the continuing debate amongst professionals today:

"Is night eating syndrome a sleep disorder or an eating disorder?" the determining factor right now appears to be whether or not the individual's aware of the night eating while it's happening....

there's an "arrogance" surrounding sleep specialists' i've spoken with concerning the lack of knowledge about night eating.... it's almost as if doctors in the medical profession think that individuals, "choose" this behavior as an "excuse" for their lack of control in eating habits....

as a survivor of night eating i have this opinion: i believe that in the initial stages of night eating, you  know or are aware that you're waking up & eating in the night; but the more the syndrome escalates & the more sleep is interrupted, the less aware one is of the eating process, it becomes almost mechanical & robotic.

....there were times in the most aggravated cycles of my night eating that i didn't remember waking to eat when i actually had done it.

The Merk Manual has night-eating syndrome listed under the heading of obesity & has this to say about the syndrome:

The night-eating syndrome consists of:

• morning anorexia
• evening hyperphagia (excessive ingestion of food)
• insomnia

Attempts at weight reduction in the presence of these 2 conditions are inordinately difficult & may subject the patient to unnecessary extreme distress.

Listed under "other eating disorders" this info was found:

Night Eating Syndrome

• night eating produces immediate guilt & shame, not enjoyment or satisfaction

This syndrome is fairly common in obese persons.

While NES is fairly uncommon in the general population (it's estmated to affect between 1 & 2% of adults), studies show that it may occur in up to approximately 1/4 of obese persons. NES was first described in 1955 & is characterized by:

• lack of or decreased appetite during the day

• insomnia

• increased appetite at night

• evening hyperphagia (increased eating) & nocturnal eating (arising to eat after having gone to bed)

• feeling tense, anxious, worried, or guilty while eating

• the tendency to eat carbohydrate-rich foods such as sugars & starchy foods.

How many people have night-eating syndrome?

Perhaps only 1-2% of adults in the general population have this problem, but one study suggests that more than a 1/4 (27%) of people who're overweight by at least 100 pounds eat this way.

Comments

Night-eating syndrome hasn't yet been formally defined as an eating disorder. Underlying causes are being identified and treatment plans are still being developed. It seems likely that a combination of biological, genetic and emotional factors contribute to the problem.

In addition, a dietitian can help develop meal plans that distribute intake more evenly throughout the day so that you're not so vulnerable to caloric loading in the evening.

What happens within your body when your body encounters stress, anxiety & fear....

In a sense, the body's nervous system makes you ill - physically & mentally. If panic & anxiety attacks dominate your life, it's very important that you have a basic understanding about what physically & mentally happens to your body thru this illness.

When you understand the chemical changes which can occur in your body, you can then begin to recognize the messages (symptoms) that your body's sending you & be able to respond accordingly.

Understanding the nervous system

Our nervous system is made up of 3 basic parts:

·         Central Nervous System - the brain & spinal cord

·         Peripheral Nervous System - nerves that run to & from the central nervous system

·         Autonomic Nervous System: Sympathetic, parasympathetic & enteric nervous system: The sympathetic nervous system is aroused by stress, anger or fear. The parasympathetic nervous system calms & relaxes. The enteric nervous system is responsible for the gut or alimentary canal.

Essentially, our nervous system not only keeps us informed about the world outside us & inside us, but it also allows us to react to it. Every muscle we move, everything we physically feel & every tissue in our body is controlled or monitored by our nervous system.

If we sense we're in danger, our body naturally alters its chemistry in order to prepare us for this emergency.

It's the Sympathetic Nervous System which is responsible for causing these changes to occur. Its function is similar to a modern country's national defense system:

• If danger is detected, all stations are put on alert.

• These stations increase their area monitoring so that if the danger approaches a particular location, a message can be sent to the command center.

• The command is dispatched for the appropriate response.

• If the danger is of only a minor concern, a yellow alert may be sent out.

• If the danger is more threatening, a red alert response is sent.

• While in the alert stage, the various locations continually update the command center with status reports so that the command center can adjust its response according to the status of the danger.

Our nervous system acts similarly. If we perceive danger, our body's defense mechanisms are put on alert, ready to act at a moment's notice.

The degree of alertness is determined by the amount of perceived danger. Not only does our nervous system become extremely receptive, which instantaneously feeds our command center (the brain) information with which we can make quick decisions, but it also prepares our bodies for action by inducing into our bloodstream a "super fuel" for us to use in the case of action.

When our bodies perceive danger, our chemistry changes according to the amount of the perceived danger. This means that if you sense you're in a slightly dangerous situation, the chemical changes may be small or barely noticeable. But if you perceive you are in a life - threatening situation, the chemical changes may be extreme.

There are many theories as to the exact order of the chemical reaction, but the most agreed to is this:

• When we sense danger, a part of the brain called the Hypothalamus sends out the initial alarm.

• This alarm stimulates the pituitary gland

• Which in turn signals the adrenal glands to release into the bloodstream a drug called adrenaline (epinephrine).

·         This chemical action has commonly been called the "fight or flight response." This process prepares the body for action. Some of the most noticeable changes we experience are:

·         increased rate of breathing

·         increased blood flow to the brain & heart

·         increased heart rate

·         increased awareness

·         increased metabolism

·         increased energy

·         increased blood pressure

·         increased muscle blood flow & constriction of blood vessels & arteries

·         the ability for the blood to quickly clot

Do some of these sound familiar? It's been proven that too much adrenaline causes fear & anxiety.

It's important to know that every human being experiences this process to varying degrees when faced w/danger.

I repeat that -  the degree of perceived danger determines the degree of response. This process continues until the perceived danger has passed. This is very important to remember: Once the danger is over, the body - if allowed to - naturally breaks down the induced chemicals, which allows the body to return to its normal relaxed state.

This early warning defense system helps us to survive in times of danger, but unfortunately, if we continue to remain in the "red alert" stage or continue to push the panic button without the necessary time for our bodies to rejuvenate or rebuild, we can overwork our nervous system. Not only does our nervous system sense danger from outside our bodies, it also senses danger or damage from inside.

i.e., if we're over-using a particular muscle, this muscle, w/the help of our nervous system, will tell our brain there's a problem which needs attention.

The message that is sent by our nervous system may be pain or fatigue. If we listen to the message, as we should, we'd stop working until the pain or fatigue goes away, which is how the nervous system lets us know when we can resume working.

Our nervous system is no different. If we're continually over -working the nervous system, it'll send us early warning messages that tell us something is wrong.

These messages may be in the form of a headache, stiff neck, fatigue, trembling, depression, tight muscles, insomnia & so on.

There are a vast number of messages that could be sent. If we listen, relax & give the nervous system some time off, it'll rebuild itself & be ready for more later.

If we don't listen to the messages, they'll continue to intensify until we can no longer ignore them.

Understanding how you got ill

Everyday life experiences such as anger, frustration, sorrow, worry, excitement, tension, strenuous exercise, anxiousness, nervousness, always being in a hurry, always having to please people, always doing the absolute best you can, caffeine, alcohol, sugar & many other drugs or emotions, cause our emergency system to be activated.

Everything we do stimulates our nervous system to some degree or other. Our nervous system is "hard-wired" into our bodies & there's nothing we can do to change that. What we can do is understand how it works & be aware of what messages it's sending us so that we can respond to those messages with positive rejuvenating actions.

I want you to think back in your life to shortly before your illness began. Ask yourself:

·         Were you under a lot of stress recently or for a sustained period of time?

·         Did you experience a frightening event?

·         Were you working too hard or too many hours w/out proper rest?

·         Was there an illness in the family?

·         Were you facing an operation?

·         Were you experiencing financial problems?

·         Did you feel you would never get caught up?

·         Did you always have too much to do?

·         Were you experiencing family problems?

·         Were you fired from a job you enjoyed?

Did you change jobs recently?

·         Were you extremely frustrated in a job that you couldn't quit?

·         Are you afraid of flying & your job requires that you fly a lot?

·         Are you afraid of being alone?

·         Were you in an accident recently?

·         Were you afraid of being sick?

These are only examples of the many things that may have happened before you became ill.

As I mentioned earlier, if we don't allow the nervous system time off, it has no chance of rejuvenating itself.

Life is a matter of balance. If we're bothered by something 8 hours a day, we should have at least an equal 8 hours a day of mental time off just to break even. The more the balance shifts away from the rejuvenation period towards the stress period, the more over-worked your nervous system becomes.

Unfortunately, continuous stress can happen over an extended period of time & consequently we don't notice the effects of a tired nervous system immediately.

When we do notice the messages, most of us will either ignore the symptoms or get a quick fix "band-aid" medical treatment.

i.e., if we get a headache, we'll take a pain reliever. If we get acid indigestion, we'll take an antacid. If we get shaky, we'll have a couple of drinks or perhaps a cigarette. If our shakiness becomes worse, we'll get a tranquilizer.

The list goes on & on. We've been trained to think that if we mask the symptom, the problem also disappears. As you now know, that doesn't work. What we really should do is eliminate the underlying problem or at least give ourselves sufficient rest until our nervous system says that it's okay to return.

In most cases, our responsibilities, social commitments & time schedules dictate how our priorities are set. Our technological society today is bombarding us with a deluge of information, responsibilities & demands.

It seems to be human nature that the more we can do, the more we want to do. Our boom in technology is nourished only by our desire to make things that are better & faster. This race to perfection has us doing more so we can do more, as quickly as humanly possible.

Our nervous system doesn't work that way. It needs a balance. It needs time to rest. Because the nervous system senses danger from the outside & inside, it's difficult to give it a rejuvenating rest.

If we're living & breathing, the nervous system is active. Even though we're away from the physical problems of day-to-day life, the internal system is still working.

If we have a particular problem on our mind, our thoughts stimulate the nervous system accordingly. If we're only mildly bothered, the body responds slightly. If we feel we have a major problem, the body naturally responds with a major reaction.

If we're continually working the nervous system without sufficient time to recover & we continually ignore the early warning messages, our symptoms will intensify until they get our undivided attention by making us ill.

How did you get ill? By not allowing your nervous system time to rejuvenate.

Understanding what's keeping you ill

Once our symptoms are strong enough to make us ill, another situation occurs. If we don't receive the proper help & advice, these strong symptoms may now become the cause of the nervous system "always being on alert."

The "fear cycle" begins.

An over-worked nervous system begins to send us messages by itself whenever it decides to.

We could be trying to relax in a quiet room when all of a sudden we feel one or more of those dreaded feelings. This usually makes the unsuspecting person think "oh-oh, what's happening", which in turn activates the emergency warning system which then causes the chemistry in the body to "get ready for action".

Now the chemistry in the body that over-worked the nervous system in the first place is being induced into the bloodstream again. This sets up a repetitive cycle: symptom-fear-adrenaline symptom-fear-adrenaline...

Once you understand that the more adrenaline there is in the bloodstream, the more sensitive you become & the more sensitive you become, the more symptoms you'll experience... it's easy to see how someone who has an over-worked nervous system can be trapped for a long time.

Let's recall the emergency response chain of events:

·         Hypothalamus senses danger & sends a message to the Pituitary gland.

·         The Pituitary gland sends a message to the Adrenal glands.

·         The Adrenal glands release adrenaline into the blood-stream.

Adrenaline sets up other chemical reactions & prepares the body for action. All systems go.

To further clarify the "fear cycle":

·         Our over-worked, adrenaline-fatigued nervous system causes a symptom.

·         We become concerned & fearful about the symptom.

·         Our mind senses danger & sends an automatic message to the Pituitary gland.

·         The Pituitary gland sends a message to the adrenal glands.

·         The Adrenal glands release more adrenaline into the bloodstream.

·         Adrenaline sets up other chemical reactions & prepares the body for action. All systems go.

• Another symptom, more fear, another chemical reaction, another symptom, more fear, another chemical reaction & so on.

As this "fear cycle" or ill spell becomes established in the individual, the emergency chemical levels increase in the blood. This produces more symptoms & the occurrences of the fear cycle becomes more regular & more intense.

The body is telling you to give it some rest to recover. The problem is that since the danger is now being sensed inside you, you have no means to get away, hence you can't relax & the "fear cycle" intensifies.

This not only makes the individual sensitive & stressful, the illness also forces that person to change his or her lifestyle because of poor health, which adds more fuel to the "fear cycle."

Since the sick spells are coming more often & are more intense, normal everyday experiences become difficult to live with. Because of the nature of the symptoms & the fact that they can come at any time, the individual now only finds comfort at home.

Therefore, any venture away from these comfortable surroundings produces a nervous response, which will make the individual ill. Even places where the individual used to go may be uncomfortable because of an earlier "bad experience".

i.e., Joe X is becoming nervously exhausted. He doesn't know what's about to happen to him because he hasn't paid attention to his earlier symptoms.

Joe is always on the go in search of his financial freedom. One day while having lunch at his favorite restaurant, he experiences his first panic attack.

He becomes overwhelmed by these feelings & has to immediately leave. He rushes home & stays in bed for 2 or 3 days. Because of the nature of this illness, he feels okay again & returns to his hectic lifestyle only to suffer another attack.

These attacks continue to happen out of the blue & because he doesn't get the proper information, he now becomes afraid of the attacks. Since he doesn't want those feelings, he begins to stop going to the places where he had his attacks in order to prevent them from returning.

One day he's asked to go for lunch at the restaurant where he experienced his first attack & because this brings back the memory of his bad experience, he declines in fear.

He goes to another restaurant, but because he's now afraid of having an embarrassing attack there, he is nervous. While sitting & talking, he has another attack, becomes afraid & has to leave once again.

This experience tells him not to go to restaurants because he can't handle it. He knows that he can't quit work so he has to go there no matter what. The thought of "no matter what" scares him & now he's nervous about what will happen if he gets sick at an important meeting.

The next morning an important meeting is scheduled for two o'clock that afternoon. He thinks to himself that he had better not get "that feeling" during the meeting. He becomes nervous about it & while in the meeting, as he thinks to himself, "what happens if I get sick, I'll make a fool out of myself & I can't leave".

This thought stimulates the emergency response & his chemistry changes to prepare for danger. This chemical change, as you now know, is enough to make Joe X have another attack. He has to immediately leave the meeting & ends up home ill again.

As Joe X continues in his illness, his world begins to shrink. More & more things that were normal to him are now riddled w/bad experiences. His world continually shrinks until he is house-bound, afraid to go anywhere because of the panic attacks.

My dictionary defines "agoraphobia" as "the morbid fear of open places". This term is often used to describe an individual who becomes house-bound because of the illness I'm describing.

Unfortunately, in this case it's a misconception to think that the individual is afraid of people or open places. The reality of the situation is that they're afraid of the panic attack or the fear itself.

Since the over-worked nervous system is extremely sensitive & the emergency chemical levels are on average abnormally higher, even the slightest increase in adrenaline can tip the scales from just being nervous to an all out panic attack.

Therefore, if you add together the average everyday stresses w/an already very over-worked & sensitive nervous system, plus the stress of being ill & trying to find the proper answers, plus the embarrassment of not being able to function normally, plus the sheer fear of the panic attacks themselves, it's easy to understand why this illness can consume the sufferer for a long time if the proper help isn't found.

What keeps you ill? Not understanding your nervous system & being trapped by the "fear cycle."

Brain Changes Seen In People With Depression

JACKSON - A scientist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center has demonstrated for the first time that two types of brain cells are abnormal in the brains of people who suffered from clinical depression & most of whom committed suicide.

Dr. Grazyna Rajkowska, associate professor of psychiatry & human behavior, looked at the region of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex.

This "gray matter" -- located just behind the forehead -- is responsible for higher intellectual functions & regulation of emotional & motivational behavior.

The results of Rajkowska's work appear in the lead article in the May issue of the journal, Biological Psychiatry.

Earlier work that scanned the same region of the brain in living subjects indicated that this region of the brain was smaller in those who suffered from depression than in the brains of those who didn't.

"The decrease in volume was an indication to me that something was unusual in the cell architecture & that there might be cellular changes in that area," she said.

The changes Rajkowska noted were in neurons & glial cells. The neurons are the basic unit of the brain, transmitting & receiving signals & processing information. Glial cells form the "support system" for the neurons.

They don't transmit impulses, but they:

• control the nutrients the neurons get from the blood
• are active in the immune response 
• generally facilitate the work of the neurons

While other scientists pinpointed changes in glial cells in one region of the cerebral cortex in individuals w/depression, Rajkowska's work at the same time found changes in both types of cells in 3 different regions of the cerebral cortex.

Rajkowska's career has been spent examining changes in the brain in several types of psychiatric & neurological illnesses including:

• schizophrenia
• manic-depressive illness 
• Huntington's disease

Her current research in depression showed there are fewer glial cells in the brains of people w/depression & that the neurons in the same brains were smaller than normal & lower in density.

The opposite is true in neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's chorea. "In these kinds of brain illnesses, neurons die & the glial cells try to compensate & support the neurons that are still alive. That's why there are more glial cells in diseases classified as neurodegenerative," Rajkowska said.

Further studies will show whether the changes in the brain were the result of depression or anti-depressant medication prescribed to help depression.

To sort out that information, Rajkowska will work w/ neuroendocrinolgist Dr. Garth Bissette, professor of psychiatry at UMC, who has an animal model for depression in rats & will look at rats given antidepressants & those not given medication.

"If the structural changes we're seeing do, in fact, coincide w/clinical depression, we could be looking at a major step toward designing better antidepressants," she said. "We will certainly know more about the mechanisms of depression."

Rajkowska's work also points to depression as more than a "chemical imbalance," as it's been called. "It's actually a complicated physiological illness that involves both brain structure & biological processes," she said.

Rajkowska uses brain tissue collected by Dr. Craig Stockmeier of the University Hospitals of Cleveland & Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

There, researchers seek permission from the families of suicide victims for donation of brain tissue & an interview. By asking certain key questions, the interviewer determines if the person who committed suicide also had major depression or another type of psychiatric illness.

In addition, donations of brain tissue are sought from people who had no history psychiatric illness.

"These control subjects are valuable standards for comparison w/ the suicide victims," Stockmeier said. "They enable us to identify abnormalities in the brains of people w/clinical depression."

Rajkowska & colleagues Stockmeier & Dr. Greg Ordway, associate professor of psychiatry & human behavior at UMC, share the brain tissue to examine several biological features in a number of brain regions.

While Rajkowska focuses on changes in neuroanatomy in the brain, Ordway & Stockmeier examine two neurochemicals, norepinephrine & serotonin, that appear to be key to regulation of mood & suicidal inclinations.

This collaborative research receives financial support from the National Institutes of Health & private foundations including National Alliances for Research on Schizophrenia & Depression & the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Rajkowska will be a panelist at a satellite symposium organized by the National Institute of Mental Health this month during the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. She was invited as 1 of the 5 leading scientists in the country on the neurobiology of mental disorders.

It was Rajkowska's work that allowed scientists for the first time to identify characteristics of overlapping layers of brain tissue in the cerebral cortex. "The layers are formed at different points in the brain's development & I found cellular characteristics that distinguish one cortical layer from another. Now, when you look for cell changes, you can know at what period of development the changes occurred."

Date: 2002-02-18

"Night Eating Syndrome" May Be Related To The Performance Of The Body - Not The Mind

Bethesda, MD (February 4, 2002) -- According to new research findings by Norwegian physiologists, the midnight raid on the refrigerator may not be the product of an insatiable appetite.

Instead, the night eater may be suffering from a failure of the body to respond appropriately to stress. In addition to irregular eating habits, this condition can lead to a number of harmful psychological & physical disorders. “Night eating syndrome” will soon join the ranks of conditions related to the performance of the body & not state of mind.

Background

The anatomical & functional relationships between the nervous system & the endocrine apparatus of the night eating syndrome has previously been described as changes in the circadian rhythm (biologic variations or rhythms w/a cycle of about 24 hours) by a nocturnal rise of plasma concentrations of melatonin & leptin & an increased circadian secretion of the steroid hormone, cortisol.

Cortisol, melatonin & leptin are regulatory hormones w/typical circadian rhythms that regulate various physiological & metabolic functions.

Another main regulator is the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis, which coordinates several biological functions. The circadian rhythms represent the biological endocrine clock, whereas the HPA represents the stress-induced biological response.

However, the interplay between these two main regulators of biological functions isn't well understood. Therefore, observations of irregular secretions of circadian neuroendocrine secretions inclusive of cortisol are of special interest, as the night eating syndrome most likely represents changes in the HPA axis.

The Study

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that night eaters have an overexpressed hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis w/a diminished response to stress.

The authors of "Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in the Night Eating Syndrome" are Grethe S. Birketvedt, Johan Sundsfjord & Jon R. Florholmen, all from the University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.

Their findings are published in the February 2002 edition of the American Journal of Physiology -- Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Methodology

This study investigated the neuroendocrine patterns of subjects w/ night-eating syndrome. 5 female night eaters & corresponding age & weight-matched healthy controls were recruited, w/the night-eaters diagnosed w/the consumption of >50 % of the daily food intake after 8:00 PM & w/1 or more nighttime awakenings associated w/food intake.

Night-eating episodes were recorded for 7 consecutive days. Subjects were then admitted to the Clinical Research Center at 8:00 AM after an overnight fast.

Shortly after admission, blood samples were drawn from an indwelling catheter during the next 150 min. After an observation period of 30 min of rest in bed, 100g of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH; corticorelin human trifluoroacetat) were injected intravenously & the response parameters of ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) & cortisol levels in plasma were measured.

The subjects stayed in bed during the observation period. Blood was collected in precooled glass tubes containing 20 mmol EDTA and 1,000 KIU aprotinin) per milliliter blood & were kept on ice until centrifugation at 4°C & storage at -27°C. Cortisol & ACTH were then measured using commercial immunoassay.

The significance of differences between the two groups in the plasma concentrations at time point 0 was evaluated by a Wilcoxon’s rank sum test.

The significance of differences between the two groups in the changes in plasma concentrations (after subtracting the levels at baseline, 0 min) during the CRH test was evaluated by repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance. P >0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The incidence of night-eating episodes during the seven 7-day observation period was 3.2 + 0.5 among the night eaters, whereas among the healthy controls no night eating episodes took place.

The results showed that, in night eaters compared w/controls, the CRH-induced ACTH & cortisol response was significantly decreased to 47% & 71% respectively. Disturbances in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis w/a diminished ACTH & cortisol response to CRH were found in subjects w/night eating syndrome.

Conclusions

The study found that:

• The results indicate that the night eating syndrome is associated w/a reduced pituitary-adrenal response to CRH.
• The elevated plasma levels of cortisol reflect increased activity of CRH, as expressed by an attenuated ACTH & cortisol response that may well explain the disrupted sleep & appetite pattern observed in night eaters.

Several other disorders, such as obesity, fatigue syndrome, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa , insomnia & depression, have been linked to disturbances in the HPA axis.

All of these disorders share some phenotypes w/the night eaters, such as mood disruptions, eating disorders & sleeping disorders. Whether these clinical features are the result of common pathophysiological mechanisms in the HPA axis remains to be clarified & awaits further studies.

The authors also concluded that subjects suffering from night eating episodes have signs of disturbances in the HPA axis w/an attenuated ACTH & cortisol response to CRH. The mechanisms behind the increased CRH stimulation may involve alterations in the neurotransmitter systems, causing increased nocturnal appetite & disruption in the sleep pattern.

This may, to some extent, explain the disturbances in the circadian secretions of melatonin & leptin & the behavioral characteristics of the night eating syndrome.

Source: American Journal of Physiology -- Endocrinology and Metabolism, February 2002.

The American Physiological Society (APS) was founded in 1887 to foster basic and applied science, much of it relating to human health. The Bethesda, MD-based Society has more than 10,000 members and publishes 3,800 articles in its 14 peer-reviewed journals every year.

Soul Lessons
Posted on November 1, 2004

Article by Carolyn Costin, M.A., M.Ed., MFT.

You know of the disease in Central Africa called sleeping sickness…there also exists a sleeping sickness of the soul. Its most dangerous aspect is that one is unaware of its coming. That is why you have to be careful. As soon as you notice the slightest sign of indifference, the moment you become aware of the loss of a certain seriousness, of longing, of enthusiasm, and zest, take it as a warning. You should realize your soul suffers if you live superficially.¹

Dr. Albert Schweitzer

Superficial living is part of having an eating disorder. This isn't to say that those who suffer from these disorders don't have meaningful lives. It's to say that they've lost track of the meaning.

They've indeed lost track of what's really important. i.e., surely a number on the scale isn't more important than one’s health, yet those with eating disorders live their lives as if this were the case.

In the eating disorder world fitting into a size 4 might be so important that vomiting several times a day in order to stay at this size is acceptable. (clicking on the beforehand underlined link will open a new browser window at emotional feelings website so you can explore more about what's acceptable & what's not.) And those w/eating disorders are just taking the current cultural trends to the extreme.

Repairing Body Image - Part 1
Posted on July 9, 2004

by Abigail H. Natenshon, MA, LCSW, GCFP

Body Image is:

• How you see yourself when you look in the mirror, or when you picture yourself in your mind.
• What you believe about your own appearance.
• How you feel about your body, including your height, shape & weight.
• How you feel in your body as you move.

A negative body image is:

• A disorted perception of your shape. You perceive parts of your body unlike what they really are.
• You feel that your body shape is a sign of your personal failure.
• You feel awkward & uncomfortable in your body.

People w/a negative body image are more likely candidates to develop depression, low esteem, anxiety, obsessions about losing weight & eating disorders.

to read this article in its entirety, please click here to visit the source site - a new browser window will open for you to read it in.

Repairing Body Image - Part 2
Posted on July 16, 2004

by Abigail H. Natenshon, MA, LCSW, GCFP

What is Obesity?

Obesity is an excess of body fat frequently resulting in a significant impairment of health.

Obesity occurs when the size or number of fat cells in a person's body increases.

An average size person has 30 to 35 billion fat cells & when he or she gains weight, these fat cells increase first in size & then in number. (One pound of body fat represents about 3500 calories.)

Obesity is a chronic & complex disease.
Comprised of genetic, environmental, metabolic, cultural, psychological & behavioral elements, it's inappropriate to assume that obese individuals are simply weak-willed, overindulgent & inactive.

Morbid Obesity
Obesity becomes "morbid" when it reaches the point of significantly increasing the risk of one or more obesity-related health conditions or serious diseases (also known as co-morbidities) that result either in significant physical disability or even death.

Morbid obesity is defined as being 100 lbs. or more over your ideal body weight or having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher.

According to the National Institutes of Health Consensus Report, morbid obesity is a serious, chronic disease, because the symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time.

click here to visit the source site for this information.

Health Concerns

Obesity is associated w/life-threatening health conditions such as:

• hypertension
• dyslipidemia
• insulin resistance
• cardiovascular disease
• non-insulin dependant diabetes
• gall bladder disease
• respiratory dysfunction 
• certain types of cancer

Obesity-related health conditions whether alone or in combination, can significantly reduce your life expectancy. A partial list of common conditions follows, contact your doctor for more detailed information.

Cortisol & Stress: How to Stay Healthy

from About.com click here for the source page -

by Elizabeth Scott, M. S.

Cortisol and Your Body

Cortisol is an important hormone in the body, secreted by the adrenal glands and involved in the following functions and more:

• Proper glucose metabolism
• Regulation of blood pressure
• Insulin release for blood sugar maintanence
• Immune function
• Inflammatory response

Normally, it’s present in the body at higher levels in the morning, and at its lowest at night. Although stress isn’t the only reason that cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream, it has been termed “the stress hormone” because it’s also secreted in higher levels during the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response to stress, and is responsible for several stress-related changes in the body.

Small increases of cortisol have some positive effects:

• A quick burst of energy for survival reasons
• Heightened memory functions
• A burst of increased immunity
• Lower sensitivity to pain
• Helps maintain homeostasis in the body

While cortisol is an important and helpful part of the body’s response to stress, it’s important that the body’s relaxation response to be activated so the body’s functions can return to normal following a stressful event. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the body’s stress response is activated so often that the body doesn’t always have a chance to return to normal, resulting in a state of chronic stress.

Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (like those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as:

• Impaired cognitive performance
• Suppressed thyroid function
• Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
• Decreased bone density
• Decrease in muscle tissue
• Higher blood pressure
• Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health consequences
• Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, the development of , higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other health problems!

To keep cortisol levels healthy and under control, the body’s relaxation response should be activated after the fight or flight response occurs. You can learn to relax your body with various stress management techniques, and you can make lifestyle changes in order to keep your body from reacting to stress in the first place.

The following have been found by many to be very helpful in relaxing the body and mind, aiding the body in maintaining healthy cortisol levels:

• Guided Imagery
• Journaling
• Self-Hypnosis
• Exercise
• Yoga
• Listening to Music
• Breathing Exercises
• Meditation
• Sex
• Other Techniques

Cortisol secretion varies among individuals. People are biologically ‘wired’ to react differently to stress. One person may secrete higher levels of cortisol than another in the same situation. Studies have also shown that people who secrete higher levels of cortisol in response to stress also tend to eat more food, and food that is higher in carbohydrates than people who secrete less cortisol. If you’re more sensitive to stress, it’s especially important for you to learn stress management techniques and maintain a low-stress lifestyle.