Eating Disorders Blog

Kristen Haglund, Miss America 2008, will speak about her struggles with disordered eating April 9 during an event in Costa Mesa, California.

Haglund will be the keynote speaker at "Awareness & Action on Eating Disorders: Confronting America's Silent Danger," which is being sponsored by The Victorian, an eating disorder treatment facility in Newport Beach, California.

Haglund will be joined at the event by retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey and Barry Karlin, CEO of CRC Health Group.

For more information about this event call Paige Willard at (949) 554-1114 or e-mail pwillard (at) crchealth.com.

Labels: eating disorder, awareness

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Britain's Royal College of Psychiatrists has published a statement calling for warning labels on airbrushed photos of models and celebrities, and for a ban on underweight models at London Fashion Week.

The college's call to action urges the government as well as the media and fashion industries to take greater responsibility in the fight against eating disorders. The college believes that labels on photos would help to raise awareness of how widespread photo manipulation is, and to dissuade people from attempting to achieve "unattainable physical perfection."

The college also urged the British government to establish a forum, made up of politicians, experts and representatives from the media and advertising, for the development of an editorial ethical code. Dr. Adrienne Key of the college's eating disorders section said the media must be prevented from "glamorizing" excessive weight loss and exacerbating the psychological and social pressures faced by young people.

She commented: "What we need to do is raise people's awareness of what they are looking at. A lot of people have no idea how much manipulation goes on. The aims of the forum should be to collaboratively develop an ethical editorial code that realistically addresses the damaging portrayal of eating disorders, raises awareness of unrealistic visual imagery created through airbrushing and digital enhancement, and also addresses the skewed and erroneous content of magazines."

(Source: www.independent.co.uk)

Labels: eating disorder, media, model

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Former runway model Inga Radziejewski is speaking out about the deadly standards of high fashion. At her thinnest, 5'11" tall Inga weighed just 98 pounds and was still rejected from a fashion audition for being too fat.

At the time, Inga was so skinny that she was just weeks away from complete organ failure due to anorexia. She was subsisting on half an apple a day and peppermint tea with brown sugar. Her body mass index was only 14 (anything under 18.5 is considered underweight, according to the World Health Organization). Inga also heard other models regularly discuss their extreme methods for staying rail thin.

She explained, "I heard one girl say that she started throwing up her food three days before a casting and another said she was taking epilepsy medication to help her concentrate because she was so ­delirious from hunger. When I looked shocked all the other girls said they did it too."

Inga says that although models were often friends with each other, there was definitely a sense of rivalry, and ever-present pressure from designers and photographers to measure up to an impossible standard. Even at size 00, Inga feared she would be passed over at auditions for being too big.

She said, "It was very competitive and I ­dreaded being bigger than the girl next to me. We were all friends but there was ­definitely a rivalry between agencies. If you didn't fit in your clothes they would be taken from you and given to another girl. I was so scared of losing out at castings, I would starve myself."

Inga finally received eating disorder treatment after she agreed to go home and see her parents. Her parents, who saw a photograph of their daughter and became alarmed, begged her to come home for a visit. While home, she agreed to receive outpatient eating disorder treatment at a local clinic. However, when the doctors at the clinic examined her they informed her that she was probably days away from total organ failure and said that they would not let her leave until she began to recover.

Inga says even at that time she didn't see anything wrong with her habits. She looked at other patients at the clinic who were recovering and thought of them as "fat cows," while she was envious of those patients who were even skinnier than she was.

After going through eating disorder treatment, Inga now has a healthy BMI of 20 and weighs about 149 pounds. She is working as a model in mainstream fashion, and has come to terms with leaving the world of high fashion.

"I know that my career in high fashion is now over and part of me is sad about that, but if I hadn't gone into rehab, the cost would have been a lot higher. I could have died," she said.

(Source: www.mirror.co.uk)

Labels: eating disorder, anorexia, media, fashion

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A recent poll of teenage girls shows that nine out of 10 feel pressured to be skinny by the fashion and media industries, and that an unattainable image of female beauty is perpetuated by these industries.

The poll, which included responses from 1,000 teenage girls between the ages of 13 and 17, was conducted for Girl Scouts USA by the youth research firm TRU. More than 75 percent of respondents said that fashion is "really important" to them.

Kimberlee Salmond, a senior researcher at the Girl Scout Research Institute, commented on the poll's findings: "The fashion industry remains a powerful influence on girls and the way they view themselves and their bodies. Teenage girls take cues about how they should look from models they see in fashion magazines and on TV and it is something that they struggle to reconcile with when they look at themselves in the mirror."

More than 80 percent of respondents said that they would rather see natural photos of models rather than digitally altered or enhanced photos. In addition, more than 75 percent of girls said they would be more likely to buy clothes that they see worn by real-size models than clothes that they see on ultra-thin models.

A significant percentage of respondents also reported experiencing or witnessing disordered eating behaviors. One in three respondents reported refusing to eat in an effort to lose weight; about half said they knew someone their age who has vomited after eating to lose weight; and more than one-third said they know someone who has been diagnosed with an eating disorder.
Aside from celebrities and models, respondents reported that peers, friends and parents are the top influences with regard to body image.

(Source: www.reuters.com)

Labels: eating disorder, body image, media, fashion, teen

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) will be sponsoring the 23rd annual Eating Disorders Awareness Week from February 21-27, 2010. The national event is designed to raise awareness about eating disorders, to combat unrealistic "body-perfect" ideals, and to counter the shame-filled and secretive attitudes that many people have regarding these life-threatening illnesses.

Lynn Grefe, CEO of NEDA, commented on the event and this year's theme, "It's Time to Talk About It." She said, "It really is time to talk about eating disorders, because people die, with anorexia having the highest death rate of any mental illness. You wouldn't be ashamed of developing asthma, diabetes, cancer or hundreds of other medical conditions.

"The sooner we get people to talk about it, the sooner we can get people to the help they need. It is necessary to educate upcoming generations about the issues that surround and lead to eating disorders. And to do that, we also need to address the societal pressures and the unrealistic images we are bombarded with in the media that have been irrefutably and scientifically proven a contributing factor among people who develop eating disorders, depression and other esteem issues."

To highlight the week, volunteers are coordinating events nationwide, including seminars and workshops on college campuses and in other venues, film festivals, health fairs and screenings, awareness walks, candlelight vigils, fundraisers, and artistic performances.

(Source: www.theopenpress.com)

Labels: eating disorder, awareness, anorexia

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Several studies have identified inflated rates of childhood trauma among obese adults.

Dr. Vincent Felitti, founder of Kaiser Permanente's Department of Preventive Medicine and director of its obesity treatment program, began tracing the phenomenon in the late 1980s. He conducted a study of 286 obese adults and found that 50 percent had been sexually abused as children. This rate is 50 percent higher than the rate normally reported by women, and more than triple the rate normally reported by men.

A study of more than 11,000 California women, conducted in 2007, found that those who had been abused as children were 27 percent more likely to be obese in adulthood, compared with those who had not been abused. A study of 15,000 adolescents, conducted in 2009, found that males who suffered sexual abuse as children were 66 percent more likely to be obese as adults.

The study also found a higher risk of eating disorders in girls who had been sexually abused.

(Source: www.time.com)

Labels: eating disorder, obesity, trauma

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Mental health treatment providers see a high incidence of co-morbidity between mood-related disorders and disordered eating behaviors. This means that when an individual is diagnosed with a mood-related disorder such as anxiety or depression, there is a higher-than-average likelihood that the individual will also be struggling with disordered eating behaviors.

This fact is important for eating disorder treatment providers because both issues must be addressed in order for the individuals to progress in treatment for either problem. Experts are uncertain whether mood-related disorders are more often the cause of eating problems or whether the opposite is true. Many posit a "bi-directional" causality, which means that the disorders tend to facilitate one another and may be most likely to develop in tandem.

From a treatment perspective, it may be less important to focus on which condition is the cause and instead focus on the core psychological processes that are shared by the two disorders. These core processes commonly include perfectionistic thinking, emotional avoidance and distress intolerance, and withdrawal. By targeting these core processes, treatment providers can develop "trans-diagnosis" strategies, which can effectively address both conditions at once.

(Source: www.behavioralhealthcentral.com)

Labels: eating disorder, mood disorders

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Popular movie actress Brittany Murphy died suddenly on December 20th amidst rumors of drug use and an eating disorder. She was reportedly discovered unconscious in the shower Sunday morning by her mother. The 32-year-old actress died as a result of cardiac arrest, though contributing factors have not yet been determined.

While autopsy findings are pending, many experts believe that it is highly likely that the young actress suffered from an eating disorder, most likely anorexia. This opinion is shared by Dr. Daniel Kirschenbaum, a clinical psychologist and eating disorder treatment specialist who was consulted by US Weekly magazine.

Dr. Kirschenbaum commented on recent photographs of Murphy: "With the sunken cheeks and skeletal appearance, it suggests the possibility of anorexia. People who are anorexic die ... Starve the body long enough, the body will eventually consume itself.

"Anorexia is perhaps the deadliest of the psychological disorders, and if that applies to Brittany Murphy, it wouldn't be a complete shock. Karen Carpenter was an example of an anorexic, and she died many years ago from a heart attack."

Labels: eating disorder, anorexia

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Individuals suffering from eating disorders tend to experience heightened distress during the holidays. The increased frequency of family and group meals and other social eating presents a challenge to individuals who have developed extreme behaviors in relation to food.

However, the holidays also present an opportunity for friends and loved ones to observe each other and detect the signs of an eating disorder. Often, individuals with eating disorders will not seek help until confronted and supported by someone who cares about them.

Tamara Pryor, Ph.D., clinical director of an eating disorders treatment center in Denver, Colo., comments: "It is important for friends and family to recognize eating disorder clues and speak up when they suspect their loved one has a problem. Eating disorders can be life threatening, and holding back on addressing the issue only enables the destructive behavior.

"The best approach is to be gentle but persistent with your loved one. Do not expect them to admit they have a problem right away. Allow them some time and space to reflect on your concerns and consider seeking treatment for their disorder."

There are a number of symptoms of an eating disorder. Certain aspects of a person's appearance may provide clues. For example, hair loss, pale skin, dramatic weight loss or gain within a short period of time, and dressing in baggy clothing or multiple layers.

Certain behaviors may also indicate a problem, such as obsessively monitoring the caloric, fat or carbohydrate content of foods; dramatic emotional shifts such as mood swings, depression, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive behaviors; exercising excessively or at unusual times; and obsessively talking about being fat or losing weight.

Also be on the lookout for diet pills, laxatives, ipecac syrup or enemas in the individual's bedroom or bathroom; books about weight loss or eating disorders; and food hidden in strange places. Strange table manners that may point to an eating disorder include cutting food into very small pieces, shifting food around on the plate to make it look eaten, eating a large amount of food and then immediately going to the bathroom, and frequent trips to the bathroom during meals.

(Source: www.pr.com)

Labels: eating disorder, symptoms, holidays

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Bobbie Jo Fatheree was finally hospitalized when her weight plummeted to 90 pounds. The Virginia native played sports avidly in high school and was always very physically fit. During her freshman year of college, however, she broke her foot.

Due to inactivity while her foot healed, she saw her weight spike up to 200 pounds. Her always-fit body was, she felt, out of control.

Once her foot healed, Fatheree began working out like a maniac. She was so driven to lose weight that she also developed bulimia and then anorexia. Her weight dropped down to 130 pounds. By the next year, while training for the women's hockey team, she pushed her weight down to a dangerous 90 pounds.

At this point, her parents stepped in, hospitalized her and helped to regain her perspective. Following college, she continued to struggle with eating issues and finding a diet that worked for her. It wasn't until she tried competitive body building that something clicked. A friend helped her with nutrition, workouts, and learning pose and dress in competitions.

Fatheree recovered from her eating disorders, and found that a key to preventing destructive eating patterns was to stop weighing herself on a scale. She commented, "The scale was one of my triggers. It would make or break my whole day, if I didn't see that magic number."

(Source: www.newrichmon-news.com)

Labels: eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia, body building

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 1 Comment

Connecticut resident Sue Daigle began her struggle with anorexia at the age of 12. At one point in her adult life, she weighed only 80 pounds.

Like others who suffer from the clinical eating disorder known as anorexia nervosa, Daigle got hooked on the success of her initial weight loss and found she couldn't stop. She recalls, "I just started dieting and I saw myself losing. When I started losing, I liked it and I kept going, kept going ... I never thought I was skinny enough ... It got to a point that I was afraid to even let food touch my mouth."

Fortunately for Daigle, in the midst of her battle with disordered eating, she became interested in the sport of bodybuilding. Bodybuilding demands good nutrition, and her passion for the sport helped her to overcome her aversion to food.

Nearly 40 years after her disordered eating began, Daigle is an award-winning bodybuilder and is finally coming to terms with food and her body.

About bodybuilding, the sport that may have saved her life, she says, "It's just healthy and I just believe in it ... It's an achievement. And it's not with drugs, it's just with hard training and eating. Eating right."

(Source: www2.counton2.com)

Labels: eating disorder, anorexia, body building

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A study recently conducted in Sweden found that girls from well-educated families who do well at school may be at higher risk of developing an eating disorder.

The study, conducted by Stockholm's Karolinska Institute, followed more than 13,000 women born in Sweden between 1952 and 1989. Researchers found that as parents' or grandmothers' education increased, so did girls' risk of being hospitalized for anorexia or another eating disorder. The risk for eating disorders also increased in relation to the girls' own grades in high school.

The researchers commented on the findings: "It's possible that these girls feel more pressure from family to succeed -- which for some could translate into an obsession with controlling their eating and body weight."

Researcher Jennie Ahren-Moonga commented that pressure to succeed may be combined with other problems, such as lack of self-esteem. "This is even more relevant when combined with low self-esteem, as the feeling of not being able to live up to expectations plays a crucial role in both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa," she said.

(Source: www.reuters.com)

Labels: eating disorder, bulimia, teen eating disorders, anorexia

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

More than 4,000 Irish boys between the ages of 12 and 17 years old could have eating disorders, according to the latest results from the landmark "Eating Problems in Irish Children and Adolescents" study.
Professor Fiona McNicholas from Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, said in an Irish Medical News article that 2.3 percent of boys in the study scored worryingly high on an eating disorders screening tool.
Of the 3,033 children recruited for the study, 7.5 percent scored higher than 20 on the Eating Disorder Test 26 (EAT-26), which is the most widely used standardized measure of symptoms that are characteristic of eating disorders. The results indicated that 11 percent of girls and 2.3 percent of boys are at risk of having an eating disorder.

In addition, the latest data shows that the perceived onset of puberty is a strong indicator of increased risk of eating disorders. However, the time of puberty appeared to have opposite effects on boys and girls. Girls who perceived the earlier onset of puberty were at the highest risk for developing an eating disorder, while boys with the latest perceived onset of puberty were at the highest risk for disordered eating.

McNicholas said the identification of these new risk factors should alert physicians to the risk of eating disorders in boys with late-onset puberty.

Of the girls who took part in the study, more than 10 percent were found to be at risk of having an eating disorder, one-third of the girls were already on a diet and another 50 percent felt they should be on a diet. More than one-third of girls were concerned about their shape or weight.

McNicholas presented this data at a UK Royal College of Psychiatrists Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry meeting in Dublin last weekend.

(Source: www.imn.ie)

Labels: eating disorder, boys, irish

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Night eating is often confused with a similar nighttime eating disorder known as Sleep-Related Eating Disorder (SRED). The primary difference between the two disorders is that individuals suffering from SRED remain asleep while they consume food in the middle of the night. By contrast, individuals who suffer from night eating awaken in the night and feel compelled to eat to assuage feelings of anxiety, fear, panic or similar negative emotions. SRED sufferers are actually sleepwalkers who for some reason gravitate to the kitchen and eating while remaining in an unconscious state.

Dr. Maha Alatter, a sleep specialist and neurologist at Mary Washington Hospital, comments on the behavior of SRED sufferers and warns that it is a serious condition: "They start sleep walking and it's a primal response to go and eat. ... That's a normal human drive. ... It can be very dangerous. ... Sometimes people can pick up non-food material and eat it, sometimes toxic material."

SRED is typically treated in the same way as other sleepwalking disorders, including locking doors, locking cabinets and the refrigerator, and otherwise establishing barriers to prevent the unconscious individual from doing themselves harm. In some cases, medications can also be prescribed to help treat the condition.

(Source: www.fredericksburg.com)

Labels: eating disorder, sleep

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

According to a new study by researchers at the University of California, women who practice yoga on a regular basis have better self-images and fewer eating disorders than women who participate in aerobic activities to stay in shape.

The study was performed on three groups of women: those who practice yoga, those who do aerobic exercise, and those who haven't done either in the last two years. All participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their self-image and eating habits. Researchers found that regardless of age, women who practice yoga report less self-objectification, better self-image, and fewer eating disorders than their counterparts in the other two groups. In addition, the more hours a woman spent doing yoga, the more likely she was to have a positive self-image and healthy eating behaviors.

Study author Jennifer Dubenmier commented on the study's findings: "Through yoga, this study suggests that women may have intuitively discovered a way to buffer themselves against messages that tell them that only a thin and 'beautiful' body will lead to happiness and success."

(Source: xx)

Labels: eating disorder, exercise, yoga

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

More than 30 percent of American college students now fall into the American College Health Association's obese or overweight categories. Many colleges are responding by posting caloric and nutritional information in dining halls.

Some experts warn, however, that an emphasis on calories and the public posting of calorie content may be provoking a wave of disordered eating, even among college students with no previous history of eating disorders.

Eating disorder specialists are seeing a decline in cases of classic eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa (restrictive eating) and bulimia nervosa (binge-eating and purging). At the same time, such specialists report that the number of patients presenting with "eating disorders not otherwise specified" (EDNOS) - disordered eating behaviors that do not meet all of the clinical criteria for anorexia or bulimia - appears to have doubled.

EDNOS is a catch-all category of eating disorders that includes many of the same behaviors as bulimia and anorexia. EDNOS may include drastic weight loss, caloric restriction, binge-eating, purging, drastic dieting, vomiting, overuse of laxatives and compulsive over-exercising. The proportion of students engaging in at least one of these drastic weight-loss measures has increased from approximately 28 to 38 percent in recent years, according to the American College Health Association's annual survey.

College students who are recovering from eating disorders report that publicly posted calorie charts can act as strong triggers for unhealthy behaviors. Other experts worry that even overweight and obese students may get the wrong idea from the postings. A recent study by a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health found that about 40 percent of overweight college-age women and about 20 percent of college-age men engaged in disordered eating behaviors in an attempt to slim down.

Dr. Richard Kreipe, a professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center and a specialist in adolescent medicine whose research centers on eating disorders, doesn't believe that calorie information benefits students.

"Nutrition is not a simple thing that can be distilled down into a label," he says. "There's a tendency for people to over-interpret what a specific number means."

(Source: www.blog.newsweek.com)

Labels: eating disorder

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Recent reports indicate that rates of male anorexia are on the rise in the United Kingdom, possibly fueled by the recent global economic recession.

Professor Hubert Lacey, who runs the eating disorder unit at St George's Hospital in London, has seen the number of male referrals double in the past few years. "These are just my observations, and because the numbers are so small statistics can be misleading, but I think there has been a cultural change," he said. "The recession is a factor because, when jobs are under threat, people think more about how they present themselves."

Related to male anorexia is another kind of male eating disorder called dysmorphia, or "bigorexia," in which males relentlessly pursue the development of bigger muscles. Recent research indicates that about 17 percent of males are currently dieting, and that steroid abuse and exercise disorders are increasing in young males.

Experts believe that the onset of an eating disorder in males is usually due to a specific trigger or set of triggers, including childhood bullying, emotional abuse, difficulties with sexual identity, and extreme parental strictness (especially from a father).

(Source: www.streetcorner.com)

Labels: eating disorder, manorexia, bigorexia

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

British experts are seeing an increase in orthorexia nervosa, an eating disorder in which people become fixated on eating only healthy foods and increasingly restricting their diets. Orthorexics go to extreme measures to avoid foods they see as "unhealthy" - fats, carbohydrates, preservatives, and others.
Deanne Jane, the founder of the National Centre for Eating Disorders in Britain, believes that at some point, society became disconnected from food. She believes that individuals with orthorexic tendencies receive motivation and encouragement from a number of supposedly trustworthy sources:

"It's everywhere, from the people who think it's normal if their friends stop eating entire food groups, to the trainers in the gym who [promote] certain foods to enhance performance, to the proliferation of nutritionists, dieticians and naturopaths. ... This is all grist for the mill to those looking for proof to confirm or encourage their anxieties around food."

As an individual's diet becomes more and more restricted, the risk of rapid and unhealthy weight loss, as well as malnutrition, osteoporosis, and other health complications, increases. In its most extreme form, orthorexia can result in starvation and death.

(Source: pitch.com)

Labels: eating disorder, orthorexia, britian

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

According to an article appearing this week in the San Francisco Chronicle, individuals working in the food industry often have eating issues. In recent weeks, at least three preeminent food figures, including Frank Bruni, restaurant critic for The New York Times, have published books about their personal struggles with eating disorders.

This pattern doesn't surprise therapists. Dr. David Kessler, author of a new book titled The End of Overeating, comments: "Food becomes a preoccupation. ... We're all wired to focus on the most salient stimuli. For some of us it can be sex, alcohol or gambling."

Dr. Debra Safer, a psychiatrist at Stanford Medical Center, comments: My belief is that you would have to have a proclivity toward overeating in the first place. ...Then the field might act as a magnet. ... One of the ways to deal with the preoccupation of food, but not allow yourself to eat, is to go into the food industry."
Dr. Safer bases her theories on an experiment performed during World War II in Minnesota. In the Minnesota Starvation Experiment, conducted by renowned scientist Ancel Keys at the University of Minnesota, 36 conscientious objectors volunteered to go hungry so scientists could gain insight into civilians who had been starved during the war.

Study participants became obsessed with watching others eat, immersed themselves in food literature and even took to collecting kitchen utensils. Currently, eating disorders experts believe that these reactions were physiological and the same as behavior exhibited by many anorexics.

(Source: www.sfgate.com)

Labels: eating disorder, food industry, food

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Eating disorder treatment experts are discovering new, unconventional methods for treating patients with disordered eating behaviors. These unconventional therapies include such methods as Art Therapy, Dance and Movement Therapy (DMT), and equine-assisted therapy.

These therapies, which involve expressive and experiential activities, are believed to significantly improve the mental health and behavioral issues of disordered eaters. That is true particularly when combined with traditional therapies such as counseling, medication, and 12-step recovery models.

According to Kimberly Dennis, M.D., medical director of a residential treatment center for eating disorders, "By recreating experiences and relationships, experiential therapies help residents to identify and address issues they cannot yet articulate or understand ... The creative process involved in experiential therapies helps to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight."

(Source: PR Newswire)

Labels: eating disorder, therapies

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Sheila Himmel, a James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic, and her daughter Lisa are speaking out about their family's personal battle with anorexia in their new book, Hungry. Lisa, now 24, developed her eating disorder in high school, and the book relates the more than six-year story of Lisa's illness and path to recovery.

Lisa grew up eating organic foods, and especially liked Vietnamese and Afghan cuisines. In high school, however, she began withdrawing. Her grades suffered and her parents noticed the drastic change in her personality. They wondered if they should intervene-they thought that maybe she just going through normal teenage emotional turmoil.

Lisa's behaviors, however, were quickly progressing beyond normal. She began hiding food in her room, and cycling through episodes of compulsive dieting, starving herself, binge-eating, and over-exercising. Lisa comments: "It always seemed to follow the same pattern ... I'd start eating better and exercising more, and as I lost weight, I'd think: 'I've gotten to this point, I should go more.'"

Lisa's family sought help for her, and her behaviors seemed to improve. However, leaving home for the University of California Santa Cruz seemed to destabilize her again. Recalls Lisa, "For me, the hardest time was going into college. It's a really, really big change. I was pretty sick when I went in, not eating very much, exercising too much. I'd binge one day and then go back to not eating."

By the second quarter of her freshman year, Lisa-like approximately half of all anorexics-was also struggling with bulimia. Lisa went through ups and downs throughout college. When she moved to a new apartment a week before graduation, the stress caused her to go into a "spiral of collapse." Lisa entered treatment again. Although she has made strides toward recovery, Lisa believes that she will never be fully recovered, that she will always have to struggle against her eating disorder:

"Over the last year or so, after I got out of the hospital and the halfway house, it was a coping mechanism ... It was a constant struggle being OK with having food inside of me. It's not so much about food as alleviating stress or anxiety, feelings that get too strong. I don't engage in that activity as much as I used to. Now it's just become, I'm having feelings that feel too strong, and I choose to throw something up, and well, this isn't helping either. It's always in the back of my mind. It shows how long it takes to get over something like this."

(Source: USA Today)

Labels: eating disorder, books

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Researchers at Heidelberg University Hospital have used MRI technology to uncover the first glimpses of brain processes that may explain the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. Researchers examined 30 young women with and without anorexia using MRI technology. MRI-magnetic resonance imaging-was used to record the level of blood flow in different areas of the brain and evaluate key brain network pathways.

Researchers measured the capacity of each participant for flexible behavior modification of recently learned behavior. The young women were shown a sequence of geometric shapes in rapid succession and asked to match them. After one test run, the matching principle was changed. Dr. Hans-Christoph Friederich, head of the working group for eating disorders, commented on the findings:

"In this study, we confirmed that anorexic patients cling to familiar behavioral responses more frequently than healthy subjects, thus suppressing alternative behavior." Related to this finding, the MRI images also showed that "in patients with anorexia compared with healthy subjects, a certain network pathway between the cortex and the diencephalon is less activated. This network pathway plays a decisive role in initiating and controlling actions under rapidly changing environmental demands."

(Source: sciencedaily.com)

Labels: eating disorder, anorexia, mri

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Approximately 60 percent of women have food issues, according to a new survey conducted by the University of North Carolina. Included in the category of "food issues" are well-known disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, as well as not-so-well known behaviors.

According to the survey, some women with food issues are "secret eaters," some are "calorie prisoners" and some are "career dieters." Secret eaters stash food away and eat it only when alone. Calorie prisoners are obsessed with keeping track of every calorie consumed. And career dieters experience severe swings in weight as they go from one fad diet to the next. Experts warn that these categories may sound almost comical, but that the associated behaviors are serious and can lead to significant problems.

(Source: www.nbcdfw.com)

Labels: eating disorder, women, university of north carolina

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A new report by the University of Toronto states that individuals suffering from eating disorders have trouble with certain mental tasks. The report, which appeared online this week in the Journal of Neuropsychology, is the result of a comprehensive overview of studies examining the relationship between cognitive deficits and eating disorders.

Lead author of the study, Professor Konstantine Zakzanis from the University of Toronto, analyzed the results of 27 studies that included data from a total of 608 anorexia nervosa sufferers, and 14 studies that included 347 bulimia nervosa sufferers. Professor Zakzanis reviewed data from these studies to identify any consistent patterns in cognitive deficits.

Professor Zakzanis commented: "Over the last 30 years, many psychological studies have tested people with anorexia or bulimia on tasks such as decision making, verbal memory and reaction times and have found that people with eating disorders perform worse than people who don't have an eating disorder. ... In this overview we found consistent results that people with anorexia and bulimia have significant problems with some cognitive processes, and as sufferers' body mass decreased, the severity of their cognitive impairments increased."

Overall, individuals suffering from anorexia were found to have the most difficulty with mental tasks, especially those involving spatial perception and representation. Some experts think that this particular impairment could help explain why anorexics experience distorted body image. Sufferers of bulimia were less impaired, but showed particular impairment in impulsivity.

Professor Zakzanis commented on these findings: "These results tell us that people with eating disorders have particular patterns of cognitive deficits. However, at this stage we do not know whether these deficits are a result of abnormal eating patterns, malnutrition for example, or whether these cognitive deficits result in, or affect the progression of eating disorders. ... If cognitive deficits are behind eating disorders this could help us to understand why certain people are affected and could help us to develop future psychological treatments."

(Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com)

Labels: eating disorder, university of toronto

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

According to an article appearing this week in The New York Times, recent research indicates that men who are gay, or who are involved in certain occupations such as flight attendants, actors, members of the military, and athletes (especially gymnasts and wrestlers), may be at higher risk for eating disorders than males in the general population. Some research also indicates that gay men who have eating disorders may be more likely to have suffered physical or sexual abuse as a child.

Experts are just beginning to study the phenomenon of eating disorders in men. Approximately 10 to 11 percent of eating disorder patients in the U.S. are male. Like women, millions of men suffer from body image conflicts, compulsive exercise habits, weight obsession and related psychiatric problems, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Men are more likely, though, to use steroids and lose weight with a goal of being "cut" or building massive amounts of muscle, a condition sometimes referred to as "reverse anorexia." Men experience the same detrimental health effects from eating disorders that women do, including increased risk of severe osteoporosis.

(Source: www.nytimes.com)

Labels: eating disorder, sexual orientation, males

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Individuals with anxiety disorders, including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), may be at increased risk for eating disorders. According to a new study presented this week at the Royal College of Psychiatrists' 2009 Annual Meeting in England, approximately one in five people with OCD may also suffer from disordered eating. In addition, one in three individuals suffering from other kinds of anxiety disorders may have disordered eating.

Dr Lynne Drummond, a consultant psychiatrist at South West London and St George's NHS Mental Health Trust, conducted the study by collecting data from a sample of patients with severe OCD who were referred to a specialist unit for treatment. Dr. Drummond commented on the findings, saying: "Although there have been several studies examining the prevalence of OCD and obsessive symptoms in patients with eating disorders, there is a dearth of studies where patients with OCD and other anxiety disorders are examined for eating disorders. This study suggests that clinicians should be made aware of the high prevalence of disordered eating in patients with all anxiety disorders as well as OCD."

(Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com)

Labels: eating disorder, anxiety disorders

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute have found a link between a high-fat diet and pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer, which has a high fatality rate, is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.

Rachael Z. Stolzenberg-Solomon, from the institute's cancer epidemiology and genetics division, commented on the findings, saying that the new study "found an association between high fat intake and pancreatic cancer risk - specifically, high fat from animal foods. ... These findings are in line with the dietary guidelines for Americans to reduce the amount of fat they eat. ... Reducing fat may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer."

The study incorporated data on more than half a million people (approximately 308,000 men and 217,000 women) who participated in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Participants initially completed a questionnaire in 1995 and 1996, and then participated in an average of six years of follow-up.

Researchers found that men who ate the most fat from animal sources were 53 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, compared with men who ate the least fat. In addition, women who consumed the most fat from animal sources had a 23 percent higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to women who ate the least fat. Overall, people who consumed high amounts of saturated fats had a 36 percent higher risk for pancreatic cancer.

Eric J. Jacobs, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society, commented on the findings, saying that the study "provides important evidence that a diet high in animal fat may increase risk of one of the leading causes of cancer death. ... While further confirmatory research about animal fat and pancreatic cancer is still needed, results of this study support the American Cancer Society's recommendations to limit red meat and emphasize plant foods to help reduce risk of a variety of cancers."

(Source: www.forbes.com)

Labels: eating disorder, cancer, food

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Researchers at the Maudsley Hospital in London are exploring a theory that anorexia may not be a social or psychological phenomenon, but a genetic one. The London scientists have been studying autism and anorexia for several years, examining what the two disorders have in common. Although autism and anorexia appear very different on the surface - patients with autism struggle to connect with people in the outside world while anorexics are obsessed with other people's perceptions of them - the minds at Maudsley Hospital have identified some compelling similarities between the two conditions. For instance, both anorexics and autistic individuals exhibit obsessive behaviors and rigid thinking; tic disorders are fairly common among individuals in both populations; and both have trouble dealing with change. Researchers at Maudsley also found that 15 to 20 percent of anorexic patients may also have Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder.

(Source: www.time.com)

Labels: eating disorder, anorexia, autism

Posted By: Eating Disorders Blog 0 Comments

Stephanie Pratt, a star on the MTV series "The Hills," recently revealed that she is struggling with bulimia. The star opened up about her battle with the eating disorder this week. She says she wanted to help increase awareness about the disorder and help others avoid it. Bulimic individuals have episodes of binge eating, after which they "eliminate" the consumed calories through self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives, or excessive exercise.

Following the star's confession, MTV interviewed Danielle Shelov, a psychologist at New York's Columbus Park Collaborative, to get more information on the causes of bulimia. Ms. Shelov stated that bulimia can be triggered by a number of different factors. "It can be a variety of things, usually something has gone on somewhere along the line that allows them to feel like something is missing, or something is lacking in their life, or maybe they feel out of control, or maybe they feel they have nothing that's their own. & So a lot of times the function of an eating disorder will be to have something of their own and to give them something to control."

(Source: www.mtv.com)

Labels: eating disorder, bulimia, stephanie pratt, mtv, the hills

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Schools in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area are beginning to talk openly about epidemic obesity among students. Two junior high schools hosted programs this week encouraging students to think about what they eat and why. The programs focused on teen behaviors that contribute to obesity, as well as society's unreasonable standards for female beauty and the long-term consequences of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

Typical teen behaviors that were highlighted as contributing to obesity included a fondness for fast food, drinking soda, and too much time spent watching television, using computers, or talking on cell phones. Presenters at the school also tried to point out to teens that not all foods are meant to be consumed every day, and that being active is very important.

Dr. Tamara Lewis, medical director for the local community health prevention agency that provided the school presentations, commented, "We'd like to see them come to the point that the only things they are drinking consistently are water and low-fat or no-fat milk. ... We're talking about the difference between 'everyday' foods and 'occasional' foods. The Easter Bunny is a one-day event, and we don't need dessert with every meal. ... Kids need at least 60 minutes of activity every day to stay healthy, and that's not just exercising their fingers when they text-message."

(Source: www.desertnews.com)

Labels: eating disorder, obesity, epidemic, utah, salt lake

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

This week the State of Massachusetts approved a weight screening program for public schools that is set to begin in all schools this fall. The program is modeled on existing programs in Arkansas and New York, and received unanimous approval from the Massachusetts Public Health Council.

However, eating disorders experts are raising concerns about the program, including the reliability of the body mass index (BMI) for children and the wisdom of sending BMI reports to parents. Rebecca Manley, founder of the Multiservice Eating Disorders Association in Newton, Massachusetts, wrote in a letter to the Public Health Council that, "Mandatory BMI reporting laws force parents to walk the fine line between encouraging healthy eating and promoting unhealthy weight loss strategies."

(Source: www.boston.com)

Labels: eating disorder, weight screening, massachusetts

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Some experts are promoting high-calorie, high-fat comfort foods as a way to help anorexic girls battle the eating disorder. Dr. Angela Celio Doyle, a University of Chicago clinical associate, comments on the new theory: "It is difficult to eat large amounts of low-calorie foods and get the calories needed to restore health, so turning to milkshakes and macaroni and cheese can be quite helpful. ... Many individuals attempting to gain weight after a period of malnourishment will need anywhere between 3,000 and 5,000 calories a day."

Recovering anorexics usually have very little stomach capacity, as their stomachs have shrunk over time as a result of never being full. Therefore calorie-dense foods, which provide maximum nutrition with minimum volume, may offer a way to deliver more nourishment more quickly.

A well-known eating disorder clinic in Evanston, Illinois, is putting this idea into practice. Registered dietician Oehme Soule encourages her patients to nourish themselves to help them recover and to help them learn new behaviors. She comments: "I say to them, 'First we'll get you nourished so you can think because I can't teach you to eat on a starving brain.' ... Fats have twice as many calories as protein or carbohydrates so it's a much faster route to nourishing. And if they can't eat, I can't teach them how to eat."

(Source: news.medill.northwester.edu)

Labels: eating disorder, anorexia, food

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

The Missouri legislature is currently considering a bill that, if passed, would mandate insurance coverage for eating disorders. Opponents of the bill believe that increased health care costs would ultimately lead to more people who are uninsured. Proponents of the bill, however, argue that increased coverage for preventative care will reduce health care costs over the long term.

The bill is being sponsored by two St. Louis democrats, Representative Rachel Storch, and Senator Rita Heard. Representative Storch believes that eating disorders are a serious and underexposed problem: "This literally takes people to the brink of survival."

(Source: www.stltoday.com)

Labels: eating disorder, missouri legislature, insurance

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A Wisconsin family has decided to share the ongoing story of a 13-year-old's battle with anorexia. Susan and Kelly McKay are informing their daughter's teachers, friends, and classmates about her eating disorder. Their story has led to a change in school curriculum, and a life lesson for all involved.

Kerry McCarthy first showed signs on an eating disorder about a year ago. Her involvement in sports gave her an excuse to exercise several times a day, and she began counting calories very carefully. Her parents soon noticed that Kerry was using a focus on "healthy cooking" and "healthy eating" to camouflage the fact that she was actually consuming very few calories, and her eating habits were changing for the worse. Kerry's mom, Susan, recalls: "She would take tiny little bites and space each one out painfully slow." Kerry made it appear that she was eating, but the amount of food she actually consumed decreased to a dangerously low level for her height, age, and metabolism.

Kerry's condition continued to worsen until October, when the family made the three-hour drive to Iowa City to admit Kerry to an inpatient eating disorders treatment facility. At admission, Kerry was only 90 pounds and 5' 7" tall - she looked skeletal. Susan remembers, "It was definitely the hardest thing we have ever had to do. As a family we tried our hardest to turn this around at home but we were unsuccessful," says Susan. "In the beginning it started out very slowly, but it is amazing how quickly the disease took over."

Kerry's struggle with anorexia has caused her school to modify its health and science curriculum. Students now learn about nutrition and how it affects the body. Susan comments, "There is so much thrown out there by the media on this very subject ... but not enough helpful, constructive information so that young people don't fall into this trap of starving themselves."

Dr. Peggy Scallon, a physician in the department of childhood psychiatry and adolescence at University of Wisconsin Hospital, agrees that schools should take a more active role. "Schools can teach kids how to critically read and counter media and advertising messages. ... Curricula can also be presented to teach kids healthy coping strategies for stress, healthy communication, and the management of strong feelings, through the practice of mindfulness, relaxation, and emotional regulation."

(Source: www.madison.com)

Labels: eating disorder, teen, wisconsin

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

The number of men in Scotland being treated for serious eating disorders has tripled in the past year, according to new data from the Priory Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. Dr. Alex Yellowees, medical director and lead clinician for the eating disorders unit at Priory Hospital, reported the 300 percent increase in referrals in a 12-month period.

Dr. Yellowees warns that men are currently where women were 15 years ago, and that the numbers of men with eating disorders may continue to increase in the same fashion. "We are just seeing the tip of the iceberg as was the case in women in the 1990s. I think it is reasonable to predict an increase in the number of men being referred in Scotland. There's a lot more out there."

Dr. Yellowees also commented on changing values among young men that are contributing to the rise in eating disorders: "Young men are now adopting values and beliefs about body image that almost exclusively belonged to women. There is a blurring of gender roles in society. Young men were previously afraid of coming forward because they knew society viewed it as a women's problem. They feared that if they came forward their sexuality would be questioned. I think that prejudice is breaking down now. The idealisation of thinness still affects women more but there is an increasing trend of men adopting previously held ideas of thinness that women held."

(Source: www.dailyrecord.co.uk)

Labels: eating disorder, dr yellowees, scotland

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Filmmaker Travis Matthews had the inspiration to make a documentary about gay men, body image, and eating disorders in 2005, when he was struggling with an eating disorder. Matthews had a difficult time finding treatment for his eating disorder - a problem experienced by many men with extreme eating behaviors. Treatment programs are traditionally geared toward women. Matthews commented about his search for help, "It just seemed like nothing was out there."

Matthews' film, "Do I Look Fat?" is rooted in his desire to help others. He holds a master's degree in counseling psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, but has placed his counseling career on hold to produce the film. He feels that it is the best way to reach out to other men who struggle with eating disorders. Matthews hopes to counter stereotypes within the gay community about how men should look, either very skinny or obese.

He comments on his expectations for the film's impact, saying, "My hope is that this will happen within the gay community-a grassroots sort of thing where people start talking to each other. ... I hope the gay community in general is maturing in a way to be healthier. The time is right for more treatments and open discussions to be available."

(Source: media.www.thelantern.com)

Labels: eating disorder, gay, documentary, travis matthews, do i look fat

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

According to a new report from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of Americans being hospitalized due to eating disorders and related complications increased between 1999 and 2006. Hospitalizations increased most dramatically for children under the age of 12 (by 119 percent). Patients between the ages of 45 and 64 showed the next most dramatic increase at 48 percent. Hospitalizations for anorexia remained stable during the same time period, while admissions for bulimia decreased by 7 percent. Hospitalizations for men increased by 37 percent. The report also noted that hospitalizations for rare eating disorders such as pica (the compulsive consumption of non-edible substances such as clay) and anxiety-related (psychogenic) vomiting increased by 38 percent.

(Source: www.ahrq.gov)

Labels: eating disorder, hospitalization

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A recent study indicates that teen vegetarians are more interested in losing weight than realizing the health benefits of a meatless diet, saving the environment, or protecting animals.

The study, led by nutritionist Ramona Robison-O'Brien, an assistant professor at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Minnesota, found that 25 percent of young “vegetarians” still eat white-meat chicken, and 46 percent eat fish. In addition, 20 percent reported binge-eating behaviors, and 25 percent reported using extreme weight-loss measures.

The authors of the study recommend that parents and doctors be extra vigilant when a teen suddenly decides to become vegetarian, as it may be an effort to camouflage unhealthy eating behaviors.

(Source: www.time.com)

Labels: eating disorder, vegetarians

Posted By: Staff Writer 1 Comment

According to a new joint study by the University of Minnesota, University of Texas, and St. John's University researchers, vegetarians have healthier diets but are also at higher risk for eating disorders. The team analyzed more that 2,500 males and females aged 15-23. Vegetarian adolescents and young adults were more likely than non-vegetarians to report binge eating with loss of control. In addition, study results indicated that vegetarians may be at higher risk for unhealthy weight-control behaviors such as diet pills, vomiting, laxatives, and diuretics.

(Source: www.littleabout.com)

Labels: eating disorder, vegetarians

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Recent research shows that short or poor sleep can disturb appetite control, lead to increased eating, and increase the risk of type-2 diabetes. Studies on short-term sleep deprivation by the University of Chicago have shown that short-term sleep restriction damages the body's ability to regulate eating by lowering levels of a hormone that tells the body when it has consumed enough food. Dr. Eve Van Cauter, lead researcher on the University of Chicago studies, reports that as little as three days of sleep disturbance is sufficient to increase insulin resistance in humans, and that poor sleep over a five-year period has been shown to increase systolic blood pressure. Interestingly, sleep deprived study subjects often showed signs of progression toward type-2 diabetes without gaining significant weight.

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: eating disorder, sleep problems

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

According to a presentation at a local high school by the Family Crisis Service Center (FCSC) of Cañon City, Colorado, injuries caused by sexual assault can include psychological problems such as depression, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders. FCCC Outreach Advocate Jenny Lehl, who conducted the presentation, commented:

"Eating disorders and cutting are the two most common effects I see in young people who have been sexually assaulted. ... When we have lost control of our body, we will do things, whatever we think it takes, to regain that control."

Current data show that one in four women and one in 17 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and 60 percent of assaults are never reported to the police.

(Source: www.canoncitydailyrecord.com)

Labels: eating disorder, sexual assault

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

According to a recent study and doctor reports in Australia, eating disorders are becoming more common among children as young as 5. Dr. Sloane Madden, a specialist in treating children with eating disorders commented, "In the last 12 months there has been a 50 percent increase in the number of young people presenting to our unit." A recent study identified 100 underweight children across Australia who had been admitted to hospitals; 25 percent of these were boys. The landmark study is the first to provide Australians with national information on children with disordered eating behaviors.

Experts are concerned that family doctors may be missing the signs of eating disorders in many children. In particular, doctors don't expect boys to have problems with eating disorders. Professor Phillipa Hay from the University Western Sydney commented, "In one case, a doctor told a nine-year-old boy's family not to worry that he was losing weight. This young boy presented late on a Sunday night with a heart rate in the 30s which was really putting him at immediate risk of dying. He required resuscitation. If there starts to be a pattern of children not eating and becoming thinner and skipping lunch regularly, then parents should be concerned."

(Source: www.abc.net.au)

Labels: eating disorder, australia

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A new novel call Purge has been published by a Connecticut-based writer name Sarah Durer Littman. The novel, told in the first person in the format of a journal, is the story of Janie Ryan. Janie is a 16-year-old bulimic and the novel relates her experiences while receiving treatment at a fictional residential treatment facility called Golden Slopes. Janie's journal reveals the traumatic events that led to her development of an eating disorder, and how she developed bulimia as a sort of coping mechanism.

Littman comments about her novel's protagonist: "She is very much in denial of the disease and sort of has the attitude that this isn't a disease, it's a diet strategy. It's really about her growing realization and recognition of the fact that yes, she does have a condition that needs treatment and also her awareness of why she's doing what she's doing."

The novel is the product of Littman's real-life struggles with anorexia (as a teen) and bulimia (as an adult). The idea for the novel came to Littman while she was attending a writer's retreat in Vermont. In preparation for the novel, Ms. Littman asked her mother to send her some of her childhood pictures. She comments on looking at a picture of herself at age 15: "I looked at it, and I was like 'Wow, I actually had a pretty good figure,' but what made me really sad about the picture is that I remember how I felt at the time, which was fat and ugly."

Ms. Littman speaks about her motivation for the novel: "I want people to feel hopeful. I wanted to show them that they can overcome eating disorders, if they go through the proper therapy and build a support system. ... Hopefully the book will help to raise awareness and to generate a discussion about body image and eating disorders and the pressures on both young women and men."

(Source: stamfordtimes.com)

Labels: eating disorder, bulimia, books

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Chris Hardy, a 19-year-old from Cornwall, England, spoke out this week about male anorexia. Chris told an interviewer that several factors contributed to his development of an eating disorder, however it was the "sense of achievement" he got from controlling his food intake that drove his illness.

Chris related some of the events that contributed to his disordered eating: "A lot of stuff happened at 11 or 12 that was quite traumatic. My parents divorced, I moved school, moved house. And then you also start to become more aware of body image at that age anyway."

When Chris moved away from home to study medicine at a university, his food intake dropped dramatically. "I would count out the exact number of pieces of cereal to eat to have each morning, have a cracker at lunchtime, and then maybe a few bits of pasta in the evening. It was nothing really, but even that seemed too much and I would work on reducing it the next day. That was how I got a sense of achievement."
When Chris could no longer concentrate during school lectures, he finally sought help. Chris hopes that his story will help other young men realize there is "life beyond anorexia."

(Source: news.bbc.co.uk)

Labels: eating disorder, male anorexia

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Recent research indicates that eating disorders are on the rise among individuals aged 65 and older, and that the majority of deaths from anorexia nervosa now occur in people over the age of 65. Edward Cumella, Ph.D., the executive director of an eating disorders treatment facility, comments: "Eating disorder origins among the elderly are surprisingly similar to those identified for young women, but with a unique stage-of-life dimension. ... Refusing food is often an attempt to control the one thing the person still feels able to control-food intake."

Experts believe that elderly may have various motivations for limiting food intake. Some may do it out of pride or because they cannot afford groceries and are embarrassed to ask for help. Others may refuse food as a passive attempt at suicide. Dr. Cumella explains: "It's important to evaluate why elderly people are restricting their food intake. ... As we age, taste buds grow less sensitive and appetite decreases. Certain medications blunt taste and sense of smell and a variety of illnesses also reduce appetite. So, food restriction may be due to psychological issues, medical issues, or a combination of both."

(Source: www.abc15.com)

Labels: eating disorder, elderly

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Direct medical costs for treating individuals with eating disorders average between $5 billion and $6 billion annually in the United States, according to a recent press release by the National Association of Independent Review Organizations (NAIRO).

Joyce Muller, president of NAIRO, commented on the role of independent review organizations in ensuring that eating disorder patients have access to quality care and managing associated costs: "The average cost of treating a patient with anorexia to health insurers exceeds $6,000 a year. ... By identifying and providing the appropriate level of care initially, health plans can reduce the cost of managing these mental health problems. IRO specialty reviews provide a mechanism to assure that enrollees are getting the appropriate level of care, when they need it and for the proper length of time."

Determining the appropriate length of treatment for an individual struggling with an eating disorder can be a difficult task. In addition, care for eating disorders requires long-term, multi-dimensional treatment to address the psychological, behavioral, physical, and nutritional needs of the patient.

Dr. Barbara Center, an eating disorders specialist and IRO-employed reviewer, explained, "Eating disorders require long-term counseling or psychotherapy linked with careful attention to medical and nutritional needs. ... Determining the level of care, its appropriateness and duration are best determined by an eating disorder specialist who understands the approaches various treatment centers take."

(Source: prnewswire.com)

Labels: eating disorder, cost

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Sleep eating is characterized by sleepwalking and nocturnal overeating. Individuals who suffer from sleep eating are unaware of their own activity during the night, which usually includes roaming the house and excessive eating of food and even non-food items. Although sleep eating is a recognized sleep-related disorder, some health experts believe that it is also a type of eating disorder. Sleep eaters have common risk factors including emotional distress, exhaustion, anger, and anxiety. Individuals with this condition are at risk for the same health complications as compulsive overeaters, including excessive weight gain. However, sleep eaters are also at risk for injury related to their unconscious state such as falling, choking while eating, injury from preparing food, and starting a fire. Experts usually refer to sleep eating as a nocturnal sleep-related disorder (NS-RED) and sleep-eating syndrome. Sleep eating is fairly uncommon, and is classified as parasomnia, an arousal disorder. The activities of sleep eating are performed in a state of arousal from slow wave sleep.

(Source: www.examiner.com)

Labels: eating disorder, sleep eating

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Food-focused families are a source of dysfunctional eating behavior, according to an article appearing this week in the Gloucester Times. Parents who constantly count calories and fat and exercise compulsively send kids the message that eating is bad. Equally unhealthy are families that use food as a reward or punishment, or to express love or provide consolation.

Families that struggle with other types of dysfunction can also encourage eating disorders. Those that are emotionally dysfunctional, particularly those that suppress feelings and forbid conflict, often have members that seek emotional nurturing and support through food. In families where sexual abuse has occurred, victims often develop eating disorders as a defense; they starve themselves to avoid weight gain associated with sexual maturity, or they overeat to put on protective layers of unattractive fat.

(Source: www.gloucestertimes.com)

Labels: eating disorder, family

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

According to a column appearing in the New York Daily News this week, two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and many others have developed unhealthy eating behaviors. Compulsive overeating, also referred to as "binge eating," is among these risky behaviors. Among other things, binge eating is a major indicator for heart attack risk. Dr. Robert Schwarzberg, a weight control specialist, commented for the article:

"Doctors are indeed examining the pathways that prompt and reward eating. ... But before that kind of magic potion arrives (which we probably wouldn't want to give our kids anyway), maybe we can all make some better choices, one meal at a time."

Dr. Schwarzberg discusses the problematic nature of treating food addiction. Unlike addiction to anything else, food addicts cannot give up eating altogether: "Treatment of most addictions focuses on abstinence. & But the food addict can't just abstain from eating - every meal is like putting a martini on the table in front of the alcoholic and saying, well, just one sip."

Because recovering food addicts must continue to eat, treatment providers are focusing more on the key emotional and physiological aspects that contribute to food abuse. Just like a drug addict who must take medication for a certain condition, the focus becomes more on preventing an altered mood state from occurring during use than on complete abstinence.

(Source: www.nydailynews.com)

Labels: eating disorder, compulsive overeating

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A growing number of middle-aged women are suffering from eating disorders, according to a story appearing this week in the Winston-Salem Journal. According to nutritionist Debra Benfield, who was interviewed for the story, "This is a new phenomenon and it's on the increase." According to Benfield, who treats eating and body-weight problems, middle-aged women struggle with eating disorders for one of two reasons. In one case, women who previously had eating disorders and thought they had recovered may relapse due to stress, especially during times of transition (events like divorce, re-entering the workforce, or children leaving home).

In the other case, many women develop eating disorders as they try to fight the natural aging process. Benfield commented on the current social pressure to stay attractive despite age: "In our culture, remaining cute throughout midlife is a problem. & Our mothers didn't stay cute. It was OK to look like a mother when you reached 50. ... Now magazines and other media promote role models that don't fit our physiology. The average woman puts on 15 pounds at midlife, weight that is actually beneficial. The extra weight decreases the risk of broken bones and helps women fight illnesses."

(Source: www2.journalnow.com)

Labels: eating disorder, middle aged women, women

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

According to recent data, England has recently seen a sharp rise in the number of girls under the age of 18 being admitted to hospitals with eating disorders. Hospital admissions where an eating disorder was the primary diagnosis rose from 562 in 2003-2004 to 825 in 2007-2008 (a 47 percent jump). In addition, a 25 percent increase in admissions for girls under the age of 9 was noted during the same time period.

Norman Lamb, a Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, commented on the trend: "This dramatic increase in hospital admissions is a tragic indictment of the government's failure to tackle the problems of eating disorders. ... Access to support services is dreadfully inadequate in many parts of the country. & Early intervention can make a massive difference in these cases and prevent a descent into crisis. & Children shouldn't be getting to the stage where they are so ill they need to be hospitalised before they get help."

(Source: www.nursingtimes.net)

Labels: eating disorder, girls, england

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

According to data from the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), four out of 10 girls in grades 1 through 3 want to be thinner. In addition, more than two out of three girls would prefer to be seen as "mean" or "stupid" than overweight. In recent years, eating disorder treatment experts have noticed an increase in unhealthy and disordered eating in elementary school-age kids. According to Cheryl Dellasega, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Medicine at Pennsylvania State University, she and her colleagues are now seeing very young children with eating disorders. She states, "Our Eating Disorder Unit is treating very young kids-9 years and perhaps even younger."

(Source: health.msn.com)

Labels: eating disorder, girls

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Anorexia nervosa is a deadly eating disorder. It has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness.

Historically, anorexia was believed to be induced by environmental factors such as home environment and social pressures. In the past few years, however, research has discovered that genetics play a significant role in the development of eating disorders. Experts currently estimate that 50 percent of the risk of developing an eating disorder is inherited.

In a recent story by a Denver-area news station, Dr. Ken Weiner said, "We know that there are multiple genes and they are closely related to anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. ... If your mother or your sister has anorexia and you are a young woman, you are 12 times more likely to have anorexia nervosa in your lifetime and four times more likely to have bulimia nervosa."

Dr. Weiner was careful to say, however, that genes alone are not enough to trigger an eating disorder. "Genes load the gun, life pulls the trigger. With anorexia nervosa, if you never go on a diet or precipitously lose weight due to a medical condition, you never develop anorexia nervosa."

(Source: www.thedenverchannel.com)

Labels: eating disorder, anorexia, genetics

Posted By: Staff Writer 1 Comment