Ali Michael started modeling when she was 15 years old. At the time she weighed 128 lbs.; which wasn't bad for her five-feet-nine-inches frame. But after repeated negative comments at fashion shows she began to lose weight, eventually dropping to 100 lbs. And her menstrual cycle stopped.

"She confides how she was sitting with four girls at a show in Paris last year when she mentioned she had not had a period for over a year, 'and one by one each of them said "me too."'... Having been dragged to a doctor and nutritionist by her worried mother, she began eating healthily and her menstrual cycle returned to normal, but her catwalk career appears over."

Casting directors have told her that her legs are "too plump" though she currently only weighs 106 lbs. Michael hopes that, by sharing her story, she's put the spotlight on the fashion industry's unrealistic expectations, and that young girls will realize the dangers of aspiring to be "super-thin." Source: The Guardian - United Kingdom

Labels: dangers_of_eating_disorders, expectations, modeling

Feeling she had nowhere else to turn, a young college student wrote to an advice columnist to seek help for the bulimia she's struggled with for four years. Her family has turned their backs on her, and with little money and no insurance, she doesn't know where to go for help.

"...you must be willing to get help, no matter what form it comes in. On-campus counseling is more beneficial than you realize, and even short-term assistance can help."

The advice columnist goes on to suggest that the writer contact the National Eating Disorders Association, the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders, or her local church, United Way, or YMCA. Even a little help, she says, is better than no help at all. Source: The Herald Tribune - Florida

Labels: advice, support, treatment

More websites are promoting anorexia and extreme thinness as a legitimate lifestyle choice for young women and teens. The websites feature "thinspiration" photos of females so emaciated they seem to be missing not only fat and muscle, but all human tissue except bones, according to an article in The New York Times on May 25, 2008. Although more boys are becoming anorexic, the overwhelming majority who suffer from this life-threatening disorder are girls.

The websites celebrate boniness as a thing of beauty achieved only through sacrifice and self-denial, reporter Virginia Heffernan writes. The captions on the portraits, some of them truly horrifying, tout the starving bodies as objects of admiration. For example, one girl wrote, "Skeleton, you are my friend. I will sacrifice all I have in life. Bones are beautiful." Another says, "Time spent wasting is not wasted time." A poetic teen writes, "I want to be so thin, light, airy that I don't leave a shadow. I can dance between the raindrops."

"Pro-ana" or pro-anorexia websites become communities where girls who are starving themselves share advice and encouragement about the best ways to avoid eating. Participants post and update their "CWs, HWs, and BWs" with their pictures. CW is current weight, HW is high weight, and BW is best weight. An anorexic's entire outlook and mood can depend on whether she is BW or HW.

The "thinspo" and "pro-ana" sites often have a defiant tone. Experts say these young women are striking a revolutionary pose against society and their families, firmly upholding their right to destroy themselves. Self-destructive females like Sylvia Plath and Virginia Wolfe become role models. One buzzword is "fierce." The goal is to be as thin and fierce as a pouting, strutting runway model.

Labels: encouragement, pro-ana, self-destruction

Life is often too fast-paced for us to stop and really enjoy what we're eating. Eating isn't an experience as much as a necessity. Sasha Loring, a psychotherapist at Duke University, says that taking time to savor and enjoy food could combat eating disorders.

"In a randomized controlled trial at Duke and Indiana State University, binge eaters who participated in a nine-week mindful-eating program went from bingeing an average of four times a week to once, and reduced their levels of insulin resistance."

The key to mindful eating is to slow down and take notice of what you're eating; take a bite, put down your fork, and pay attention to the smell, texture, and taste of your food. Another key is to approach food "non-judgmentally" - that is, try to leave guilt, fear, and anxiety at the door. Source: The Wall Street Journal

Learn more about Mindful Eating at Weight Loss Central.

Labels: binge_eating, meals, motivation

Following in the footsteps of previous states, the Illinois legislature has introduced a bill that would require insurance companies to cover the treatment of eating disorders. Eating disorders are currently not recognized as a serious mental illness, so insurance companies aren't required to cover treatment.

"But that could soon change. A law proposed in the General Assembly would add anorexia and bulimia to the list of serious mental illnesses that must be covered. Insurance companies would be required to cover 45 days of in-patient care and 60 visits of outpatient treatment."

Insurance company spokespeople warn that requiring more coverage could result in higher insurance costs. Source: Chicago Daily Herald

Equine therapy is a great tool for children who are resistant to traditional forms of therapy. Find a good equine assisted psychotherapy program at Animal-AssistedTherapy.com.

Labels: insurance, support, treatment

Research published in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing found that 18 percent of teenagers admit to having an eating problem. The findings were the results of two health surveys completed a year apart by the same group of teenagers.

"...we noticed that students who reported suffering from anxiety earlier in adolescence were 20 times more likely to have ongoing eating problems,' says Lea Hautala of the Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic at the University of Turku, Finland."

The survey also found that students who were dissatisfied with their appearance developed recurring eating disorders only if they also struggled with anxiety. Source: Huliq

Labels: anxiety, body_image, eating_problems

Marisa was diagnosed with anorexia when she was 13-years-old. She was hospitalized several times before entering a residential treatment unit in Utah.

"Marisa is sharing her story because she wants people to understand anorexia - that it is a debilitating disorder rooted in control and not vanity... If she could control what she ate and subsequently her weight, then everything would be ok."

Now, at 16, Marisa is at a healthy weight. She and her parents are plaintiffs in a landmark case again Aetna insurance agency, which was sued because of its lack of eating disorder treatment coverage. The company has since agreed to change its policies and reimburse Marisa's parents the money they spent on her treatment. Source: WNBC - New York

Labels: recovery, support, treatment

A lawsuit filed by about 100 New Jersey insurance customers has forced Aetna to agree to change its coverage for eating disorders. It will now cover eating disorders the same way it covers other mental illnesses.

"The company previously allowed 20 outpatient visits per year and 30 days of inpatient treatment...Aetna says it would pay for more care."

The insurance company has also agreed to pay $250,000 to the families involved in the lawsuit. Source: South Jersey Courier Post

Labels: insurance, lawsuite

Maude LeClerc, a 14-year-old Florida high school freshman, wanted her fellow students to understand both the prevalence and dangers of eating disorders. So she invited former Miss Florida, Allison Kreiger, in to speak about her non-profit organization H.O.P.E.

"...H.O.P.E., or Helping Other People Eat, [is] a nonprofit organization that works to prevent eating disorders and help pay for treatment for teens who otherwise couldn't afford it."

Kreiger, who struggled with both anorexia and bulimia in high school, founded H.O.P.E. seven years ago; Le Clerc is a junior board member. Krieger estimates that she has spoken to more than 25,000 students since creating the organization. Source: Sun-Sentinel

Labels: awareness, dangers_of_eating_disorders, prevention

It's well-known that anxiety disorders are more common among people with anorexia. But a team of researchers has found that childhood anxiety is not only a precursor to eating disorders, but may determine a disorder's severity.

"In general, the researchers found, women with a history of childhood anxiety exhibited 'more extreme personality traits' and attitudes - like perfectionism and obsessive tendencies related to food - than women without a history of early anxiety disorders."

The research team believes this newly discovered link emphasizes the importance of discovering and treating anxiety disorders early. Source: Parent Center

Labels: anorexia, anxiety, causes of eating disorders