Check out our blog for latest news and findings regarding eating disorders, including possible causes and cures, ways to support suffers through their recovery, and stories from survivors about their experiences.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Young Athlete Talks about her Eating Disorder

Mariana was diagnosed with an eating disorder four years ago. At its worst, the disease left her at 65 pounds and near death. Now, on a solid road to recovery, she is sharing her experience in the hopes that her story can help others avoid a similar experience.
"'When you have an eating disorder, you don't see what other people are seeing, you see that you're not perfect. My mom helped me to realize I was all skin and bones. She thought I was going to my deathbed. It was my mom and friends who helped me turn it around.'"
An increasing number of athletes are opening up about their experiences with eating disorders. What used to be a taboo subject is finally out in the light, where it can be exposed for the dangerous, life-threatening disease it is. Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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Friday, September 05, 2008

Compelled to Be Thin

Kelly was 30 years old and her life was consumed by her eating disorder, which had started 15 years earlier. Eating disorders are becoming more common among women 30 and older, and many of them have had the disorder since they were teenagers.
"When Kelly started going to group therapy, she was with younger girls. It made her feel bad to be reminded of how at that age, she felt invincible to the effects of eating disorders. 'I was like "Look what happens. Do you want it to follow you?"', she said."
Women in their 30s are more likely to take responsibility for their eating disorder, and many in the medical community hope younger sufferers will follow their lead. The sooner responsibility is taken, the sooner treatment and recovery can begin. Source: Charlotte (NC) Observer

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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A Regained Appetite for Life

Lucy Howard-Taylor battled anorexia for almost four years. It's been six months since she wished she was dead - and she is no longer convinced that she was ugly, worthless, and dull. She shares her battle in her new book, Biting Anorexia.
"It is the only memoir written by a recovered anorexic to be endorsed by the Eating Disorders Foundation of NSW [New South Wales] because it refuses to glamorize the disorder, highlighting instead the inner turmoil, loneliness and quiet desperation behind the denial of food. 'Usually I have nothing to do with these kinds of books because they can be damaging to sufferers, but as soon as I read this, I thought this will change lives,' the group's founder, Amanda Jordan, said yesterday."
It was difficult for Howard-Taylor to put her eating disorder battles onto paper, she said, but she felt she owed it to other girls who she knew were facing the same battle. Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

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Monday, August 18, 2008

Recovery is a Journey

Jen is an avid blogger who candidly shares her struggle with, and recovery from, anorexia. She recently contributed a guest post on another blogger's site, where she shared a shortened version of her story:
"To anyone who's ever thought that eating disorders are a sign of weakness... I'd like to say this: recovering from an eating disorder is the hardest mental, physical, and emotional work you will ever do. Imagine telling a heroin addict that he must shoot up three times per day, but only a little bit. ... Alcoholics, drug addicts, and gamblers can totally abstain from their drug of choice. Disordered eaters can never, ever get away from it."
Though she has re-learned how to eat healthy and how to love herself, Jen reminds readers that recovery is an ongoing process that requires renewed commitment every day. Source: Beyond the Tag

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Friday, June 13, 2008

Teen Shares Story of Recovery

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

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Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Story of Recovery

At the height of her eating disorder, Chloe Cook weighed just 70 pounds. When she collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, doctors told her she was days away from death and that even if she recovered, she would never be able to have children.
"Now, however, the 24-year-old is the proud mother of a little girl - and her second child is due next month... 'I know that they have helped me to beat anorexia once and for all. I have to stay healthy to be a mother to them and that keeps me strong and positive.'"
Chloe's battle began when she was 17 years old. She thought she appeared overweight in some holiday pictures and decided to lose a little weight. Though her desire to shed a few pounds spiraled into a full-blown eating disorder, she has managed to regain healthy control of her weight and her life. Source: Daily Mail

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Thursday, March 27, 2008

Eating Disorders Take Center Stage

The 2008 International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Symposium (iaedp ™) is set to meet April 3-6 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Over 400 eating disorder-related clinicians and professionals are expected to attend.
"Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund will speak on Thursday at the iaedp™ Awards Banquet and Opening General Session about her experience and recovery from anorexia, as a young teen, which is the catalyst for her platform on eating disorder awareness."
The iaedp ™ was established in 1985 and offers a wide array of educational and training opportunities for health care professionals who work with eating disorders.Read more online at www.prnewswire.com.

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Saturday, January 05, 2008

Holidays Tough for Compulsive Eaters

From pre-Halloween through the Super Bowl parties, people who struggle with compulsive eating find themselves in a season where every social gathering is fashioned around food. It's often considered the single most difficult time of the year for compulsive eaters.
"There is enormous social pressure to eat... Social messages connect food to celebration, love, entertainment, socializing, etc., which increase the tendency to overeat. This all comes at a time of year when other activities are becoming less available due to changes in the weather. Food then becomes overly important as a way to satisfy emotional needs..."
Emotions are a primary driving force behind compulsive eating and include intense feelings of remorse and guilt. Someone who struggles with overeating needs to be aware of his or her "triggers" and seek support from friends and family.

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Monday, October 15, 2007

Support Groups can Help

When a teen is diagnosed with an eating disorder, it's important that he or she get help right away. "Help" often includes counseling, medical monitoring, and nutritional guidance. A support group can also be a great addition to an adolescent's recovery plan.
"ANAD [National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders] meetings provide a safe haven for individuals with any type of eating disorder who need support in their recovery and wish to express their feelings about their experience. Members can break their painful silence and find connection with others who share and understand their struggle. Individuals are encouraged to actively participate, but are never pressured to speak. Regular attendance is not required."
Support groups focus on recovery, and members often gain encouragement and inspiration from one another as they navigate the crooked path of recovery. Though it shouldn't be a substitute for individualized counseling with a trained professional, a support group can add another layer of care and increase the chances of full recovery.

Therapeutic boarding schools offer academics and therapy for teens struggling with emotional and behavioral issues. Find one at TherapeuticBoardingSchool.com.

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Thursday, June 21, 2007

Essay Earns Counselor Award

JoDee Rigel, a school counselor from Monroe County, Michigan, was the subject of an award-winning article written by a teen who says the counselor saved her life. Ms. Rigel was the first person to take action when she noticed that the young girl, Chelsea, had lost a lot of weight.
"In the essay, Chelsea wrote how Ms. Rigel noticed her significant weight loss and intervened. 'She's done everything for me and has been there since day one,' she said."
Chelsea admitted she had a problem as soon as she was confronted, which Ms. Rigel says helped her recover more quickly. Chelsea's article won an award from Teen Ink Magazine, the content of which is written entirely by teenagers.

Read more at MonroeNews.com.

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Friday, April 13, 2007

Artist's Work Becomes More "Aware"

Christine Mercer-Vernon is a fine artist who has moved from painting flowers to painting people. Specifically, painting women. Mercer-Vernon started participating in an art therapy class with women and young girls who struggled with eating disorders. The experiences caused her to re-evaluate what she was painting and why.
"As she worked with the patients, her work started to change. It began to focus on body language and the human form – character instead of beauty. The York artist started painting portraits of women to show what people look like and how they feel."
One of her paintings, titled "Aware", depicts a curvy woman as though she's being looked at from behind. The painting was recently purchased by a woman who said she "got it" and that she herself feels that aware of her body when she knows someone is looking at her from behind. Read more at EveningSun.com.

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Monday, April 02, 2007

Ways to Prevent a Relapse

Though many people develop eating disorders when they're young, many of them end up battling the disorders for the rest of their lives. Relapses are not uncommon, especially during times of emotional or mental stress. But there are things you can do to help prevent relapses either in your own life or the life of a loved one.
"Continue to find avenues of support for patients with eating disorders. For many, overcoming an eating disorder is a lifelong battle. Consistent support via therapy or support groups may be needed."
A relapse may not look like the original illness. Someone who was once diagnosed with anorexia may begin exhibiting signs of bulimia instead, or may begin binge eating. Find out more information at AnorexiaBulimiaHelp.com.

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Sunday, April 01, 2007

Then and Now

Almost 30 years ago, Aimee Liu suffered from anorexia. At the age of 25, considered cured, despite minimal treatment, she documented her struggle with teenage anorexia in Solitaire.

Six years ago, Liu again found herself battling the devastating eating disorder. So she wrote a new book, Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders, about the long road of recovery.

Liu says "that mid-life women are prone to eating disorders in the same way that adolescent girls are. Life changes and outside pressures can cause a loss of identity, and that struggle is often what triggers the disorder in many women." Read more online.

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Thursday, March 29, 2007

A Story of Hope

At age 13, Carmen Cusido weighed 60 pounds. What began as a desire to be "thin and beautiful" turned into an obsession. At the height of her eating disorder, she was consuming just 300 calories a day. Now, 10 years later, Carmen is healthy, and happy with the way she looks. But she hasn't forgotten the hard road she traveled to get here.
"By the time I was admitted to a hospital pediatric unit, I was so weak from self-starvation I was assisted by a wheelchair... Hot tears were running down my cheeks when a doctor there placed a naso-gastric tube – a thin tube that went from my nose to my stomach – that, like an intravenous, would provide extra nutrients if I wasn't eating all my meals."
Carmen spent most of 1997 in that Eating Disorders Unit. In 2000 she decided she was "tired of being sick and tired". She has been on a steady, positive road to recovery ever since. Read more at Thnt.com.

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Friday, March 23, 2007

Book Gives Insight into Life After Eating Disorders

In 1979, Aimee Liu wrote Solitaire, her memoir of her struggles with anorexia nervosa. Now, almost thirty years later, she's penned a new book called Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders. In it, Liu talks about her own mid-life relapse, and shares the results of ground-breaking scientific research.
"Liu dispels the notion that eating disorders are caused by parents or strictly environmental circumstances. She quotes research isolating susceptibility genes for restricting anorexia…and bulimia..."
Liu also shares the stories of other eating disorder suffers, dispelling the often-held belief that eating disorders are only found in rich, young, Caucasian girls. Read more online.

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Monday, March 12, 2007

Living with a Size Zero

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.

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Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Impact on the Family

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.

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Friday, March 02, 2007

Students at Blazer High School Hear Story of Recovery

All of the girls at Blazer High School in Ashland, Kentucky were given permission to attend a presentation on eating disorders where Shannon Cutts shared her story of recovery.
"'I thought I was the only one. I thought I was born flawed,' said Shannon Cutts of Houston, Texas, who fought eating disorders for 14 years before recovering and launching a career as a singer-songwriter and motivational speaker."
Shannon tells of the cultural conditioning and media portrayals of beauty that reinforce negative body images, and cause girls as young as 4th graders to feel as though they're overweight. Read more at DailyDependent.com.

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