Many of the events surrounding the Christmas season include food. While this isn't an issue for most people, those who struggle with eating disorders can feel especially stressed and even isolated at such events.

"'Ideally, family and friends should be sensitive to the fact that their guest or loved one has an eating disorder,' [Theresa] Fassihi said in a statement. 'Respect that, while the meal may be a joyous occasion for you, it may be stressful to a person with an eating disorder, especially one who has recently completed treatment."

If you know someone is recovering from - or still struggling with - an eating disorder, offer food but don't insist that he or she eat. Also, be sure not to hover or monitor what they do or don't eat.

Teens often deal with stress in unhealthy ways like cutting or using drugs. A good adolescent residential treatment center, like Youth Care, can help teenagers get the help they need.

Labels: holidays, stress, support

For Harriet Brown's daughter, the calorie counting that accompanied her eating disorder didn't stop with recovery. On the contrary, she found herself having to track her intake just as diligently as ever in order to re-gain and maintain a healthy weight.

"Like many recovering anorexics, Kitty has a fast metabolism that seems to burn calories at a higher than usual rate. So she needs to eat more than the average teenage girl to maintain her weight, and she will probably need to do this for years to come."

One of the challenges of recovering from an eating disorder is that the patient often has to break every food-related rule he or she established. Fruits and vegetables are good, but so are ice cream, potato chips, and other calorie-dense foods. Given that we live in a society that has clearly defined which foods are "good" or "bad", it can be a difficult shift to make, and parental support is vital.

Aspen Ranch, a residential treatment program in Utah, offers an equine therapy program that helps troubled teens work through their negative emotions and behaviors.

Labels: calorie_restriction, healthy_eating, nutrition

A new campaign against eating disorders has been launched in Germany, and the government is helping kick things off. The campaign was organized by Alice Schwarzer, founder of the German feminist magazine Emma.

"The government stance comes as data shows an alarming increase in eating disorders, particularly among girls and women in Germany, which some observers have connected with the promotion of the waif-like body ethic in certain sections of the media."

Schwarzer calls the obsession with ultra-thin a "mass psychosis of the West" and criticized Germany for being too slow to respond to the growing crisis.

Labels: legislation, media_influences, prevention

Dr. Bomin Sun of the Center of Functional Neurosurgery in China has released the results of study in which brain stimulation was used to treat patients with advanced forms of anorexia. The treatment - called Deep Brain Modulation, is performed by implanting small electrodes onto a specific part of the brain, which is then electrically stimulated.

"Anorexia nervosa is a complex condition, involving sociological, neurobiological and psychological components,' said Dr. Sun. ‘This DBS treatment is very promising in that all patients had an improvement in eating behavior, psychiatric symptoms, or a combination of both."

Some side effects were documented in patients that had another surgical treatment, in addition to the DBS. There were, however, no side effects recorded in those who had the DBS treatment only.

A good residential treatment center, like Aspen Ranch, offers a treatment program for troubled teens that helps by offering a combination of therapy and academics. Visit AspenRanch.com to learn more about their programs for troubled teens.

Labels: brain_chemistry, therapy, treatment

For decades, the finger of blame for adolescent eating disorders was pointed directly at mothers. Many believed that mothers who were too protective and attentive - or not attentive enough - caused the extreme behavior in their daughters. Today, however, the focus has shifted away from moms.

"More likely, though not a complete explanation, is a lethal combination of cultural and psychological development factors. 'This Is Beautiful' is a societal drumbeat. Look at any magazine, newspaper, TV or Internet advertisement. No plumb bodies urge us and our impressionable daughters to be like them... We see only painfully thin models."

As the need for approval shifts from parents and siblings to peers, the desire to fit in can be all-consuming. Some girls pursue, in health ways, the desire to be thin. Why some pursue it with extreme behaviors is still largely a mystery.

Raising teenagers can be tough, especially if you're dealing with an eating disorder, teen substance abuse, or behavioral issues. The Teen-Help-Directory lists resources for parents of teens and can offer help with a variety of issues.

Labels: cultures, influences, modeling

As a psychiatrist, Dr. Harvey Widore, M.D. has had many patients who struggled with eating disorders. In this multi-part article series, he shares the story of one girl - Debbie - who weighed less than 100 pounds when he first met her.

"...when she walked into my office for our initial meeting, Debbie's legs looked like sticks. Protruding above the jacket, her skull-like head barely balanced on her spinal column, the virtual absence of neck muscles giving her the appearance of a bobble-head doll. Had she taken off the jacket I would have seen that her body had no breasts, no stomach, no buttocks - all victims of the soft tissue and muscle atrophy that follows severe protein deprivation. Debbie looked like a concentration camp victim, but the agent of her starvation was not a concentration camp guard. It was Debbie herself."

Many in the medical community believe that the number of deaths attributed to eating disorders is too low. Often, the cause of death is said to be cardiac arrest or some other condition which is actually brought on by the eating disorder.

Looking for an eating disorders treatment program? Visit our directory of resources to find a treatment program for eating disorders today.

Labels: anorexia, health_care, starvation

Adi Barkan, famous fashion photographer and owner of a Tel Aviv modeling agency, has committed to changing the modeling industry's definition of beauty. A few months ago, Barkan rushed an Israeli model to the hospital; she was battling anorexia and had collapsed in her home. She died last week, weighing less than 60 pounds.

"Barkan's goal, through legislation and public relations, is to try to change the very definition of beauty, one pound at a time. In 2004, working with Knesset member Inbal Gavriely, he successfully submitted legislation to Israel's Parliament requiring all Israeli modeling agencies to use the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a pre-requisite for employment..."

To date, over 30 Israeli CEOs have agreed to only hire models that have passed a health exam. In order to continue working, models have to pass a health exam every three months. With France and Italy opening supporting Barkan's campaign, the modeling industry may well be on its way to redefining beauty.

Labels: legislation, media_influences, modeling

A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh has found that people with a history of anorexia have vastly different brain activity than those who never suffered from the disorder. The results appear in the American Journal of Psychiatry, and the study's authors hope the findings will help in the development of more effective treatments.

"While the brain region for emotional responses - the anterior ventral striatum - showed strong differences... in the healthy women, women with a past history of anorexia showed little difference."

In addition, the part of the brain that's associated with outcome and planning was much more active in women who'd had anorexia. An eating disorder association spokeswoman said this study shows that eating disorders are much more than just a 'silly diet gone wrong.'

The Aspen Institute of Behavioral Assessment can help parents and professionals figure out a troubled teen by conducting a thorough assessment and then creating a clear treatment plan.

Labels: brain_chemistry, research, treatment

An ongoing study being conducted by colleagues at Duke and the University of North Carolina is finding that many people who develop eating disorders first struggled with interpersonal relationships because they felt self-conscious and anxious.

[Dr. Nancy Zucker] said she hopes to discover more detailed information about how individuals with anorexia process social interactions and whether they perceive relationships the same way as unaffected individuals."

If results continue to support the theory that people who struggle with social interaction are more prone to develop eating disorders, it could change significantly the way the disorders are treated. The focus could shift from that of diet and body image to the development of interpersonal and other skills needed to build meaningful relationships.

Is your relationship with your teen causing chaos in your family? Visit ByParents-forParents for free parting advice and help for parents of troubled teens.

Labels: relationships, support, treatment

A recent study found that overweight teens are more likely to practice extreme dieting measures or develop eating disorders if their parents focus too much on weight issues. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota, tracked the eating habits of 1,311 girls and 1,069 boys for a five year period.

"Weight-teasing by family, personal weight concerns and dieting/unhealthy weight-control behaviors 'strong and consistently' predicted being overweight, binge eating, and engaging in extreme weight-control behaviors..."

However, frequent family meals, frequent lunch eating, and a positive atmosphere at family meals appeared to reduce the risk for both binge eating and extreme weight-control measures over time.

Dealing with a brat? Wish you could send them to Brat Camp? Turn-About Ranch, featured in the UK version of Brat Camp, can help your difficult teenager too!

Labels: family, healthy_eating, support

An increasing number of cultures are being exposed to the "thin beauty ideal". The result is that certain ethnic groups are at an increased risk of developing eating disorders. One such group that is causing concern for many experts is young Hispanic men.

"Let by Y. May Chao of Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, researchers examined data from nationally representative samples of high schools from 1995 to 2005... Among males, white adolescents are the least likely to practice weight control and Hispanic adolescents are the most likely. The authors suggest that Hispanics may be more motivated to control weight due to the higher prevalence of overweight among these young men."

While this, in and of itself is cause for concern, experts are especially troubled by the fact that young men are far less likely to admit they have eating disorders or to ask for help.

Find a private boys school for your son at SchoolsForBoys.com.

Labels: boys, cultures, ethnicity

The National Eating Disorders Association is holding an online auction through Sunday, December 2nd. Money raised from the auction will go to benefit the NEDA's ongoing efforts against eating disorders.

"Auction items range from exotic vacations and priceless celebrity memorabilia to countless items guaranteed to delight and surprise."

Those wishing to help the NEDA with their fundraiser can bid on concert tickets, autographed guitars, Wii game systems and more.

Labels: awareness, treatment