Former model Dotsie Bausch spent seven years battling eating disorders and drug addiction. Her eating disorders began while she was an undergraduate at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Her career in modeling only worsened the eating disorder and addiction and also introduced her to a lifestyle of daily substance abuse. When she decided to change careers in the late 90s, Dotsie moved to California to become a television production artist. While working on a television sitcom, she inherited an old mountain bike that had been used as a prop.

From the beginning, she was hooked on biking. She entered a 600-mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to benefit AIDS research, purchased a road bike, and obtained a racing license. Since then, Dotsie has become one of the best climbers and time-trial riders in the women's peloton.

Dotsie recalls finally opening up about her struggles with food. She comments, "Everything changed when I knew I could be totally honest (about the disease). ... Some people go through this for 20 years. It was really bad in the middle for me and working full time as a model in New York. I don't blame the industry. It was all me. ... Bulimia and anorexia still remain somewhat taboo. It doesn't make sense to people. People understand overeating, but it goes the other way, too. Restraining from eating."

(Source: www.tulsworld.com)

Labels: model, health-care, bikes

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As a central feature of the 2009 Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 22-28), the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is launching a nationwide campaign to promote greater access for disordered eaters to essential treatment and health care. The STAR campaign (State for Treatment Access and Research) will coordinate efforts among individuals, families, treatment providers, and advocacy groups to address the rights of eating disorder patients.

The STAR program will be introduced to 30 state legislatures in the next two months, with legislative press briefings to be conducted in 27 of those states. The program strives to increase awareness among lawmakers about the obstacles that eating disorder patients face when trying to access adequate medical care. (Source: www. Msnbc.com)

Labels: treatment, awareness, health-care

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