The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) released their newly developed patient bill of rights on Wednesday. The document is part of an initiative launched in Washington to help families get access to better care for family members with eating disorders.

"Entitled the Worldwide Charter for Action on Eating Disorders, the Charter calls for a partnership among patients, families and their treatment team to ensure the highest quality care for every person undergoing treatment for anorexia nervosa (which has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder), bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder."

The NEDA and AED are seeing support for the charter from clinicians, state policymakers, and families affected by eating disorders. Source: EarthTimes

Labels: health_care, patient_rights, treatment

The Opposition Party in Australia has developed a new policy on the treatment of anorexia and is urging the government to develop a center specifically for people with eating disorders.

"24-year-old Melissa Maher has had anorexia for nine years and says people with such disorders need specialized care that's not available in mental health wards."

She acknowledges that treatment centers do a good job of helping patients, but they could do more by offering specialized training for psychiatrists and/or doctors. Source: ABC News - Australia

Labels: government, support, treatment

A recent study in Ireland found that teenage girls who are concerned about their weight are more likely to resort to bulimia than dieting and exercise to shed some extra pounds. The survey of 3,000 Irish teenage girls also found that 11% of them exhibited signs of eating disorders.

"Apart from eating concerns, those suffering from eating disorders are also shown to be significantly more affected by lower quality of life. They also tend to consider themselves not as popular as their peers, do not [do] as well academically and rate their mood to be less good than their peers."

Teens that had a poor body image were likely to have parents with body image issues as well. Source: RTE News

Labels: parents, predictors, signs_of_eating_disorders

The Royal Cornhill Hospital in Scotland is planning to open an in-patient treatment center for eating disorders and would like input from people who have received treatment at other facilities.

"The views of relatives and friends are also being sought... 'We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who has had experience of in-patient care either as a patient, relative or carer...'"

Source: BBC

Labels: input, support, treatment

Within just a few short years, Annie's mom and dad separated (and eventually divorced) and the family was evicted from their 3,000 square foot home. Annie went from being a self-proclaimed "spoiled kid" to living off food stamps and Medicaid. It seemed like her life was out of control.

"There was one piece of her life, however, that was in her control: weight loss. She was in charge of caloric intake. She could spend hours obsessively exercising. Anorexia was her escape from the shadowy feelings of helplessness."

Using anorexia as a coping mechanism is not uncommon among teens. When the rest of life feels chaotic, food is the only thing they feel they can control. Parents, if your family is going through hard or tumultuous times, help your kids find healthy ways to deal with the stress - before they find unhealthy ways to deal with it themselves. Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

Labels: control, coping, hard_times

A small study conducted in the UK found that caregivers of eating disorder patients were highly receptive to a DVD-training and telephone-coaching program that taught them how to support their eating disordered family member.

"People caring for a person with an eating disorder must provide substantial emotional support to the ill person, and may themselves suffer considerable distress, [Dr. Ana R.] Sepulveda and her team explain. At the same time misunderstanding of the family and individual's role in the illness 'can lead to patterns of overprotection, criticism or hostility.'"

Only 14 people participated in the study, which makes it too small to show significant effect, but the results are promising. Source: Reuters

Labels: caregivers, family, support

The British Department of Health reported yesterday that an increasing number of young people are being hospitalized for eating disorders.

"Research by the Children's Society said children are becoming fixated on their appearance, with seven out of 10 reporting they dieted because of the intense pressure to be thin, the British newspaper [The Daily Telegraph] said."

Over the past four years, nearly 400 young people under the age of the 10 have been admitted to hospitals due to eating disorders. Source: Daily India.

Labels: body_image, pressures, young_girls

Scientists at the Oregon Research Institute have developed a program that will help young women resist being influenced by the "ultra-thin" ideal portrayed in the media and fashion industries.

"The eating disorder prevention program, called the Body Project, consists of four one-hour weekly sessions in which participants critique the thin ideal espoused for women in our culture and learn how to challenge current and future pressures to be thin."

The program has not only helped young women overcome societal pressures, but it has also improved body image and reduced eating disorder symptoms among participants. Source: Psych Central News

Labels: media_influences, pressures, prevention

When a teenager is struggling with an eating disorder, he or she isn't the only one to suffer. Though she is the one at greatest risk, her family suffers right along with her. In an attempt to capture this painful journey, Lorri and Taryn Benson - mother and daughter - have teamed up to write the book Distorted: How a Mother and Daughter Unraveled the Truth, the Lies and the Realities of an Eating Disorder.

"Distorted chronicles their story, written in the hopes that other parents, spouses, siblings and friends can learn from their ordeal. It's not just a cautionary tale about the dangers of eating disorders... This book dramatically examines an eating disorder from dual perspectives, revealing many highly charges issues..."

Distorted has been called "raw" and "brutally honest" as mother and daughter fight for their family, their finances, and their lives. Source: DistortedTheBook.com

Labels: effects_of_eating_disorders, family, support

On Thursday, May 8th, the Illinois State Legislature Insurance committee will be presented with a bill aimed at expanding insurance coverage to include treatment of anorexia and bulimia.

"According to Kimberly Dennis, M.D., Medical Director at Timberline Knolls...eating disorders should have the same coverage as the serious mental illnesses currently covered by the Illinois mental health parity law. 'It's extremely important that the state legislature recognize the importance of providing equal medical coverage to those suffering from eating disorders,' said Dr. Dennis..."

The bill, HB 1432, would make anorexia and bulimia part of the list of mental illnesses which Illinois insurance is required to cover. Source: BusinessWire.

Labels: influences, legislation, mental_illness

At the height of her eating disorder, Chloe Cook weighed just 70 pounds. When she collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, doctors told her she was days away from death and that even if she recovered, she would never be able to have children.

"Now, however, the 24-year-old is the proud mother of a little girl - and her second child is due next month... 'I know that they have helped me to beat anorexia once and for all. I have to stay healthy to be a mother to them and that keeps me strong and positive.'"

Chloe's battle began when she was 17 years old. She thought she appeared overweight in some holiday pictures and decided to lose a little weight. Though her desire to shed a few pounds spiraled into a full-blown eating disorder, she has managed to regain healthy control of her weight and her life. Source: Daily Mail

Labels: death, infertility, recovery

John Prescott, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Scotland, has publicly admitted to a decade-long battle with bulimia. He revealed the information in hopes he could encourage others who struggle with the illness to get help.

"Mr. Prescott, whose autobiography is out next month, said he had decided to go public to help others. He said: 'I suffered from bulimia for about ten years. I want to say to millions of people who suffer from bulimia in silence to be more open about it and seek medical help, as I did.'"

In his memoirs, Prescott recalls resorting to binge eating as a way of coping with stress. He'd feel guilty about the overeating and would later purge everything. He also recalls feeling a "weird kind of pleasure" in vomiting. Prescott has been free from bulimia for about a year. Source: The Scotsman

Located in Vermont, Bromley Brook New England boarding schools for girls prides themselves on helping today's girls become tomorrow's leaders.

Labels: awareness, binge_eating, support

Transitioning from early childhood to adolescence is tough for boys and girls. The dramatic physical changes teens undergo can affect their body image and self-esteem.

"During puberty adolescents gain weight, the proportions of their bodies shift, muscle mass is gained and secondary sex characteristics, like body hair, emerge. Often this shift in physicality translates to disappointment as the boy who was once comparable in height with his peers, now feels tall and gangly and the girl whose body has matured quickly thinks she is fat and bloated."

Parents need to be aware of this potential shift in body image, especially since media and advertising are so saturated with physical images that are unrealistic and unobtainable. Keep the lines of communication open with your child. Help him process his emotional reaction to his physical changes. Reinforce her value as a person, independent of her size or shape. Source: BellaOnline

Labels: body_image, parents, puberty