventually to anorexia, bulimia and other problems.

Seventeen percent of the students surveyed exhibited eating patterns considered maladaptive, including vomiting as a result of feeling uncomfortably full.

Personal perfectionism was also found to be more an issue in eating disorders than food itself. Those who feel out of control of their lives and bodies may turn to eating as an area in which they do have a sense of control.

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

There is no doubt that perfectionism -- living in a constant state of stress -- can harm your physical and mental health. It also contributes mightily to the incidence of eating disorders among college-aged adults ... but not from where you might expect.

Not only does the communication between a perfectionist father and his child increase the possibility of poor eating habits, but so can the allure of advertising and peer pressure, all of which reinforce a feeling that young people aren't in control of their lives and bodies.

That's when maladaptive eating behaviors like anorexia and bulimia begin to take shape.

These problems are a big worry, considering women ages 15-24 are 12 times more likely to die from anorexia than any other cause of death in that age group.

Fortunately, there are incredibly powerful tools to tackle this problem safely and without a drug. Among the most effective are energy psychology techniques like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

However, for something as serious as an eating disorder it would be wise to seek out a trained professional EFT practitioner who can help you resolve these issues once and for all.


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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

†The World's #1 Natural Health Website claim is based upon Alexa Natural Health Website rankings.

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