Eating disorders unit

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At the end of this unit you will be able to participate in a radio programme on eating disorders.
Let’s think about it
During adolescence, teenagers go through major changes, not only physically but also
psychologically. Food and diet are crucial as they influence not just your health but
also your mood. What are the benefits of a good diet?
An eating disorder is not the same as disordered eating. Can you tell the difference?
Why do you think eating disorders are such a big problem among young people?
Think about eating disorders and fill in this KWL chart.
What I know What I would like to learn What I’m not sure of
Let’s learn about it!
I.- An eating disorder is when a person eats, or refuses to eat, in order to satisfy a psychic need
and not a physical need. The person doesn't listen to bodily signals or perhaps is not even
aware of them. These are the six most common eating disorders. Match the picture, the word
and the definition.

Binge eating
These people
compulsively work out,
take supplements, and
severely restrict their
diets. In their minds their
bodies just aren’t good
enough.
Anorexia
These people have
increased body weight
caused by excessive
accumulation of fat.
Bulimia
Characterized by the
obsession with eating
healthy foods, this
disease can be confused
with anorexia; the main
difference being the
reasoning behind the
eating habits.
Orthorexia
It is thought to be the
most common eating
disorder. These eaters
are ashamed of their
bodies and generally are
embarrassed about their
eating habits. It is usually
referred to as
compulsive eating.
Obesity
These people have an
addiction to not eating.
Like most addictions,
they never go away.
Bigorexia
These people suffer
binge and purge cycles.
The most common ways
to purge are induced
vomiting, diuretics and
enemas.

II.- You will be assigned an eating disorder. Search the following webpages in order to be able
to find the answers to these questions:
www.something-fishy.org
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/general-information
http://www.anred.com/toc.html
a.- What are the characteristics of the eating disorder?
b.- The warning signs fall under several categories: food behaviours, appearance and
body image behaviours, exercise behaviours, thoughts and beliefs, feelings and
social behaviours. Identify 3 warning signs in each category.
c.- What are the health risks associated with it?
d.- When is hospital-based care necessary?
III.- Share your findings in your group. Complete this chart with all the information.
Characteristics Warning signs
Health risks Hospital care
Anorexia
Bulimia

Bigorexia
Obesity
Binge eating

Let’s read about it!
I.- Jessica has an eating disorder. Read her story very quickly. Which eating disorder
does she have?
Jessica is one of the smartest kids in the seventh grade. When she's not studying, she's
on the basketball court or coming up with cool ideas at student council meetings. She
always gets As on tests, and all of her friends are convinced that she'll be the first woman
President.
One day at a family reunion, one of Jessica's aunts grabs her
cheeks and says something about "baby fat." Jessica knows
that her aunt is just teasing, but that comment sticks with
her. She decides to go on a diet. At first she cuts back on
sweets and starts using her dad's treadmill after school. The
kilos start coming off and people notice. They ask her if
she's on a diet and sometimes they even tell her that she
looks great! Pretty soon, Jessica is weighing herself every
morning and every night. She eats less and less, records every calorie and fat gram in her
diet journal, and even hangs pictures of models on her wall for inspiration.
But Jessica is also starting to feel annoyed and grouchy all the time. She turns down party
invitations because she doesn't want to be tempted by fatty snack food. She feels dizzy
and cold and she can't concentrate on anything but her diet and exercise. Even though the
numbers say she's lost weight, Jessica doesn't see it when she looks in the mirror. All she
can see is that baby fat.
Orthorexia

Read the text again. In each paragraph choose two words whose meaning you would
like to ask. How did you choose those two words?
_________________________
_________________________
Underline the important information in each paragraph. You can only underline 10
words maximum.
Answer these questions by reading the text again:
a) What are some of the signs that Jessica has an eating disorder?
b) What do you think is happening to Jessica’s body physically?
c) Jessica is struggling with some emotional issues. What do you think they are?
d) Refusing to eat food is symptomatic of other problems. What are they?
e) How does Jessica handle criticism?
f) Who could help Jessica?
g) What do you think could happen to Jessica if she never got help?
h) After receiving treatment, what do you think Jessica has to do every time she
eats, watches television, goes to movies or goes out with friends?
II.- A Friend in Need. Read the case study and answer the questions. Develop a plan
for Shelly to help Megan.
Shelly and Megan
Shelly is concerned about her friend Megan. Whenever they are talking, the
conversation eventually turns to a discussion of food and weight. Megan seems
to know the calorie count and number of fat grams of every food she eats and
that Shelly eats.
Shelly and Megan always went to the gym for their workouts three-four times a
week. Now, Megan is working out every day and often two times a day. Yet,
Megan always talks about how fat she is even though she seems to have lost a
lot weight. It is hard to tell because she is usually wearing a baggy sweat suit;
she says she is always cold.
Shelly has also noticed a bottle of laxatives in Megan’s locker; Megan tried to
hide it but Shelly knew what it was. Yesterday, Megan fainted in chemistry
class.
1. What do you think is happening with Megan? Identify five things that indicate there
is a problem.
2. What should Shelly do? Identify three things she could do to help Megan

3. Read the guidelines for what to say to a friend struggling with an eating disorder on
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/friend_eating_disorder.html#.
Write 2 statements that Shelly could use to start a conversation with Megan.
4. How can Shelly help Megan?
Let’s listen about it!
SANE Australia is a national charity helping all Australians affected by mental illnesses
lead a better life – through campaigning, education and research. They interviewed a
doctor specialised in eating disorders and uploaded the interview on their web for the
general public. Which questions do you think the interviewer will ask him?
1.- .......................................................................................................................................
2.- .......................................................................................................................................
3.- .......................................................................................................................................
4.- .......................................................................................................................................
5.- .......................................................................................................................................
Listen to the interview and check if your questions are included in the interview.
Now read this factfile on eating disorders. Try to guess the information missing.

What is an eating disorder?
An eating disorder is characterised by _________________________________
___________________. This includes people who limit the amount of food they
eat (Anorexia nervosa), eat lots of food in a very small time and then purge
(Bulimia) or _____________________________ (Compulsive overeating).
What are the symptoms of an eating disorder?
Obsessive thoughts about food and body weight can change eating patterns
(dieting, _____________________________________, avoidance of social situations
involving food, going to the bathroom straight after meals), mood (feeling
depressed, irritable or anxious), daily activities (not wanting to go out
socially often, exercising excessively, _____________________________________
_____________________ or weight or looking in the mirror) and appearance
(wearing baggy clothes, losing or gaining weight, greasy or dry hair and
skin).
How many people will develop an eating disorder?
While anyone can develop an eating disorder, _____________________________
tend to be affected, in particular _____________________________. It is difficult
for researchers to give a definitive answer on prevalence, but an Australian
study has shown that ______________________________________ had an eating
disorder, with almost half of these also having high levels of depression or
anxiety.
What causes an eating disorder?
There is _____________________________ for eating disorders. It is thought that
a number of factors are involved to varying degrees in different people,
including: _____________________________, personal and psychological factors
related to adolescence or family issues for example, and social factors such
as ____________________________________________.
How are eating disorders treated?
Eating disorders can be treated _____________________________. Because they
effect the person physically and psychologically, it is usually most helpful to
treat them with a team of professionals including __________________________
_________________________________, nurses and others. When someone is very
seriously affected, it may be necessary for them to be treated ______________
___________________. Information and mutual support are also important for
the person affected and for __________________________________.
How do I find out more?
It is important to _____________________________ about any concerns you have.
Listen to the interview again and check your guesses.

What’s in an interview?
It takes preparation and persistence to conduct a good interview. Read these pieces of
advice. Match the title and the piece of advice.
STEPS TITLE PIECES OF ADVICE
Check for
mistakes
The only way to come up with good questions is to know
everything there is to know about your topic. Look up the
most recent information for the topic or the person you wish
to interview
Conduct your
interview in
an organized
manner
The more specific your questions are, the better! And never
ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no.
Make your interviewee talk!
Read over
your
research
Write down
10 questions
The last step in carrying out an interview is to check your
questions are appropriate and accurate. Word order for
questions is important.
Research,
research,
research
Your interview should start with an introduction to the topic.
You should also say the name of the interviewee and why the
interview was carried out.
Conduct the interview with the questions you have prepared.
Listen to the interviewee’s answer and ask follow up
questions.
Thank the person for his time when the interview ends.
Now you do it!
You have been asked to interview a person from school who has suffered an eating
disorder. The interview is going to be uploaded on the school webpage so you need
to record it.
In pairs, record the interview.
1.- Choose which eating disorder the interviewee has suffered from.

2.- Read the information you have about that disorder.
3.- Prepare your interview following the steps above.
4.- Rehearse and finally record your interview.
Once the interview is recorded, use this checklist to make sure you have done your
best.
We have started the interview in a way that makes the listener want to listen
to it. The introduction is motivating.

We have included several relevant points to support our opinion and the
listener learns about the eating disorder we are talking about.

Each question deals with one topic and related ideas only. 
We have used a variety of phrases to introduce our opinion to avoid
repetition.

The language is natural and easy to understand. 
The interview has follow-up questions. 
We have finished the interview thanking the interviewee and the listeners 
I have used an appropriate and varied vocabulary. 
All the sentences have a subject and follow the correct word order. 
The tenses are correct, and the subjects agree with the verb 

Eating disorders unit

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Eating disorders unit