No doubt, perfectionism -- living in a constant state of stress -- can harm your physical and mental health. It also contributes mightily to the incidence of eating disorders among college-age adults. But not from where you might expect, however.
Based on a survey of more than 400 college students, the perfectionism that creates so much pressure on young men and women, leading to bulimia, anorexia and other serious illnesses, is often reinforced by their fathers.
Interestingly, not only does the communication between a perfectionist father and his child increase the possibility of poor eating habits, so can the allure of advertising and peer pressure, all of which reinforce a feeling that young people aren't in control of their lives and bodies, scientists say. That's when maladaptive eating behaviors like anorexia and bulimia begin to take shape.
Out of all the students polled, 17 percent reported some kind of eating disorder. That's a big worry, considering women ages 15-24 are 12 times more likely to die from anorexia than any other cause of death in that age group.
Fortunately, you have the tools on my Web site to tackle this problem safely and without a drug. Among the most effective is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), the effective energy psychology tool used in my practice for six years. If your health challenges are significant, however, you may want to seek out a trained EFT practitioner who can help you resolve these issues once and for all.
EurekAlert May 1, 2006