20_02_04_EDU_bulimia

"When patients say they are fat, it's not that they are fat, it's that they feel it," said Olga Martín, a psychologist specializing in Clinical Psychology, at a lecture organized by the School of Education y Psicologíaand held at the University of Navarra on January 23rd. "Thinness sells, and although in recent years the canons of beauty have been approaching the current reality, it is still a problem"; she explained when comparing the 'extreme thinness' presented in the 90s, with the ranges of body mass indexes related to weight, considered healthy.

Olga Martín explained that she increasingly meets both in her private enquiry , as well as in the hospital, with men and women who suffer from any of these disorders; being them the most vulnerable sector of the population. She added that there are more cases of bulimia than of restrictive anorexia nervosa (what we commonly know as 'anorexia') because "it is easier to eat in abundance and then vomit, than not to eat directly".

The psychologist analyzed the risk factors that can trigger these disorders; such as hormonal and body changes typical of adolescence, body dissatisfaction, the Genetics, or personality traits (either very perfectionist and obsessive or more impulsive) that lead to start a per diem expenses without supervision of a specialist.

According to Martin, uncontrolled weight loss can lead adolescents to malnutrition, leading to depressive mood swings, irritability, isolation and, generally, obsessive thoughts about food, as well as an addiction to losing weight. Likewise, excessive control and perfectionism, a vital model where only success or obsession for study can lead adolescents to "think that they can control their body by changing their weight".

In addition, the expert emphasized the direct relationship between the malnutrition caused by these disorders and how they will affect the brain in the future; and therefore, possible early cognitive impairment. As a consequence of the brain not receiving the necessary nutrients, or not being sufficiently hydrated for its correct functioning, people do not perform different types of tasks in the same way. Martin explained that the reason is that they cannot access 'symbolic thinking'; for example, the young person who studies by memorizing the syllabus cannot draw his or her own conclusions.

The psychologist stated that during her clinical experience she has treated cases in which 'these disorders are the consequence of something else such as having suffered some subject harassment, or having gone through a traumatic status even sexual abuse. But also in some profiles, which show a greater impulsivity, with more unstructured families or in processes of contentious separation, they are the trigger of the development of other diseases such as Personality Disorder.

"Adolescence is a natural process in which young people are forming their identity staff", she said. Therefore, working on their self-esteem is core topic so that adolescents begin to accept their body: "Betting on exercise, financial aid the adolescent to live their body as an ally and not as an enemy". In addition to doing sports, another preventive strategy is to "look for motivational points, or activities where 'it's good'," Martín pointed out. On the other hand, the psychologist advocated the importance of teaching young people to identify their feelings, to teach them to express them and to tolerate frustration.

Likewise, Martin defended the need to establish a good therapeutic alliance between patient and therapist, as well as the work multidisciplinary between professionals from the medical (internal medicine, gynecology, endocrinology), psychiatric, psychological and endocrine fields.