Reader E-Mail: "Where Can I Find Treatment?"
I got an e-mail from a reader this week asking for information about treatment providers in his local area. Unfortunately, I don't have a list of the best eating disorder therapists nationwide to refer readers to. I do, however, know several places that do. I've compiled a list with links to multiple databases of therapists and treatment centers for this specific purpose. If you're considering seeking treatment and beginning to recover from your eating disorder/eating issues, check it out. I hope it is helpful for you.
As an aside, I love connecting with readers. Feel free to e-mail me, comment on posts or speak up in the forum!
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Should You Try Yoga?
Pressures to conform one's body to the 'thin ideal' are extremely prevalent in our society today - so much so that it is considered somewhat 'normal' to be unsatisfied and critical of one's body.
In an effort to find out what fights against negative body mage and self-objectification, researchers at San Jose State University in California, interviewed adult women who practice yoga on a regular basis. Out of all of the participants, 74% reported that at some point in their lives they had struggled with their weight or with negative body image. Interestingly, 75% of participants reported that their body acceptance and appreciation increased after developing a yoga practice.
Not only did these women report increased body acceptance, but they also reported that they attribute positive feelings and a feeling of well-being to their yoga practice. They also expressed "greater connection to themselves, to others, and to their notion of the divine" and were more likely to practice intuitive eating. The researchers concluded that yoga seems to have helped these women by improving physical and emotional awareness and providing a method for grounding and introspection or meditation.
Do you practice yoga as part of your recovery? What has been your experience?
Source:
Dittman, K.A. & Freedman, M.R. (2009). Body awareness, eating attitudes, and spiritual beliefs of women practicing yoga. Eating Disorders, 17. 273-292.
Other Coping Skills to Try:
- Become a Critical Viewer of the Media
- 10 Ways to Improve Your Body Image
- Six Steps for Successful Grocery Shopping
Eating Disorders Increase Risk of Dying Prematurely
In case you didn't already know, eating disorders can be deadly. A new, extremely large-scale study on the topic was presented this week at the American Psychiatric Association's annual conference by Jaana T. Suokas, MD.
The study was conducted at the University of Helsinki Central Hospital in Finland and followed 2329 women and 113 men in treatment for eating disorders between 1995 and 2010. It looked at all causes of premature death for the sufferers, including suicide. People suffering from anorexia were 6 times more likely to die prematurely. Those suffering from bulimia had a 3 times greater risk of premature death, and those suffering from binge eating disorder had a 1.78 greater risk.
Interestingly, the risk of premature death for people suffering from anorexia went down the further out the sufferers got from treatment. However, those with bulimia had the highest risk of premature death about two years after treatment.
Although I don't know that this study tells us a great deal that we didn't already know about eating disorders, it does underscore the importance of early treatment and recovery. It is a sad, but important, reminder of the seriousness of this disease.
Do you know someone who has died as a result of their eating disorder?
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Dance UK Hosts Disordered Eating Conference
I was excited to read that members of the dance industry in the United Kingdom are having an important conversation about eating disorders this past week. In response to research that indicates that many dancers suffer or have suffered from an eating disorder, Dance UK hosted a conference on April 30 entitled "Nutrition and Disordered Eating in Dance: Artistry, Athleticism and the Role of the Multidisciplinary Support Team." Over 100 delegates attended the conference at the Royal Society of Medicine in London.
The first primary topic at the conference centered around dispelling the 'myth' that dance companies are only looking for extremely thin dancers. Several directors, including David Bintley, Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet were quoted as saying that they would be extremely reluctant to work with dancers who they knew had an eating disorder and are looking for diversity of size and 'real' bodies in their dancers. Interestingly, though, Monica Mason, Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet is quoted by the BBC as stating that any dance company director who claims never to have worked with an anorexic performer is "lying"
The second topic was that of a multidisciplinary support team in order to tackle the problem of eating disorders within dance companies. Speakers stressed that each company needs to identify individuals whom dancers can turn to if they have problems or know of someone who is struggling. Dance UK also formed the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS) in an effort to provide dancers with comprehensive, specialized healthcare.
Have you known dancers who have been impacted by eating disorders? What do you think it will take to change the culture of dance?
8th Grader Petitions Seventeen Magazine
Kudos to Julia Bluhm, an 8th grader from Waterville, Maine. She has recently begun a crusade to petition Seventeen Magazine to include at least one unaltered (completely real) photo spread in each issue.
She is quoted by Nightline as saying ""We want to show Seventeen that we love our body just for who we are and we don't need Photoshop to fix us ... and we can be pretty without -- we can take pictures of ourselves and be pretty."
Wow. I love her honesty, insight, and her courage to stand up against the current system of presenting women, girls (and men) with excessively Photoshopped images that only serve to harm self-esteem and body-image. I wish that more people had her confidence. Julia, you definitely have my respect and admiration!
If you are interested in signing Julia's petition, it is on Change.org and can be accessed here.
New Course for Doctors on Eating Disorders
The American Medical Association has recently released a new online continuing education course entitled Screening and Managing Eating Disorders in Primary Practice. It is currently available through the AMA's website. Physicians who complete the course will be able to readily recognize eating disorder symptoms and complications and will be more knowledgeable about the course and types of treatments available. The speakers for the course are Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSHM, FAED, CEDS and Jennifer L. Gaudiani, MD.
I am so excited to hear about this course. Many of my clients have had difficulty with primary care physicians who simply weren't all that familiar with eating disorders and had to seek out other physicians with more expertise in the area. This is frustrating as most people like to continue seeing the same doctor(s) as they are aware of their history and have built a relationship with them. My hope is that many physicians will access this course and this will allow sufferers to remain with doctors they already know and feel comfortable with.
What do you think about the course? Is your doctor familiar with eating disorders?
A Change of Heart for Vogue?
In stark contrast to the controversial 'Diet Mom" article, published only months ago, it seems Vogue may have had a change of heart regarding the promotion of eating disorder behaviors. The editors of the nineteen international Vogue magazines have come together to release a joint effort called 'The Health Initiative' in which positive body image is championed. The UK edition lists the pledges of the initiative as not knowingly working with models who have an eating disorder or are under the age of 16. They also pledge to encourage the use of models who are healthy and who have a healthy body image.
To be fair, Vogue has been involved in such initiatives before. The Council of Fashion Designers of America began their health initiative in 2007 and the magazine has shown support for it. (Yet it continues to publish a multitude of airbrushed photographs and articles relating to achieving the perfect body.)
I am hopeful that initiatives such as these will begin to change the way the fashion industry and media depict beauty. However, I do think it would be naive to believe that Vogue will completely change its ways. Kirstie Clements, editor of the Austrailia edition of Vogue weighs in on the initiative in her editor's letter and sums it up well, stating, "We are not claiming that we will fix the problem overnight, but a healthy discussion will almost certainly lead to a more healthy future."
What do you think about initiatives such as this one by Vogue?
1,000 Lives Plus Lauches Eating Disorder Program
1,000 Lives Plus, a program aimed at improving the quality of healthcare in Wales in the United Kingdom, has launched a new program specific to eating disorders. It is estimated that 1,000 new cases of eating disorders develop each year in Wales, driving motivation to focus on this area.
The primary goals of the program are:
- Improve specialist advice and support to primary care, including pre-referral advice and shared care arrangements
- Improve co-ordination of assessment care, and interventions across Mental Health Services
- Improve provision of specialist eating disorder services to local communities
- Improve acute medical in-patient care for patients with anorexia nervosa
Improving treatment options and access to care for people with eating disorders is a huge need the world over. I am happy to hear that Wales will be receiving the benefits of this program. Do you have any experience with the 1,000 Lives Plus program or something similar?
"Thinspo" is Banned by Instagram
Joining the ranks of Pinterest and Tumblr, photo-sharing site Instagram has released a new policy banning pro-eating disorder photographs from being posted. The new guidelines state that users must not post things that glorify or promote self harm:
"While Instagram is a place where people can share their lives with others through photographs, any account found encouraging or urging users to embrace anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders; or to cut, harm themselves, or commit suicide will result in a disabled account without warning. We believe that communication regarding these behaviors in order to create awareness, come together for support and to facilitate recovery is important, but that Instagram is not the place for active promotion or glorification of self-harm."
In addition to banning photographs containing thinspiration or 'thinspo,' they have also disabled searches for hashtags such as #thinspiration, #proanorexia and #probulimia. Anyone searching for these hashtags will receive a result containing contact information for the National Eating Disorders Association. Searching for hashtags related to suicide and self-harm have also been disabled and will return a result connecting the user with resources for help.
What do you think of the movement to ban thinspiration on social networking sites? Do you think it will be helpful?
Related Article:
Life Cycle Transitions Can Trigger Eating Disorders
Researchers at the University of Minnesota recently published new research regarding triggering events for eating disorders. They found, after interviewing 27 individuals in treatment for an eating disorder, that stressful family life cycle transitions often trigger the onset of an eating disorder. These included life transitions such as entering middle school or leaving for college, the divorce of one's parents or the death of a family member or close friend. Other transitions such as relationship changes, serious illness and abuse or sexual assault were also considered triggering events.
Interestingly, over half of the participants in the study reported two or more transitions as triggering events in the history of their eating disorder. It is theorized that while most people go through stressful transitions without developing an eating disorder, that having a lack of needed support can increase the likelihood that eating and body image issues will surface.
Did you or someone you know experience a stressful transition prior to developing an eating disorder?
Related Articles:
- What Causes Eating Disorders?
- Media Influence on Eating Disorders
- Biological & Familial Influence on Eating Disorders
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