About.com Eating Disorders

When the Parent Has the Disorder: Impact on the Family

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:06:56 +0000

We often hear about how a family may have impacted a person with an eating disorder (though I'll note that some dispute that the family has much to do with it). And we hear about how a person with an eating disorder impacts her family.

What about when the person with the disorder is the mother in the family? Some people develop eating disorders in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond. They may have spouses, kids...with responsibilities that adolescents simply don't yet have.

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When the Parent Has the Disorder: Impact on the Family originally appeared on About.com Eating Disorders on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 05:06:56.

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College Transition is a Vulnerable Time

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:27:30 +0000

It can be intimidating to face the adjustment to college. The studying intensifies, of course, but there's also a new burden - freedom. When you're on your own, you have more choices, which can be fun, but also many more stressors. Eating disorders tend to "simplify" a stressful life by making all other problems seem insignificant by comparison.

What parents can do when a teen heads to college
Challenges for female athletes
College environment can make drunkorexia seem more attractive

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College Transition is a Vulnerable Time originally appeared on About.com Eating Disorders on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 08:27:30.

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Raise Your Potato Chip and Salute!

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:32:07 +0000

I feel compelled to comment on a quote from Karl Lagerfeld, head designer at Chanel. In response to the notion that some people would like to see more "normal"-sized models, Lagerfeld offered this:

"No one wants to see curvy women...You've got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly."

Is he saying that all fat women are mothers, or all mothers are fat? Both? Not clear. I'm also aware that Chanel advertises on those televisions pretty regularly. Hmm.

Plenty more could be said about this statement; I'll leave that to you. My understanding is that Lagerfeld has since apologized for this statement. Good choice. He could follow up by varying his lineup of models a bit. We can dream!

Should moms eating chips go on a diet?
How statements (and other events) can trigger eating disorders
Are you an emotional eater?

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Raise Your Potato Chip and Salute! originally appeared on About.com Eating Disorders on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 05:32:07.

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In the Minds of Your Sons and Daughters

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:49:49 +0000

Parents, do you wonder how your adolescent can do things to herself (or himself) that are so damaging and yet act as though nothing is amiss? If you've never had a good look at what's happening behind your adolescent's eyes, it may surprise you.

10 common (and brutal) examples of self-talk in your adolescent's mind
When pro-anorexia sites pick up steam...
Book resource: Dealing with self-talk problems

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In the Minds of Your Sons and Daughters originally appeared on About.com Eating Disorders on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 20:49:49.

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What Is "Evidence-Based" Treatment?

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:01:46 +0000

A phrase that appears more and more in all kinds of mental health treatment literature is "evidence-based treatment." The idea is very sound: Those who practice evidence-based treatment use only methods that have significant scientific evidence behind them.

But how much evidence? What kind of evidence? And in the world of eating disorders, what treatments rise to the top?

Explore evidence-based treatments for EDs
Why refeeding is so important when anorexia treatment starts
Counseling options for bulimia

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What Is "Evidence-Based" Treatment? originally appeared on About.com Eating Disorders on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 20:01:46.

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Binging's in the Eye of the Beholder

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:30:36 +0000

Here's something I hadn't thought about before. The definition of binge-eating disorder (BED) says that binges involve eating more food than most people would expect you to eat in a relatively short time. So what if all of the people in your world don't find your eating out of the ordinary?

Another way of asking this question: Could the definition of BED be culturally-dependent? A blurb about a recent study suggests that black women meet BED criteria less often than white women. One of the project's researchers says, "These (black) women could be binge eating, but they may have less anxiety and distress surrounding their eating habits, so they don't recognize it as an issue."

So I have to ask: If there's no distress, is it really binge eating? Is it really an issue?

If there is a cultural influence suggesting that larger portion sizes are normal, we have to respond in one of two ways. We can try to convince this group that they have a problem, or we can ask how they're able to be comfortable with their eating where others can't.

How common is binge-eating disorder?
Medications used to address binge-eating disorder
The path to recovery through cognitive-behavioral therapy

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Binging's in the Eye of the Beholder originally appeared on About.com Eating Disorders on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 04:30:36.

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A Hiding Population

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:50:57 +0000

It's often said that men and boys with eating disorders don't want to tell anyone because they think of eating disorders as something that only women and girls have.

There also seems to be a group of people who fear seeking treatment because they think of eating disorders as something that only white women and girls have.

If that's you, then take a look at the faces of two black women - one who is recovering from anorexia, the other bulimia. If you're a person of color, you're not alone.

Body image in black women
Are eating disorders more common in white women or black women?
Understand muscle dysmorphic disorder in men

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A Hiding Population originally appeared on About.com Eating Disorders on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 03:50:57.

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Fashion Show Widens Its Scope

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:51:25 +0000

The province of Quebec is on a road to a more balanced employment of women in fashion shows. Seven models of various sizes headlined Montreal Fashion Week recently, reinforcing Quebec's newly-adopted charter for a healthy and diverse body image.

I especially like that Montreal Fashion Week employed models ranging from thin to plus-sized. Any of these sizes can be healthy, although many thin models in the world of high fashion get there via unhealthy eating behaviors. Employing models in a wide range of sizes highlights a desire to exclude no one and still promote health for everyone.

The charter is non-binding, meaning that fashion houses don't have to abide by it. But it can be a force for a change in focus than can lead to changed attitudes.

Is this approach better than taking a harder line?
Momentum for banning thin models
Sadly, employing more normal-sized models can put a fashion house in the doghouse

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Fashion Show Widens Its Scope originally appeared on About.com Eating Disorders on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 14:51:25.

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Forum Post of the Week: Is Doing the "Right" Things Wrong?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:02:38 +0000

A reader asks about her 40-year-old friend who has slowly eliminated many foods from her diet in the interests of "eating healthy." The problem is that her health seems to be deteriorating quickly.

Read the post and add to the discussion
Risky behaviors that can lead to disordered eating
Preventing eating disorders in your son or daughter

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Forum Post of the Week: Is Doing the "Right" Things Wrong? originally appeared on About.com Eating Disorders on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 04:02:38.

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New Twist on Nutritional Labeling

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:40:37 +0000

Talk about ambitious. Some grocery stores are using a nutritional rating method, called the NuVal system, that ranks every single food item in the store on a scale of 1 to 100. A 100 rating means that it offers the most nutrition.

So, you might ask: What do they mean when they say "nutrition"? Doesn't this mean different things to different people?

A team of 12 nutrition and health scientists developed a complex algorithm to rate all foods. Lead researcher Dr. David Katz, of the Yale University School of Medicine, says that people using the NuVal system should use it just as one would use a GPS system in finding a destination by car. When you have no idea where you're going, a GPS is a big help. But when you know a lot about an area, you may disagree with the GPS's suggestions.

There's a key difference, though: Though one road to a destination might be quicker than another, they ultimately produce the same result. The NuVal system will make it much easier to label some foods as inherently "bad," and those vulnerable to eating disorders may be introduced to a kind of food restriction through such an obvious labeling method. The question becomes how high a number has to be on the 1 to 100 scale before it's considered okay to a person. For some, no number will be high enough.

In other words, its simplicity - designed to cut through confusing nutrition information on most packaging - may complicate the lives of those who believe that many foods are dangerous simply because they're food.

Could NuVal affect those vulnerable to orthorexia nervosa?
"Calorie restriction" attempts to control food precisely, too
And what if your eating problem is that you demand gourmet food?

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New Twist on Nutritional Labeling originally appeared on About.com Eating Disorders on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 09:40:37.

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