Becca's sister had suspected something was wrong. When she heard Becca throwing up in the bathroom, her suspicions were confirmed - Becca was struggling with bulimia. She immediately told her mom, and the two tried to get Becca some help.

"After months, the counselor told her family that the message just wasn't getting through and Becca was doing a lot of harm to her body. She has kidney problems, an ulcerated esophagus, bouts with chest pain, low blood pressure and is at risk of having a heart attack."

Becca is now in an inpatient program where her mom and sister are hoping she'll finally get the help she needs. Becca's family is sharing her story not only to raise awareness about bulimia but to bring attention to insurance companies who rarely cover eating disorder treatment. Source: The Daily Journal (MO)

Labels: awareness, family, support

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have put out a call for local families that have a child between the ages of 12 and 18 suffering from anorexia and are willing to be part of a 16-week study. The study will compare two types of family therapy.

"One will teach families 're-feeding.' It will include a session where a counselor observes a family meal to determine how its dynamics have changed and how effective parents can be at encouraging their children to eat adequate amounts of food."

The second method will focus more on family counseling and dealing with adolescent issues that may trigger eating disorders. The study is being funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and will take place at six locations across the United States. Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Labels: family, research, study

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

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

A recent study found that overweight teens are more likely to practice extreme dieting measures or develop eating disorders if their parents focus too much on weight issues. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota, tracked the eating habits of 1,311 girls and 1,069 boys for a five year period.

"Weight-teasing by family, personal weight concerns and dieting/unhealthy weight-control behaviors 'strong and consistently' predicted being overweight, binge eating, and engaging in extreme weight-control behaviors..."

However, frequent family meals, frequent lunch eating, and a positive atmosphere at family meals appeared to reduce the risk for both binge eating and extreme weight-control measures over time.

Dealing with a brat? Wish you could send them to Brat Camp? Turn-About Ranch, featured in the UK version of Brat Camp, can help your difficult teenager too!

Labels: family, healthy_eating, support

Family-based therapy (FBT) has previously been proven a more effective treatment than supportive psychotherapy (SPT) for adolescent anorexia. Now, the same has been proven for treatment of adolescent bulimia, according to a study funded by the National Institute for Mental Health.

"Daniel le Grange, PhD, of the University of Chicago, and colleagues randomly divided 80 teenagers with bulimia, ages 12-19, into two treatment groups, FBT or SPT... Six months after the end of treatment, 16 of the 41 participants (39 percent) who received FBT were in remission, compared with 7 of the 39 people (18 percent) in the SPT treatment group."

Family-based therapy empowers a teen's parents to take action and help their child stop bulimia-related behaviors. It also helps the parents separate the behaviors from the child and work with - not against - the child.

Private schools can help teenagers in ways that public schools just aren't able to - with better academics, personal attention from teachers, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Find one at www.boardingschoolsinfo.com.

Labels: family, support, therapy

Teens who eat dinners with their families are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables when they hit their twenties, according to a new study by the University of Minnesota. The study involved surveying 1500 people when they were in high school and again at age 20.

The 20-year-olds who ate evening meals with their families during adolescence had higher intakes of calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber, and drank fewer soft drinks. This study appears in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Find help for parents of troubled teens at ByParents-ForParents.com.

Labels: family, healthy_eating, students

A University of Chicago Medical Center team has found that adolescents who seek treatment for bulimia significantly increase their chances for recovery if their parents are involved in the process. The randomized study involved 80 adolescents, half of which were assigned family-based treatment while the other half were assigned standard treatment.

"In the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry [the] team... shows that almost 40 percent of participants in family-based treatment had stopped binging and purging compared to only 18 percent of those who received... the standard therapy. Six-months after treatment, almost 30 percent of participants who received family-based treatment were still abstinent compared to only 10 percent of participants who received supportive psychotherapy..."

The family-based therapy included clinic sessions with the patient and family members, while parents received instructions on to follow-up and encourage their children at home. The study shows that parents are uniquely positioned to help their children recovery from this potentially deadly eating disorder.

Copper Canyon Academy, a private girls residential treatment school, offers family seminars and workshops. Visit CopperCanyonAcademy.com for more information.

Labels: family, support, therapy

Max Lucas is married to Grace Bowman whose book "Thin" details her personal struggle with anorexia. Though she had recovered physically, she was still recovering psychologically when she and Max first met.

"For a few weeks after she told me, I kept an eye on her - seeing if she went to the toilet during a meal, that sort of thing. But as I got to know more about how Grace was actually feeling and the history of [her anorexia], and how far she had come from where she was, I got less concerned."

Max took practical, positive steps to help Grace continue in her recovery. Though he never nagged her about her eating habits, even when they were worrisome, he watched her to make sure she remained healthy. They are now married and living in Hertfordshire, north of London, Great Britain. Read more online.

Labels: family, recovery, support

When a younger child, or teenager, is diagnosed with an eating disorder, the whole family is affected. Though only one child is sick, siblings are deeply affected by the frustrations, fears, and other emotions associated with an eating disorder.

"From other parents whose children had recovered from anorexia, I heard the same kinds of concerns. Predictably, the younger the child, the more acting out the parents saw, including clinginess, tantrums, mimicking dangerous behaviors like not eating, and depression."

Once the child has recovered from the eating disorders, siblings often feel freer to express their own feelings of anger, fear and frustration, so the emotions may not come until the crisis is over. Read more online.

Labels: family, impact, recovery