Horizon Blue Cross of New Jersey has reached a settlement agreement in a lawsuit over its lack of coverage for eating disorders. The settlement requires Horizon to expand coverage for more than one million eating disorder patients who are currently insured through the company.

Horizon also agreed to treat any future eating disorder claims by 1.5 million of its 3.3 million insureds as they would claims for biologically-based mental illnesses (BBMI) like schizophrenia - reforms that will cost the company an estimated $17.8 million. (Source: New Jersey Law Journal)

Horizon will also be required to pay nearly $2.5 million in restitution for previously refusing to cover treatment for eating disorders.

Experts estimate that as many as eight million Americans (seven million women and one million men) suffer from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or another type of disordered eating. In the absence of appropriate treatment, the health effects of eating disorders can range from devastating to deadly.

Labels: eating disorders, lawsuit, insurance

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"Normal" is a unique musical that peers into the dark, destructive world of eating disorders. Written by Yvonne Adrian, with lyrics by Cheryl Stern, the off-Broadway play opened in 2005.

Anorexia is not a common topic for a play, much less a musical, but [Artistic Director Chase Kniffen] and the cast of seven provide an open, in-depth and intimate view of the subject as well as the dynamics of the Freeman family as mother, father, daughter, and son struggle to come to terms with the layers of dissonance that would drive a young girl to starve herself ... [Source: The Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch]

"Normal" doesn't offer a fairy-tale ending or magical solution. Though the question "Why?" is asked, it is never answered. The play is raw and real -- perhaps too real for some -- but it does an excellent job of educating the audience and exposing a disorder that is often kept hidden in the shadows.

Labels: anorexia, education, eating_problems, broadway

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Actress Scarlett Johansson, whose resume includes the renowned films The Horse Whisperer, Lost in Translation, and Vicky Christina Barcelona, made a recent appearance on one of the Internet's most influential political blogs to take the media to task for promoting unhealthy attitudes that she believes can lead to disordered eating.

In an April 13 Huffington Post article entitled "The Skinny," Johansson decried the intrusive attention that she believes may prompt film fans to undertake dangerous weight-management practices:

According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), as many as 10 million females and 1 million males living in the US are fighting a life and death battle with anorexia or bulimia.

I'm someone who has always publicly advocated for a healthy body image and the idea that the media would maintain that I have lost an impossible amount of weight by some sort of "crash diet" or miracle workout is ludicrous. I believe it's reckless and dangerous for these publications to sell the story that these are acceptable ways to looking like a "movie star."

It's great to get tips on how to lead a healthier lifestyle, but I don't want some imaginary account of "How She Did It!" I get into and stay in shape by eating a proper diet and maintaining a healthy amount of exercise. The press should be held accountable for the false ideals they sell to their readers regarding body image -- that's the real weight of the issue.

Many health experts have noted an association between unhealthy body image and the onset of an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder.

Labels: body image, pressures, causes of eating disorders, celebrities

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In light of the current childhood obesity epidemic, lots of parents are becoming more careful about what they allow their kids to eat. And though the parents mean well, too much attention on the relative healthiness of foods can have negative consequences.

Anecdotal reports from [eating disorder] specialists suggest that a preoccupation with avoiding 'bad' foods is an issue for many young people who seek help. Dr. James Greenblatt, who specializes in eating disorders at a hospital in Waltham, Mass., estimates he has recently seen about a 15 percent increase in the number of his young patients who eat only organic foods to avoid pesticides. (Source: The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch)

Kids who have avoided refined sugar and high-fat foods for the sake of their health are beginning to avoid them for the sake of their weight. While no single factor can be blamed for triggering eating disorders, an unhealthy focus on 'bad' foods can be one of the contributing factors.

When discussing food choices with your children, make sure to emphasize that highly restrictive diet plans are not healthy.

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A website that supports anorexia nervosa as a lifestyle choice has used a picture of British TV presenter Fearne Cotton as a role model, and Cotton said she is horrified. She discovered the picture while filming a documentary about the dangers of eating disorders.

Viewers [of the documentary] see her shriek: 'Oh my God, what the hell's my name doing there? That's the worst thing I've ever seen. ... To think girls would use that is horrific. ... I don't want to be associated with anything like this.'

Filming of the documentary also took Cotton to a West London school where elementary school girls complain to her about being fat or needing to diet. Cotton said she learned a lot about the complexities of eating disorders and hopes that her documentary will help one or two girls shift their attention from weight to something more positive.

Source: The Mirror (UK)

Labels: anorexia, pro-ana, celebrities

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Researchers at Saint John's University in Minnesota have found that teenagers may use vegetarianism as a cover for eating disorders. The study appears in the latest edition of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

In a research venture called Project EAT-II: Eating Among Teens, [nutritionist Ramona] Robinson-O'Brien and her team surveyed 2,516 young Minnesotans, ages 15 to 23. ... Approximately 20 percent of the vegetarians turned out to be binge eaters, compared with only five percent of those who had always eaten meat.

The survey also found that 25 percent of the vegetarians admitted to engaging in extreme weight-control measures like taking diet pills or forcing themselves to vomit. Though some teenagers do become vegetarians in an effort to eat better or to protect animals, parents should be attentive to symptoms that may indicate an eating disorder.

Source: Dallas Morning News

Labels: teenagers, causes of eating disorders, teens, eating_habits, eating_problems, vegetarians

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Students at the University of Washington in Seattle put on a fashion show designed to display all kinds of body types, not just skinny models. The show, entitled "Everybody, Every Body," featured female models up to size 26, ranging in height from four foot ten to over six feet, and male models size 30 to 44, ranging in height from five foot six to six foot three.

The University of Washington fashion design students ran the show using clothes from outlets such as Torrid, Lucy, and The North Face. The show was conducted in conjunction with National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

"It's a crazy, crazy time," said co-director Rachel Hollcraft. "People who are pregnant are trying to lose weight. All this needs to end. We need to love ourselves as is."

Labels: fashion, colleges, models

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Parents don't always recognize the signs of an eating disorder in their child, and often don't become aware of the problem until the child is extremely sick. But a routine dental check-up can provide important clues.

"Key signs of a potential eating disorder include bad breath, sensitive teeth, enamel that is worn and appears translucent, mouth sores, dry mouth, cracked lips, bleeding gums along with a tender mouth, throat and salivary glands."

Dr. Katina Morelli, dental director for Delta Dental of Illinois, says the organization's policy is for dentists to encourage patients with eating disorder symptoms to seek help. Delta Dental provides counseling referrals as well. Source: About.com

Labels: diagnosis, awareness, dentists

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