Most eating disorder attention is focused on conditions that make a person too thin, such as anorexia and bulimia. But some people believe that doctors are overlooking equally dangerous disorders that cause people to become too heavy.

"Compulsive eating is also fatal," eating disorder expert Dr. Kimberly Dennis says. "It's just a much slower, gentler killer than anorexia or bulimia." ... In Kansas City, Dr. Dennis talked to health professionals about treating and recognizing all eating disorders.

Dennis believes there's as much denial around overeating and binge eating and there is around other eating disorders, and that psychological therapy is a necessary part of treatment. Source: KSHB-TV (Kansas City)

Labels: diagnosis, doctors, treatment

The National Eating Disorders Association has launched a powerful and provocative new advertising campaign that forces readers to see eating disorders from a unique perspective: Through the eyes of someone suffering with the disease.

"This ad campaign is thought-provoking, even aggressive, and not likely to be ignored in a magazine or on a bus shelter. It's meant to evoke strong emotions, to encourage people to educate themselves and to get the help they need."

One of the images is a bathroom scale with a single bean on it and a caption that reads "It Weights Almost Nothing. Just like the Girl Who's Having it for Lunch." Source: 24-7 Press Release

Labels: education, perceptions, support

Seven organizations on the campus of the University of Alabama have joined forces to raise awareness about the prevalence and dangers of eating disorders. Several events have been planned, including a fashion show and a blue jean drive.

"The goal this week is trifold," said Student Health Center dietician Lori Greene. "Increase awareness and education about eating disorders, promote a positive body image, and inform students of the resources that are here on UA's campus for someone that may be suffering from disordered eating."

In addition to the big events, tables were scheduled to be set up throughout the campus to provide information about eating disorders, including where and how people can get help. Source: The Crimson White

Labels: awareness, colleges

Though winter weather retains a hold on much of the nation, the day will soon come when sweaters and coats are exchanged for tank tops and shorts. Spring and summer can be times of anxiety for young people who are inundated with messages about body size and beauty.

"The single most important way parents can help their children develop a healthy body image is to lead by example... Children who hear their parents criticize themselves for being too fat will be more likely to think poorly of their own bodies."

Experts advise sharing healthy activities with your child, such as cooking nutritious meals or engaging in playful physical activity (for example, games of hide-and-seek or catch). Source: KRISTV.com (Corpus Christi, TX)

Labels: anxiety, parents, self-esteem

Often, eating disorders are only diagnosed after a person is very thin and very sick. Assessing your eating habits, or the habits of someone you love, early can encourage early intervention.

"People with eating disorders need to seek professional help. Early diagnosis and intervention significantly improves the chance of recovery. If not identified or treated in the early stages, eating disorders can become chronic, debilitating and even life-threatening conditions."

Ask yourself these questions: Do you wish parts of your body looked different? Are you unhappy with your reflection in the mirror? Do you skip meals or obsess about counting calories? Do you exercise to the point of fatigue or injury? If you or someone you know can answer "yes" to these questions, seek help. Source: Akron (OH) Beacon Journal

Labels: causes of eating disorders, eating_habits, risks

Susie Orbach is reportedly the psychoanalyst who treated Princess Diana for her eating disorders. Confidentiality agreements prevent her from confirming that, but she has taken her years of experience treating numerous patients and put them into a book, Bodies, where she addresses damaging misconceptions about body image.

"The author of Fat is a Feminist Issue and a professor at the London School of Economics, Orbach... writes that 'the postmodern body is in crisis.'...what Orbach is attempting to draw attention to is the fact that we don't question where this massive discontent stems from and why the numbers are epidemic."

Halfway through her book, Orbach breaks away from her traditionally anonymous case studies on body image and begins to name names. Specifically, she takes a hard look at the tyranny of the fashion, celebrity, and diet industries that make millions of dollars by telling people they're not acceptable the way they are. Source: The Daily Beast

Labels: body image, self-image_issues

Kirsten Haglund's mother never thought she'd see the day that her daughter would be crowned as Miss America. In fact, just five years ago, Kirsten was so sick that her family's only focus was getting her healthy.

"From the time she was little, [Kirsten] wanted to be a ballerina... But it was her beloved ballet that triggered an eating disorder. While at a ballet camp as a 12-year-old, [Kirsten] realized she didn't have the typical dancer's body: short torso, long legs, and thin, thin, thin."

She decided to go on a diet, but it quickly turned obsessive. She was 15-years-old before she and her parents took her disorder seriously. After a year in therapy, she is recovering - but she admits that every day is still a battle. She has started the Kirsten Haglund Foundation to promote the message, "Love Your Body. Rock the World." and she intends to continue raising awareness about the dangers of eating disorders. Source: Belleville News - Democrat (IL)

Labels: awareness, dangers_of_eating_disorders

The lack of adequate eating disorder treatment facilities in New Zealand has cost that country's health officials nearly $750,000 as they've had to send over a dozen teenagers to Australia to receive proper care.

"Health Minister Tony Ryall... earlier this year described the problems with anorexia treatment as 'a shambles', telling Campbell Live he had ordered a report on the DHBs' [District Health Boards] efforts to organize a service for the northern region."

Currently, there are only 12 beds for acute inpatient anorexia treatment in all of New Zealand, none of which are in the country's northern region. Source: The New Zealand Herald

Labels: patients, treatment

Young people often suffer in silence from eating disorders, but a treatment center in Birmingham, England, hopes to change that by equipping general practitioners with a questionnaire aimed at helping them recognize the disorders.

"Sent to 2,000 GPs across the region, the checklist containing five questions about feelings and behavior towards food is designed to help GPs spot problems and ensure patients receive vital treatment as soon as possible."

Though they may not mention the eating habits directly, people with eating disorders often go to their doctors with medical issues related to their disorder. The better equipped a doctor is at confirming suspicions of an eating disorder, the sooner the patient can get the most effective treatment. Source: Sutton Coldfield (UK) News

Labels: awareness, diagnosis, doctors

Cincinnati Police are warning a local community about a local gang that has been linked to a series of beatings and robberies.

"The gang is implicated in violent beatings and robberies in Westwood. One woman was attacked outside the library, another by a school. Seven teens have been arrested so far."

Police say the gang members range in age from 12 to 15-years-old and have likely gotten involved because gang life offers the friendship and protection they don't get at home. Source: Local 12 (Cincinnati)

Labels: crimes, gangs, violence

For people with eating disorders, food-related anxiety is a common struggle. A new computer program aims to help eating disorder sufferers learn to recognize signs of anxiety and manage them.

"When you get stressed out, your palms get sweaty and your hands get cold. [The program] measures that and it also measures your heart rate... Stress levels are displayed with symbols like balloons. Through deep breathing relaxation techniques, people are taught to control anxiety..."

The program is viewed as a bridge, helping people cross over from feelings of anxiety or a loss of control to the realization that they can control their emotions and their eating habits. Source: WBZTV (Boston)

Labels: anxiety, stress, support

The Body Image Coalition held their second annual Jeans Drive during National Eating Disorders Week. The Coalition placed decorated boxes throughout the Cabrini (Penn.) College campus, where students could drop off their unwanted jeans.

"By organizing the Jeans Drive, [Andrea] Sussel and the rest of the BIC hoped to improve the self-esteem issues of college students by having them get rid of pairs of jeans that might just be sitting in the closet."

One of the main goals of the drive is to encourage students to appreciate their bodies, rather than wishing they fit into a smaller size jean. All jeans collected during the drive are donated to Laurel House, a domestic violence shelter in Norristown. Pa. Source: The Loquitur (college newspaper for Cabrini College)

Labels: body_image, colleges, students

"Bling" is a slang used to describe fancy jewelry - real or fake - that is worn by young men and women. In Kansas City, Kansas, the word is also an acronym for a program being used to teach them about eating disorders.

"BLING stands for Building Liberated Insightful Girls. It's a multi-dimensional educational program created for adolescents to work proactively to prevent eating disorders in young girls."

The goal of the program is to teach kids how to respect and appreciate their bodies - no matter their size or shape. It is currently available in several Kansas City school districts. Source: KSHB-TV News (KS)

Labels: awareness, education, prevention

We hear, or read, the conflicting messages every day: Nicole Richie is too skinny, Jessica Simpson is too fat, and no one (or so it seems) is ever beautiful enough. As society continues to re-establish standards of beauty, Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Magnan interviewed five teenage girls about their opinions about beauty and body image.

"Sarah: Everyone says that the media is bad, but I think the thing that hurts the most is family and friends. I had an experience with my uncle. He came to visit us when I was about 13 and I was pretty chubby back then, but it never crossed my mind. I was still a child."

All five girls admitted to pressure, especially from their mothers, to look a certain way. Many were encouraged to join a gym or cut back on desserts. The interviews raised a lot of important issues, not the least of which was just how influential friends and family can be on a girl's self-image. Source: Calgary Herald

Labels: influences, media_influences, pressures