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Hong Kong schoolgirls' obsession with their figures is putting them at risk from two common eating disorders, according to a clinical psychologist.

Professor Freedom Leung Yiu-kin, from the Department of Psychology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa could lead to physical as well as psychological problems.

A 1997-98 survey revealed that 3,898 out of 4,641 female students - or 84 per cent of the respondents - aged between 12 and 18 were worried about their weight and shape, with 0.7 per cent having eating patterns similar to bulimic patients. Moreover, 0.08 per cent were diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, while 8.1 per cent displayed less serious eating disorders. Professor Leung, who led the survey conducted by his department, said the figures were alarming.

He said dieting was a fad among girls - some might even exchange information about their eating habits while others would talk about their disorders openly in school.

 Concern about body shape increased with age, especially among 12- and 15-year-olds, before levelling off.

'Chinese women historically associated beauty with being thin. Women in imperial China were forced to starve so they could be chosen as concubines of the emperor,' Professor Leung said.

 'Nowadays, the Western influence is one of the reasons. Besides, those with low self-esteem and family problems may try to shed their feeling of inadequacy by losing a few kilograms.

'Girls are also deceived by advertisements about weight reduction programmes that promise instant results.' Four girls in the study suffered from anorexia, weighing less than 85 per cent of the normal minimum weight for their age and height. Another 32 with bulimia symptoms binged more than twice a week and then resorted to self-induced vomiting or used laxatives.

 Some 127 girls admitted suffering from a less serious form of the disorder, meaning that they overate less than twice a week.

 Professor Leung warned that artificial loss of weight was very dangerous and could even result in death. 'They will become emotionally unstable, hot-tempered, easily upset, feel tired and find it difficult to concentrate in class. Some may recover when they are older if they can shift their preoccupation to other areas,' he said.

 'But some may need psychiatric treatment or clinical counselling. Girls should understand that it is genetic and they cannot go against nature.' Psychologist warns of the dangers of youngsters losing weight 'artificially' 



Slimming puts girls at risk