Published in Sexuality & Culture, study authors from Utah’s Brigham Young University want parents and professional educators to know that their findings suggest a link between sexual lyrics and teen beliefs and behaviors toward sex. The authors’ findings fall into alignment with previous studies stating there’s a strong connection between exposing teens to sexual content on TV, in movies and through music and their sexual behaviors.

Not only do certain types of sexual lyrics seem to impact teen behaviors, according to a recent Medical News Today article, they also impact the way teens think about their peers’ sexual activity. Researchers believe the lyrics may lead teens to believe their peers are more highly involved in sexual behaviors, contributing to the strong effect of peer pressure to also become more involved in sex.

For girls, sexually charged song lyrics can also contribute to low self-esteem, a decline in body acceptance and a potentially higher risk of eating disorders, as well as problems with drug and alcohol use. They may also be more likely to experiment sexually or view themselves as a sexual object. Males may respond to sexual lyrics with aggressive behaviors toward women.

The connection between sexually themed music and teen behaviors has also gained strength by the sheer quantity of music teens and grade-schoolers are listening to. Studies suggest their usage of personal music players has grown by 45 percent in recent years.

The 28-year-old died November 17, 2010, after returning home to France from a job in Tokyo, but her family and acting coach Daniele Dubreuil-Prevot kept her death secret until this time. The official cause of death remains unknown, although the five-foot tall model had been stricken with anorexia since the age of 13, fell into a coma in 2006, and weighed only 59 pounds at her most vulnerable. Caro’s career and endless struggle with the eating disorder were part of her everyday public life. In 2007, Caro agreed to let photographer Oliviero Toscani from the Italian fashion house No-l-ita photograph her skeletal frame under the headline “No Anorexia” in an effort to educate others in the fashion industry as well as women and girls worldwide about the seriousness of anorexia nervosa. The photographs appeared in print and on giant billboards across Italy, inciting shock among viewers at the sight of her pallid blue eyes sunken in her skull, protruding tail bone, and cadaverous skin clinging onto bones. When asked about the photos, Caro told CBS News in 2007, “If I can put my years of suffering to good use then it will not have been pointless…I know it’s a shocking photo, and I want it to shock. It’s really a warning that it is a serious illness.”

Caro’s shock ads came at almost the exact same time when the fashion industry fell under fire for 21-year-old Brazilian-born model Ana Carolina Reston’s anorexia-related death that year. The anti-anorexia campaign gained rising attention following Reston’s tragic death, but the Italian government eventually banned Caro’s “No Anorexia” photos out of fear that the images might actually encourage disordered eating behavior. For example, Caro’s bare images were ultimately picked up by some pro-anorexia websites, known as ‘pro-ana’ sites, where they were displayed as images of envy. In an interview reported by E!Online, Caro was asked whether she believed her anorexic images could be used negatively by her followers who also suffer from eating disorders. “I hope not,” She replied. “To see my tailbone like an open wound, I show myself as I am. I’m not beautiful, my hair is ruined and I know I will never have long hair again. I’ve lost several teeth. My skin is dry. My breasts have fallen. No young girl wants to look like a skeleton…You couldn’t believe anyone would want to look like that. I don’t think there’s any question about it.”

Caro was also an ardent blogger, writing extensively on the fashion industry’s inseparability with eating disorders and her attempts at recovery. In 2008, Caro penned a novel titled The Little Girl Who Didn’t Want to Get Fat, published in France, and made guest appearances on television shows worldwide as an anti-anorexia advocate. She also served as a judge on “Top Model France” and made periodic appearances in film and talk shows. Earlier this year, Caro was guest on Jessica Simpson’s new series “The Price of Beauty” of VH1, where she spoke out about her lifelong battle with anorexia and the fashion industry’s negative impact on body image. Caro was also working to get the French Parliament to pass a law making it illegal for underweight people to work as models. On the show, Simpson told Caro through an interpreter, “What you are doing right now makes you more beautiful and I hope women all over the world hear about the story. And it is important to know that how skinny you are does not make you beautiful.”

In 2007, Caro told AFP that she thought her publicity “could be a chance to use my suffering to get a message across, and finally put an image on what thinness represents and the danger it leads to—which is death.” Caro was an inspiration to many around the globe, leading an emotionally charged life dedicated to public advocacy despite having spent much time in and out of hospitals as she struggled with her disease. Even in death, her powerful story will continue to motivate others as a model of strength and courage.

Source: NY Daily News, Lindsay Goldwert, Anorexic model Isabelle Caro is dead at 28; French model’s nude ‘No Anorexia’ billboard was banned, December 29, 2010

Let’s be honest—most of us have had one of those days when we were disappointed or even disgusted by the image of ourselves in a mirror. For most, this feeling doesn’t linger very long and we are able to regain confidence in our appearance. But for some, seeing an unfit, unattractive reflection staring back through the glass is a skewed perception that occurs daily—one that reveals the hidden secret of an eating disorder. What’s more shocking is that the person looking in the mirror often isn’t an adolescent girl—it’s a woman in her forties or fifties.

Generally thought to afflict teens and young adults, eating disorders—including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating—have been on the rise over the past 20 years. Affecting both men and women, eating disorders plague at least 10 million Americans. Of this number, approximately 13 percent are adults. What has caused the upswing of eating disorders among adults? As with teenagers who suffer from the disorder, there is no single cause. Eating disorders are complex conditions that arise from psychological, social, biological, and behavioral factors.

Some women’s eating disorders are socially driven. Just look at television shows such as Desperate Housewives, Lipstick Jungle, and Sex and the City. All of the women portrayed in these shows are over 30 and are gorgeous and fit. In fact, they all seem to be perpetual visitors of the fountain of youth. As pressure to look young mounts, women are having a hard time dealing with the added societal demands. Instead of becoming more comfortable in one’s body, more and more older women are looking for ways to change their appearance either via cosmetic procedures and products or the more harmful route of an eating disorder.

Skewed body image is only one factor that can contribute to an eating disorder. As men and women enter middle age, they often go through other experiences that can trigger an eating disorder. For example, the breakup of a marriage, death of a spouse, and an empty nest can all lead to an eating disorder.

Eating disorders mask underlying problems of depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Having the ability to control what one eats, or doesn’t eat, gives the individual a sense of control and power that is lacking in their everyday life.

Although treatment for adult eating disorders has become more prevalent in recent years, many sufferers do not seek treatment out of guilt and shame. In order for treatment to be successful, individuals must first confront their feelings of failure and overcome their feelings of anger.

Unfortunately, most people who suffer from an eating disorder do so alone. They try to hide their harmful eating habits from their friends, their spouses, and their children, which only exacerbates their feelings of isolation and shame.

Eating disorders are deadly and have the highest mortality rates of all mental health illnesses. As more people seek treatment and as midlife eating disorders become better known to the general public, those in need of treatment may start to feel that they are not alone. If you or someone you know has an eating disorder, please contact your closest treatment facility.

Nutritional and psychological experts define food addiction as any kind of unhealthy behavior, attitude or an obsessive preoccupation regarding food. Often called “disordered eating,” issues related to food and eating might present as anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating, and periods of extreme binge eating. Much like with drug addicts and alcoholics, food addicts experience euphoria and extreme satisfaction when engaging in the unhealthy behavior, whether it’s binging on a box of doughnuts or only eating an apple at dinner. In other words, addicts cannot form a healthy relationship with food, and can only do so with the help of a professional psychologist.

If you display any of the following symptoms, immediately seek counseling from a licensed therapist or practitioner in order to cope with what could develop into a food addiction:

Obsessive Thoughts About Food. Individuals suffering from food addiction rarely allow their minds to think about anything else other than what’s on – or not on – their plates. Anorexics and bulimics may be obsessed with counting calories, while compulsive overeaters will anxiously plan their next meal. New research has indicated that this is one of the first steps towards developing a food addiction, so early detection is essential in preventing its development.

Eating To Relieve Emotions. Food has always been known to conjure up feelings and emotions. Perhaps you feel happy and loved when you eat Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies, or a spoonful of ice cream reminds you of summer; whatever the case may be, it’s important to note that, in moderation, these can be healthy thoughts.

However, food addicts eat in order to relieve stress or other distressing emotions such as grief, sadness, or anger. Food is consumed in large quantities until the emotion is assuaged, usually because the victim starts feeling bloated and uncomfortable. In the case of anorexics, food is used to gain power when the victim starts feeling out-of-control or stressed. In fact, new research has shown that OCD sufferers have a higher tendency of developing anorexia due to this need for control.

Avoiding Food Altogether. Since food addicts are unable to form healthy relationships with their food, they’ll tend to avoid the stuff altogether. Food addicts will go to great measures to avoid activities that center around food, such as eating out at restaurants with friends or attending parties and barbeques. If you have a friend or loved one who is always coming up with excuses to avoid activities with food, tell them in a non-confrontational setting that you’re concerned they might have a food addiction.

Remember, food addiction doesn’t necessarily mean you are addicted to eating. A victim of food addiction may eat only a small meal each day in the effort to lose weight, or could avoid eating altogether. Food addiction is a psychological disease that indicates that the sufferer cannot form a healthy relationship with his or her food, and needs expert treatment in order to develop healthy behavior. If these scenarios sound all-too-familiar, don’t hesitate to ask a family member or a loved one for their much-need help and support, as addiction can be defeated with a strong community of support.

Learn more about eating disorders