THE NATIONS NEWSPAPER

K-12 Case Study

Mary-Kate Olsen seeks treatment for eating disorder
By Cesar G. Soriano ...........................................................................................3

www.education.usatoday.com

Celebs haunted by anorexia rumors

By Karen Thomas ...........................................................................................4

Crushing weight of the tabloids

Media pressure stars to be thin
By Karen Thomas and Donna Freydkin USA TODAY In image-crazed Hollywood, you just can't win the great weight debate. Mary-Kate Olsen's diminishing size has been rabidly covered by the tabloids. Olsen, 18, is in a treatment facility for an eating disorder. But young female stars who remain curvy and at a normal weight also are singled out by the same publications for their supposed girth. Teenager Hilary Duff was ridiculed in the Star in a recent photo spread comparing pictures taken this year and last. "The pressure is outrageous to try to deal with," Duff, 16, tells USA TODAY. "It's disgusting. Everyone's picked apart and it's so superficial and not real. I'm not super skinny and not overweight. I'm just normal." Duff has not gained any weight and her size has not changed since last year, says her publicist, who adds that the 2004 photo was "exaggerated" by the Star. But stars who have packed on even 5 or 10 pounds are taunted in publications such as the New York Post and the Globe. Christina Aguilera, 23, was mocked for her short-lived weight gain. Britney Spears' "belly bulge" was prominently featured in the Globe in March, along with tabloid rumors that she couldn't fit into her tour outfits. American Idol runner-up Diana DeGarmo, who just turned 17, is often asked to defend her curves. "People feel they have the right to scrutinize (stars)," says Jane editor Jane Pratt, who had an eating disorder when she was in her early 20s. Pratt was watching Idol's final showdown with friends when DeGarmo's weight became conversation fodder. "They don't think in terms of 'It could be your daughter.' They're a celebrity; they asked for it, right? But some got into it so young they didn't know what they were getting into." And where they often end up is in supermarket tabs, which lambaste stars for any perceived physical flaws. The best and worst beach bodies! Hollywood cellulite! The fattest celebs! Side-by-side photos highlight minute weight fluctuations. Editor Bonnie Fuller says Star readers benefit from photos of "puffed up" stars. "It makes women feel better to see that celebrities are normal. (Stars) can go out and eat too much junk food, too, and it shows." And tabloid interest, she says, leads to millions in revenue for celebs who are in the limelight. "It's all part of the celebrity life package they chose." In a new interview with People, Spears, whose tour was canceled after she injured

No short-cut to getting anorexics back to health

By Cesar G. Soriano ...........................................................................................4

Student extension
...........................................................................................5

National Standards
NPH-H.9-12.4: Influences on Health Students will analyze the influence of culture, media, technology, and other factors on health. NPH-H.9-12.6: Setting Goals for Good Health Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting and decision-making skills to enhance health. NPH-H.9-12.7: Health Advocacy Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health

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AS SEEN IN USA TODAY LIFE SECTION, FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2004, 3E

her knee, shrugs off tabloid reports that her team worried she would gain weight while on break. "You can't always be perfect and skinny," says the newly engaged singer, 22. "It's sad you get judged like that. I think when people put on a few pounds, it can be a sign of happiness and contentment. I eat what I want to eat." And Spears isn't the only successful, curvy woman who refuses to conform to Hollywood's mandate that being skin and bones is preferable to actually having meat on your bones. Beyonce Knowles, like Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Lopez, is one of the stars who is lauded for her bootylicious physique. Knowles, 22, says she's "absolutely not" hung up about her weight. "I don't know what list I'm on, (and) I don't pay attention to that."

Neither does Duff. "I try not to listen to what people say because I'm comfortable in my own skin," she says. DeGarmo echoes that sentiment. "I don't let it affect me," she says. "This is the way that I'm supposed to be. If my body type is supposed to be different, I will change naturally. I won't have to worry about going crazy on a diet." And like many stars, in person DeGarmo isn't nearly the plussize teen her celebrity image projects. When people meet her, "they're like, 'You're so tiny! You've lost so much weight!' And I'm like, 'No, I just look different on TV!' It's quite funny." Contributing: Elysa Gardner

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AS SEEN IN USA TODAY LIFE SECTION, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2004, 2D

Mary-Kate Olsen seeks treatment for eating disorder

By Cesar G. Soriano USA TODAY After months of speculation about her emaciated appearance, Mary-Kate Olsen has entered treatment for an eating disorder, her publicist said Tuesday. Mary-Kate, one-half of the famed Olsen twins, "made a very courageous, precautionary decision," said Michael Pagnotta, the twins' longtime publicist. " Mary-Kate is taking charge in making this decision. She wants to be healthy." The brunette actress, who just turned 18, is undergoing treatment at an undisclosed location. Pagnotta could not say what type of eating disorder Mary-Kate has, but Us Weekly, which first reported the rehab news, says it's anorexia. Anorexia is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. Pagnotta "categorically denies" rumors that drugs are involved. Twin sis Ashley is doing fine, Pagnotta says. "Ashley has complete faith in Mary-Kate and has been very supportive of her, as have her family and friends." Fans and celeb magazines expressed shock and concern at Mary-Kate's appearance April 29 at the unveiling of the twins' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The whispers grew louder

at the May 4 New York premiere of their first big-screen film, New York Minute, which performed poorly at the box office. During interviews to promote the film, both twins denied that Mary-Kate had an eating disorder and dismissed rumors of drug use. The twins even joked about tabloid gossip when they hosted Saturday Night Live on May 15. In a skit where they pretended to be paparazzi, they called out to actors playing the twins: "Mary-Kate, you're so skinny! Eat a sandwich!" and "I hear they get paid in cocaine!" There's "a lot of denial" in patients with eating disorders, says Susan Ice, medical director of the Renfrew Center in Philadelphia. "The biggest hurdle is acknowledging a problem." Other stars, including Christina Ricci and Jamie-Lynn DiScala, have battled eating disorders. "Western society has placed demands on women to stay thin," says Jeanne Rust, executive director of Mirasol, an eating disorder clinic in Tucson. The pressure is even more intense in Hollywood. The Olsen twins have been in showbiz practically since birth, starring on the TV sitcom Full House when they were 9 months old. Since then, they've become superstars among the preteen set. They have their own line of straight-to-video films, books, dolls, video games, fragrances and a Wal-Mart clothing label. On June 13, the fraternal twins celebrated their 18th birthday by taking control of their empire worth an estimated $300 million. The next day, Ashley was photographed vacationing in Mexico, without Mary-Kate. Pagnotta says Mary-Kate and Ashley still plan to attend college together at New York University this fall. Contributing: Jack Gillum

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AS SEEN IN USA TODAY LIFE SECTION, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2004, 2D

Celebs haunted by anorexia rumors

By Karen Thomas USA TODAY Stars' struggles with weight is constant fodder for the tabloids. A few actresses Tracey Gold, Jamie-Lynn DiScala and Christina Ricci have been candid about their past eating disorders. Others have had to fend off rumors. USA TODAY's Karen Thomas looks at how celebrities have addressed the issue: u Jamie-Lynn DiScala, 23. The Sopranos actress battled severe anorexia and "exercise bulimia" in high school, wrote a book about it (2002's Wise Girl) and is now a spokeswoman for the National Eating Disorders Association. "I was fortunate enough in that I could afford therapists, psychiatrists and nutritionists," she told the New York Post last month. u Tracey Gold, 35. After plummeting to 80 pounds and nearly dying of anorexia, the Growing Pains star entered rehab in 1992. "All life meant was losing weight, counting calories," she told People in 1994 after recovering. Married that year, she had her third son last month. u Billy Bob Thornton, 48. The actor told the Los Angeles Daily News in 1998 that he "got anorexic" in a conscious bid to lose weight. "Frankly, for a while there, I think I had a little mental problem," said Thornton, who lost 59 pounds. "I got anorexic; of course I denied it to my girlfriend (then Laura Dern) and everyone else who said I had an eating disorder." * u Lara Flynn Boyle, 34. Her skeletal figure in a tutu caused a stir at the 2003 Golden Globes. Tabloids still run beach photos of the actress looking Q-tip thin. But she persistently denies having an eating disorder. Boyle poked fun at the rumors in 2002's Men in Black II, in which she played an alien who disguises herself as a lingerie model. After eating a male attacker and noticing a bulge in her tummy, she throws up. u Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, 30. Tabloid rumors have persisted since 2000, when she dropped a noticeable amount of weight, but she denies having an eating disorder. "I was very obsessed. I mean, I could tell you the fat content and the calorie content in absolutely anything," she told ABC's 20/20 in 2003. "I was never anorexic, I was never bulimic, but I was probably very close to it." u Courteney Cox, 40. By October 1999, Cox was on the cover of People magazine illustrating a story on stars who were so skinny their health might be jeopardized. "You know what? My mom thinks I'm too thin," she told Harpers Bazaar that year. "The thing is, I have a small face, but I am by no means too thin." u Calista Flockhart, 39. In 2001, the former Ally McBeal star's image was posted on controversial pro-anorexia Web sites. "I'm not too thin," she told People in 1998. "Am I anorexic? I guess my answer would have to be no." u Christina Ricci, 24. "I did get all my tips from a Tracey Gold Lifetime movie on anorexia. It taught me what to do," Ricci told Jane magazine in 2002 after seeking treatment.

No shortcuts to getting anorexics back to health

By Cesar G. Soriano USA TODAY Treating eating disorders like MaryKate Olsen's can be a long, intensive process. But with adequate treatment, "these are diseases that can be cured," says Dr. Douglas Bunnell, president of the National Eating Disorders Association. Bunnell explains the typical sequence of events for in-patient treatment: u Nutrition. The first step is to restore a patient's weight and nutritional health. Patients suffering anorexia are usually severely underweight. "A core piece of in-patient treatment is super vised meals," he says. "Therapists help them make proper choices about things like por tion size, eliminating ritualistic behaviors like cutting food in small pieces." u T h e r a p y . Young eating-disorder patients are usually treated with individual therapy rather than family therapy. The goal is to help the patient develop a healthy body image. u Medication. Anti-depressants such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft are sometimes prescribed to help "minimize a relapse." Typically, a patient may receive inpatient treatment for 30 days and then step down to a less-intensive form of outpatient treatment. About 10 million females and 1 million males in the USA are battling eating disorders, the association says. Eating disorders "are complex conditions that arise from a combination of longstanding behavioral, emotional, psychological, interpersonal and social factors," according to the association's Web site. "These are very serious illnesses with the highest mor tality rate of any psychiatric illness," Bunnell says.

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Understanding eating disorders

DEFINI T IONS
Miconceptions about diet and nutrition coupled with a distorted body image can lead to disorders such as compulsive overeating, anorexia or bulimia. Nearly all people who suffer from theses disorders (females are affected at a higher rate than males) are trying to lose weight. However, the underlying issue is not usually about weight; rather it is often related to social and biological factors. Experts also agree that depression plays a key role in the development of eating disorders. Compulsive overeaters are: i constantly concerned about being overweight, even though they tend to be at or very near normal body weight; i always dieting; i secretive about food and often conceal food containers and wrappers from the high-calorie foods they consume; i ashamed and depressed about binging. A bulimic often will exhibit the above signs, as well as: i vomiting and/or using laxatives and/or diuretics to purge food and control weight; i engage in a cycle of binging and purging. In addition to obsessive dieting and severe limiting of caloric intake, the anorexic may also: i use diet pills to curb hunger; i engage in overly strenuous and persistent exercise; i exhibit a change in personality, such as nervousness or depression.

SNAP SHOT: Self-esteem

USA TODAY Snapshots

Overweight perception
Percentage of girls who say they think they are overweight, compared with the percentage who are: Grade 9 10 11 12 Overweight 7.7% 6.6% 6.7% 6.3% Think they are overweight 33.4% 35.6% 35.2% 35.9%

APPLICATIONS: health, self-esteem, social studies, cause & effect

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, 2001 By Keith Simmons, USA TODAY

Why do you think the percentage of girls who believe they are overweight increases with age? How does a negative body image affect a persons self-esteem? What are some of the ways a person can improve his or her self-esteem? Why is a positive self-image important? As boys and girls mature into young adults, they often become selfconscious about the way they look. Researchers believe that a combination of biological, social, familial and psychological fac-

tors result in body image distortion, which often leads to eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. What role does the media play in perpetuating our cultures fixation on youth and thinness? How are adolescents influenced by their peers? Eating disorders are a very serious, often lifethreatening condition. If you or someone you know is suffering from one, visit Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders online at www.anred.com for ways to seek help.

Copyright 2004 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. All rights reser ved.

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