A major study of treatment centers for eating disorders found that they are expensive and mostly unregulated. The average client stayed 83 days at a cost of around $1000 per day;  however, this is about half as expensive as inpatient treatment.

• Dr. Maria Frisch and her colleagues surveyed 22 residential eating disorder treatment programs across the United States and found inconsistencies in licensure.
• While most programs had general state licenses, very few had licenses specific to the treatment of eating disorders, and only 28% had accreditation from the Joint Commission of Healthcare Organizations.
• People in treatment received about six hours of nontraditional therapy such as art and music classes, recreational and experiential activities, and yoga/meditation for every ten hours of traditional group therapy.
• They also underwent about two hours of individual therapy for every ten hours of group therapy. 
• About half the programs reported they conducted studies of treatment outcomes.

This study appeared in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

Concerned about how to choose an eating disorder therapist or program? Check out Something Fishy's questions to ask your therapist to help you make the best choice.

Labels: treatment, research

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Individuals in the Seattle area will have the opportunity to participate in a walk to raise awareness about eating disorders.

“This May, there is also a special walking event in Seattle to help increase awareness about eating disorders. On May 22, 2010, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is sponsoring its second annual walking event. Their goal is to increase eating disorder awareness and raise funds for NEDA.” (Source: Seattle Eating Disorder Examiner)

Those in the Seattle area who are interested in participating can contact the NEDA at www.nationaleatingdisorders.org. If you live outside Seattle, but would like to support the NEDA, contact them about organizing a walk/run in your area.
 

Labels: awareness

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

In a frightening story of just how seriously kids can react to criticism from friends -- and how that criticism can lead to or exacerbate low self-esteem -- a young man from Great Britain is talking about his experience with eating disorders. He began “dieting” after being teased at school, and he eventually became so sick that he had to be fed through a tube.

His problems began when he started at Stockport secondary school at the age of 11. Older children called him names and teased him about his weight. It quickly spiraled out of control as he rapidly shed pounds. Eventually he collapsed and was admitted to nearby Stepping Hill hospital. (Source: The Daily Mail)

At the height of his struggle, Taylor was consuming just 50 calories a day. Taylor’s mom is quick to point out that he wasn’t “bullied,” as some newspapers have reported. She believes it’s important for parents and young people to realize that even innocent, seemingly harmless comments about a person’s weight can have terrible effects.

Labels: influences, starvation, friends

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

Every year, Linden Oaks Hospital in Naperville, Chicago hosts a candlelight vigil to honor those who have recovered from eating disorders, and those who lost the battle. One purpose of the vigil is to convey hope to those still struggling, and remind them that eating disorder support is available.

“Several hundred people gathered at the facility, on the western edge of the Edward Hospital campus, to hear stories of strength and courage, love and loss… Those packed in the meeting space listened as College of DuPage instructor Laura Zingler related her six-year struggle with disordered eating, invoking Winston Churchill’s famous advice: ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going.’” [Source: The Naperville Sun] 

Also on hand for the event were filmmaker Darryl Roberts and Miss Indiana – Nicole Pollard. Cathy Vanderheyden and her daughter Eliza attended as well, using the vigil as a marker for the beginning of Eliza’s recovery. “We hope we’ll be here next year,” Cathy said, “celebrating one year” of recovery.

Labels: awareness, recovery

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 1 Comment

Kelly Redoutey recently won the Miss Ocala-Marion County beauty pageant. She will soon be competing for the Miss Florida title. Her goal is to use the attention she’s getting to raise awareness about eating disorders.

“It was something that I went through, so growing up it’s something that never leaves you, it’s a scar," Redoutey said. "So, it’s just important everyday you look in the mirror and just remind yourself that you’re comfortable with who you are.” [Source: WCJB-TV (Gainesville, FL)'

Redoutey raises awareness specially for a local charity called Helping Other People Eat, or HOPE. She plans to take her message to the Miss Florida competition and, if she’s lucky, on to the national stage as well.

Labels: awareness

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 1 Comment

Though eating disorder sufferers struggle with everything from eating nothing to eating everything, only two types of disorders have official diagnoses: anorexia and bulimia. All others fall into a catch-all category known as “Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS).”

“What most people don’t realize about eating disorders is that of the nearly 10 million Americans who suffer from these conditions, more than 60 percent are diagnosed with EDNOS.

The catch-all category includes many patients who fall just one or two criteria short of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa: They haven’t stopped menstruating for three months in a row, for example. … Or they binge and purge once a week, instead of twice a week, as ‘official’ bulimics do.” [Source: The Daily Beast'

Because the EDNOS “diagnosis” is so vague, some clinicians, parents, insurance companies and patients fail to take it as seriously as they should. They figure a person diagnosed with EDNOS isn’t as sick when in fact they often have more health issues than people who are officially diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia.

Labels: diagnosis, treatment, awareness, ednos

Posted By: CRC Health 1 Comment

People who suffer from binge eating disorders are more likely to have histories of childhood sexual or emotional abuse, according to a new study from McGill University in Canada.

• Binge eating disorder is characterized by uncontrollable episodes of overeating, followed by feelings of shame, guilt, and depression.
• As many as 2 percent of Americans have the disorder, and it is twice as common among women than men.
• Dr. Daniel Dunkley and his colleagues studied 170 people with binge eating disorder.
• The researchers found that those who have the most severe symptoms of body dissatisfaction and depression also had specific histories of childhood and sexual abuse, leading to self criticism.

"We looked at alternative theories, like childhood emotional abuse leading to depression, which leads to body dissatisfaction and self-criticism," Dr. Dunkley said. "But it doesn't seem to work that way. Self-criticism is the mediator."

This study appears in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
 

Labels: binge eating, abuse

Posted By: Eating Disorders Help Guide 1 Comment

A study that was recently published in the  Journal of Consulting Clinical Psychology revealed that a short-term intervention program of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and guided self-help can be effective for individuals with binge eating disorders.

Dr. Ruth Streigel-Moore and her colleagues at the Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center studied 123 people with binge eating disorder. Half got the short-term 12-week intervention, and the other half received standard care. Over 60 percent in the short intervention stopped binge eating, compared to 28 percent in the control group.
 

Labels: binge eating, treatment

Posted By: CRC Health 1 Comment