Males and Eating Disorders

Weight, eating disorders not exclusive to women | The Columbus Dispatch

Further information on male eating disorders can be found at: http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/treatment-males.html

Skechers Needs to 'Shape Up' Says the National Eating Disorders Association

For Immediate Release
May 24, 2011

Skechers Needs to 'Shape Up' Says the National Eating Disorders Association

Skechers Needs to 'Shape Up' Says
the National Eating Disorders Association 

Offensive Marketing Campaign Targets Young Girls

SEATTLE — May 24, 2011 — For Immediate Release — The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has added its voice to the growing international protest against Skechers’
Shape-ups advertising campaign targeting young girls.

The athletic shoes – which claim to shape and tone the wearer’s legs and bottom just by walking in them (a claim many experts disavow) – were previously targeted at an adult, female demo-graphic. But a recently launched ad campaign clearly targets pre-teen, elementary school-aged children … specifically girls, since there is no comparable shoe for boys.

Says Lynn Grefe, president and CEO of NEDA, “The animated Skechers Shape-ups ad campaign aimed at pre-teen girls is a lost opportunity for a company with a good product. One more seemingly harmless message aimed at young girls is another wolf in sheep’s clothing. Instead of encouraging young girls to be healthy, live a balanced life and feel good about their individuality and natural body type, ads like this tell young girls that they need to “shape up” and run away from food to be popular and successful. I have seen a 10-year-old girl on a feeding tube whose eating disorder started with poor self esteem and evolved as she was trying to shape up. Skechers is the one who needs to shape up!”

“The company has kindly responded to our requests for a discussion, but unfortunately they do not understand or agree with us regarding the innuendo and subliminal message that is being sent to little girls by the name of the shoe and the ad campaign. We believe that it is presumptuous and negative to tell little girls across the country to shape up. We suggested they rethink the marketing to something that is not insulting but rather healthy and positive, such as Skechers for kids, for kids on the move,” Grefe added. “If it’s a good product, it will survive with positive body image messages.”

The sassy animated commercial features young girls as pop stars, who are followed by three boys dressed in costumes as ice cream, a hot dog and a cupcake. A girl wearing Shape-ups confidently strides away from the boys/food.

London’s Daily Mail called the commercial “another example of the confusing message of food, sex and clothing” we’re sending to our youth. Wrote the disgusted Huffington Post blogger who began the protest – which has since garnered a ground swell of support from parents’ and women’s organizations and been a topic on such high-profile media outlets as the Today Show, “Should there be NutriSystem for young girls ads on Nickelodeon? Or Zantrex 3 for 8-year-olds advertised on Cartoon Network?”

Skechers President Leonard Armato attempted to “set the record straight” with a response posted on the Huffington Post that compared the goals of their campaign and shoes to the First Lady’s Let’s Move anti-obesity initiative, which is also specifically aimed at children. Comments which drew additional fire.

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), headquartered in Seattle, Wash., is the leading U.S. non-profit organization supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. NEDA serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures and access to quality care. Each year, NEDA helps millions of people across the country find information and appropriate treatment resources through its toll-free, live helpline, its many outreach programs and website. NEDA advocates for advancements in the field and envisions a world without eating disorders. For more information, visit www.NationalEatingDisorders.org.

# # #

For Treatment Referrals, Visit www.NationalEatingDisorders.org
Or Contact NEDA’s Live Helpline: 800-931-2237
Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (PST)

Contacts:

Greenleaf & Associates — 323-660-5800
Vicki Greenleaf — vicki@greenleafandassociates.com
Karen Brundage — karen@greenleafandassociates.com


Available for Interviews:
• Lynn Grefe, President and CEO of NEDA.
• Doctors, psychologists & other eating disorder treatment specialists throughout the country.
• Recovered eating disorder patients.
• Celebrity NEDA ambassadors.
 

Timberline Knolls to Sponsor 4th Annual Hungry For Hope Eating Disorders Conference

 Timberline Knolls is Proud to Announce its Sponsorship of Hungry for Hope Eating Disorders Conference: June 15-18, 2011. Colorado Springs.  

View Announcement:   Timberline Knolls - 2011 Hungry for Hope - A Family Affair

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Additional information on 2011-2012 Nationwide Eating Disorder Conferences and Events can be found at the Eating Disorder Hope Calendar of Events

One in 10 U.S. Teens Use Unhealthy Behaviors to Lose Weight

As Swimsuit Season Turns Focus to Body Image, Eating Recovery Center Offers Parents Recommendations to Address Increased Risk of Eating Disorders in Teenagers

Nearly 11 percent of 9th to 12th grade students in the U.S. have gone without eating for 24 hours or more; 5 percent have taken diet pills, powders or liquids; and 4 percent have vomited or taken laxatives – all to lose weight or to keep from gaining weight – according to 2009 data from the Centers for Disease Control. Eating Recovery Center (EatingRecoveryCenter.com), a national center for eating disorders recovery, warns that these behaviors can lead to medical complications, nutritional deficiencies and, potentially, a full-fledged eating disorder.


“Oftentimes, once teens begin to experiment with these behaviors, it can be difficult to get out of the habit of them, especially if they receive positive feedback from peers and others about the initial weight loss,” explained Ginger Hartman, R.D., registered dietitian at Eating Recovery Center’s Behavioral Hospital for Children and Adolescents. “These types of comments can often influence the teen to continue the behaviors and/or increase the frequency of behaviors. Eventually, the teen may no longer be able to control the behaviors and may find him or herself struggling with a life-threatening eating disorder.”

With swimsuit season and teens’ accompanying focus on body image around the corner, it is vital that parents keep an eye out for behaviors that may trigger disordered eating. Hartman offers the following six recommendations for parents who notice their teens engaging in unhealthy food-related behaviors:

1.    Better identify what your teen may be struggling with by learning more about eating disorders.
2.    Parents should be on the alert for negative changes in attitudes or beliefs. Changes in your teen’s attitude about size or weight, dissatisfaction with his or her body and health consciousness may precede abnormal eating behaviors.
3.    Discuss with your teen, in a caring, gentle and non-judgmental way, what you have noticed or observed and why it concerns you.
4.    Schedule a medical check-up with a physician who has a background in working with eating disorders.
5.    If behaviors persist, seek assistance from an eating disorder therapist and/or a registered dietitian who specializes in eating disorders.
6.    Intervene early. The sooner that intervention occurs, the less likelihood there is for long-term effects or consequences from the behaviors. Earlier intervention can also increase the potential for lasting recovery.

Eating Recovery Center’s Behavioral Hospital for Children and Adolescents provides comprehensive eating disorder treatment for children and adolescents – both girls and boys – ages 10 through 17. Focused on empowering families to become agents of change in their children’s recovery, the program is led by a nationally recognized expert in child and adolescent eating disorders, Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS.

Learn more about treatment for eating disorders in teenagers and children.

About Eating Recovery Center
Eating Recovery Center is a national center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia and bulimia. Denver-based facilities include a licensed behavioral hospital treating adults, an outpatient office and a licensed behavioral hospital treating children and adolescents. Under the personal guidance and care of Drs. Kenneth Weiner, Craig Johnson, Emmett Bishop and Ovidio Bermudez, our collaborative programs provide a full spectrum of services for children, adolescents and adults. Our integrated program offers patients from across the country a continuum of care that includes inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient services. Our compassionate team of professionals collaborates with treating professionals and loved ones to cultivate lasting behavioral change. For more information please contact us at 877-218-1344 or info@EatingRecoveryCenter.com or confidentially chat live on our website at http://www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com.
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• Shannon Fern
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Registed Dietitians and Diet Techs needed at Rader Programs.

RD ~ Registered Dietitian ~ Diet Techs

 

~ Full Time ~ Part Time ~ Job Share ~ Per Diem ~ On Call ~

 

Rader Programs at Pacific Shores Hospital, the nation’s leading provider of Eating Disorders treatment is expanding its team! Licensed Dietitians needed for Behavioral Treatment Program w/ 12 step orientation. Mental Health/ Eating Disorder experience a plus! Ventura County. INTERVIEWING NOW!!!

Fax: 818-880-3750

E-mail: Rader@RaderPrograms.com

Eating Disorders and The First Lady’s Campaign on Childhood Obesity

WebMD Expert Blogs 

Healthy Recipe Doctor with Elaine Magee, MPH, RD

When I heard that First Lady Michelle Obama was waging war on childhood obesity with a team of experts at her disposal, my first comment was, “I sure hope she’s included an eating disorder specialist.” Because at the same time you are aiming to lower childhood obesity, you should be aiming to lower eating disorders. You wouldn’t want to encourage a new dangerous condition while trying to fix another.
The prevalence and seriousness of eating disorders should not be taken lightly. Here are a few sobering statistics that bring this point home:

• Eating disorders cause more deaths annually than all other mental and emotional health conditions combined, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Eating disorders are the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, according to Chris Kraatz, PhD, author of Radical Recovery.
• An estimated 10 to 15 percent of people who are considered obese have abinge eating disorder, according to the Weight-control Information Network, part of the NIH.

At the same time that there’s been a childhood obesity epidemic, there has also been a surge in eating disorders. In fact, body size obsession and dieting behaviors in children and teens have never been higher. This past February 21st through the 27th was National Eating Disorder Week.
“National Eating Disorder Week is just one way to wage the war on unrealistic body-perfect expectations,” explains Kim Dennis, MD, Director at Chicago-based Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, which works work with women to prevent eating disorders and body image issues...

Finish Reading

TK Academy Wins School of Excellence Award for Second Consecutive Year

Media Contacts:
Danielle Bickelmann
Susie Lomelino
Michael Burns & Associates
214-521-8596
dbickelmann@mbapr.com
slomelino@mbapr.com


The school on campus at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center receives highest honor among private special education

CHICAGO (May 19, 2011) – For the second year in a row, Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, a leading private residential treatment center for eating disorders and substance abuse, with or without trauma, a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder, has been honored with the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) School of Excellence award for its on campus school, TK Academy. TK Academy has its own separate building, teachers and classrooms, and operates as a traditional educational center rather than a tutor-based program found at most treatment facilities.

The School of Excellence award is the group’s highest level of recognition and is presented to private, special education schools that meet rigorous professional criteria and have demonstrated exceptional dedication, commitment and achievement in the field of special education. The academic program at TK Academy is an integral part of the life-long recovery process at Timberline Knolls and sets it apart from the other adolescent treatment programs. Very few qualified licensed private schools in Illinois were bestowed this honor for the 2011-2012 school year, making TK Academy’s selection even more outstanding.

“The education delivered through TK Academy is just as important to a resident’s recovery as the clinical component,” said Carrie Finazzo, M.Ed, C.A.S, and Principal at TK Academy. “Receiving this award two years in a row is a testament to the hard work and dedication ensuring that the highest level of academic excellence and personal well-being is available to every resident at Timberline Knolls.”

Through a comprehensive, integrated approach that includes primary and group therapy, Timberline Knolls addresses residents’ clinical needs while continuing to ensure academic growth. Residents attend classes that encourage their success in curricula consistent with the Illinois State Department of Education.

TK Academy provides students the opportunity for three hours a day of educational and therapeutic services, allowing them to receive individualized, results-oriented educational support, and allowing a continuation of classes while seeking treatment.

About Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center

Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center is a leading private residential treatment center for eating disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction and mood disorders, with or without trauma, a dual diagnosis or a co-occurring disorder. Expert treatment staff offers a nurturing environment of recovery for women and girls (ages 12 and older) on a wooded 43-acre campus in suburban Chicago. Women and families seeking Christian treatment have the option of working with a dedicated Christian therapist. For more information on Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, visit www.timberlineknolls.com or call us at 877.257.9611.

Academy for Eating Disorders Introduces Guidelines for General Practitioners

Released: 5/17/2011 11:00 AM EDT
Source: Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)

 

Newswise — The majority of individuals with an eating disorder present for care in primary care or clinical specialty settings (e.g., in family practice, pediatrics, or gynecology clinics) in which health professionals may have received only limited or no formal training in assessment and management of these potentially lethal disorders.

The Academy for Eating Disorders—a global professional association committed to leadership in eating disorders research, education, treatment and prevention—is pleased to announce a new informational resource, “Eating Disorders: Critical Points for Early Recognition and Medical Risk Management in the Care of Individuals with Eating Disorders,” which is now freely accessible on their website (www.aedweb.org). This document--the first of its kind intended to provide guidance specific to managing eating disorders in primary-care practice--offers key guidelines, a list of signs and symptoms and strategies to help general practitioners make an early diagnosis, medically stabilize patients and support evidence-based care for patients with eating disorders.

The earlier an eating disorder is diagnosed and treated, the better a patient’s chance of recovery. The AED’s new resource aims to help health professionals in primary care and clinical specialty settings get a handle on eating disorders quickly. “Too many patients with eating disorders don’t get expert care until after a long period of illness,” explains Mark Warren, M.D., medical director of the Cleveland Center for Eating Disorders. “Better information in the hands of primary care physicians will be of huge value to those who suffer from eating disorders.”

Good information can potentially make the difference between getting well and becoming chronically ill. “Our hope is that professionals, patients, and families will access this material to ensure that care is prompt, safe and supported by evidence, and that each person with an eating disorder has the opportunity for a full recovery and a productive life,” says Ovidio Bermudez, M.D., medical director of adolescent services at Eating Recovery Center in Denver, Colorado.

Drs. Bermudez and Warren co-chair the Task Force on Medical Care Standards that wrote the new guidelines, which have been vetted by experts in the field of eating disorders from around the world. Download them at: http://www.aedweb.org/Medical_Care_Standards.htm

Bipolar Disorder addressed by Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                  Media Contacts:

 Danielle Bickelmann
Susie Lomelino
Michael Burns & Associates
                                                                                                                        dbickelmann@mbapr.com                                                              slomelino@mbapr.com

Bipolar Disorder, a Serious Psychiatric Disorder,

Often Misdiagnosed By Professionals

and Unrecognized by Loved Ones

 

CHICAGO (May 12, 2011) – Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depressive disorder or manic depression, is a psychiatric disorder that causes extreme shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out everyday tasks. It is a serious mental illness requiring specialized treatment, but the problem, according to Kimberly Dennis, M.D., medical director at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, is that bipolar disorder often gets misdiagnosed by professionals and is unrecognized by loved ones.
“Bipolar disorder commonly co-occurs with other illnesses and addictions, making it hard to diagnose without a thorough diagnostic workup that includes looking at substance/drug abuse and use, and an evaluation for possible early life trauma – both of which can produce symptoms that look like bipolar disorder,” said Dr. Dennis. “Many times, residents come to Timberline Knolls with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, but once evaluated are properly diagnosed with a drug abuse problem, which looks similar to bipolar disorder when an individual is going through stages of intoxication and withdrawal. Additionally, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder can be missed by professionals who think the patient is just suffering from substance abuse or dependence.”
Not only do professionals miss the diagnosis, but loved ones and family members many times do not recognize the real problem – either because they do not know what bipolar disorder is, or because they are focused on something else, such as a co-occurring drug abuse problem.
Signs of bipolar disorder in its manic state include:

• extended periods of feeling overly happy or outgoing
• extremely irritable mood, agitation, or jumpiness
• being easily distracted
• little to no sleep for several days in a row without feeling tired
• having an unrealistic belief in one's abilities
• behaving impulsively
• suicide attempts

Signs of bipolar disorder in its depressive state include:

• isolation from friends and family
• loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• feeling tired or slowed down
• having problems concentrating, remembering, and making decisions
• abuse of alcohol and drugs, especially cocaine
• dependence on sleeping pills

A correct diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and ensuring the appropriate treatment is offered, is critical for those who face and treat bipolar disorder and co-occurring disorders. People with this illness can achieve long-term physical, emotional and spiritual recovery. Dr. Dennis encourages everyone to remember this is a disease, and the individual did not choose to have the disease. Sufferers can choose to get treatment and recover. Help is available and manageability is possible when someone is connected to the right support system and specialized treatment is sought.

About Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center
Timberline Knolls is one of the leading private residential treatment centers for substance abuse, eating disorders, and severe depression, with or without a co-occurring disorder, dual diagnosis, self injury or trauma. Expert treatment staff offers a nurturing environment of recovery for women and girls (ages 12 and older) on a 43-acre campus in suburban Chicago. Women and families seeking Christian addiction treatment have the option of working with a dedicated Christian therapist. For more information on Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, call us at 877.257.9611.

Eating Disorders and MyPyramid.gov: A Useful Tool for Recovery

@ Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC, Founder and Director of Eating Disorder Hope and Debra Cooper, Expert Writer on eating disorders.

Tools play an important role in many aspects of life. A carpenter without a hammer cannot drive nails into a wall. An artist without a paintbrush is destined to stare at a blank canvas. In order for many tasks to be completed correctly, the right tools must be utilized. 
Similarly, a variety of tools are critical to successful recovery from an eating disorder. Treatment, either outpatient or inpatient, is arguably the most important tool. A skilled treatment team can help a woman or girl understand the complex factors that may have contributed to the advent of her eating disorder. These include certain personality traits, a genetic predisposition, trauma, and such environmental factors as media influence, peer pressure and family dynamics. This support and information, combined with tools to deal more effectively with stress, feelings and relationships, can empower the eating disorder suffer to take steps toward health and healing. Additional tools such as therapeutic support groups, mindfulness, artistic expression, self-help books and spiritual connections, can provide important insight, coping strategies and support. 
Nutrition counseling or input from a registered dietician is beneficial. This is because, whether a woman or girl struggled with anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder, food was being used in an unhealthy and destructive fashion.  Her perception of food, nutrition, serving size, hunger and satiety has been distorted by the months or years she dealt with the disorder. Even the very idea of what “normal” eating is may be skewed...finish reading article

The Signs of Diabulimia

Diabetes Health Staff
May 14, 2011

Meet Mary*, she is a 16-year-old girl with type 1 diabetes. When her parents ask her how her blood sugar is, she always has a good number. She keeps a tidy logbook of her blood sugars, and they look fine, although her last A1C was inexplicably high. It's been a long time since she was diagnosed, and her parents are confident that she knows how to care for herself. She has been somewhat less energetic for quite awhile, but her parents attribute that to growing pains, as Mary has grown from a chubby child into a very slender young woman. She appears a little dehydrated and flushed sometimes, but she always drinks a lot of water and goes to the bathroom frequently, so her parents aren't concerned. They have also noted a fruity odor about her, which she attributes to a new lip gloss.

Finish article @ http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2011/05/14/7151/the-signs-of-diabulimia/

Is Your Child Struggling With an Eating Disorder? Please share your story with ABC News

If you have an 8 to 12-year-old child currently battling an eating disorder, we would like to hear your story. Please tell us what condition your child has and the type of treatment, if any, he or she is receiving. Please click on the link and let us know:

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/mailform?id=13526773

 For more information on the treatment, prevention and awareness of Eating Disorders visit:

 Article:

 Parental Involvement Important in the Prevention and Awareness of Eating Disorders

Information:

  Children and Eating Disorders

Resources:

National Eating Disorder Association

Academy for Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders Coalition

Highly Regarded Speaking Out About ED Film Released and Available Now

 

Five years in the making, NORMAL In Schools (NIS) Founder and President, Robyn Hussa, explores the physiological, biological and social elements contributing to the growing problem of eating disorders (ED) and obesity in our society. Through the NIS nonprofit arts programs in schools and treatment hospitals, she has had the unique opportunity to communicate with clinicians, families and sufferers of this tragic disorder and provide hope in recognizing the pain and suffering of both the inflicted and their families.  This documentary film is penetrating and insightful in shedding light on a highly misunderstood mental illness, while shattering misconceptions about ED and obesity. 

SPEAKING OUT ABOUT ED is a 40-minute documentary film beginning with a solid overview of the symptoms and types of disorders and a basic discussion of the biological underpinnings. Professionals explain why eating disorders are a disease not a "choice."  In addition, they make a very important point that can't be stressed enough.  Disordered eating behaviors, no matter what kind, are a coping mechanism to deal with feelings rather than to alleviate appearance concerns.

The film features some of the world's leading experts on eating disorders such as Dr. Evelyn Attia, M.D., Director Columbia University Eating Disorders, Carolyn Costin, M.A., M.Ed., MFT, Director of Montenido, Dr. Steven Hinshaw, Ph.D., Chair of Psychology UC-Berkeley, Julie Holland, MHS, Director, IAEDP,  Dr. Walter Kaye, M.D., Director, Eating Disorders Program -- UC San Diego, Dr. Ken Weiner, M.D., Founding Partner, Eating Recovery Center, Lynn Grefe, President and CEO of NEDA, Chevese Turner, founder of the Binge Eating Disorder Association and Robyn Hussa, the president of NORMAL in Schools as well as others.

 

Reserve your copy now! (please put Eating Disorder Hope in comments area)

Review in PsychologyToday.com

Trailer of film

DVD's are available at www.normal-life.org.

Dallas Fort Worth International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals Meeting: May 27, 2011

Please join your fellow DFW colleagues at the first International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals meeting:

May 27, 2011

11:30 am 

La Hacienda Treatment Center Meeting Room

1320 Greenway Drive #135, Irving, Texas  75038

You can sign up to become a member of the iaedp and join the chapter at this first meeting for a reduced rate of $100.  

Click here for the invitation and further details

Interesting Thoughts on Children's Eating Habits by Guest Blogger: Debra Cooper

Sometimes, it’s the story within the story that captures our attention.  So it was for me with a Good Morning America segment on Thursday, May 5.  The segment featured Dr. Oz, arguably television’s most charismatic and popular physician, along with an average American family of four:  a middle-age mother and father, a son, age ten, and a daughter, age eight.  The idea was for Dr. Oz to examine the caloric intake of the Lettera family during a 24-hour period then provide a nutrition makeover.  This entailed revealing what each family member consumed both at home and while at work or school. 

The segment unfolded as expected with an account of what each person ate throughout the day accompanied by the calorie count of certain meals.  The parents, busy, on-the-go people, proved to be ingesting the most unhealthy, calorie-packed food.  Dr. Oz pointed out the weight and health ramifications of continuing to eat in this fashion,   then provided insight on what steps could be taken to immediately improve the family’s nutrition profile.  These were suggestions such as eating more vegetables and eliminating all sugary beverages. 

Now … the story within the story.  Because I have worked in the eating disorder field for nine years, my attention was immediately captured by the daughter,   Johanna.  Unlike her brother, Joey, who had chocolate milk for breakfast, she had skim milk.   Additionally, in opposition to Joey who elected to have a meatball sub for lunch at  school, she packed her own lunch, which consisted of a yogurt, juice drink, fruit rollup and rice cake.   Although this could be perceived of as an attempt to choose healthy foods, to me, it was a huge red flag.  Skim milk, yogurt and rice cakes aren’t the normal, stanrd fare for a girl of eight, unless she is thinking about her weight.  And make no mistake, children today are inordinately concerned about weight and size; girls as young as eight years old are now being diagnosed with eating disorders.  The fact that her mother was significantly overweight only augmented my concern for Johanna.  It is in no way unusual for a daughter, who is regularly influenced by the American cultures love affair with thinness and fear of fat, to decide early on that she does not want to resemble her overweight mother when she grows up.  Toward that end, she starts imposing rigid control on what she eats and can easily become a strong candidate for the next fad diet that comes down the pike.  This us highly relevant because dieting is one of the leading indicators of a future eating disorder. 

Now the truth is, my perception of this young girl’s motivation  regarding food choices could be completely incorrect.  Johanna may genuinely love rice cakes.  However, I would caution her parents to keep a close eye on this area of their daughter’s life.  Indeed, I would encourage all mothers and fathers to do likewise.  If a child starts eating less, displaying heightened interest in calories or fat grams, or starts eliminating entire food groups such as meat or dairy from her diet, it is probably time to start a dialogue.   Ask her what is motivating these changes and see where the conversation goes.  Perhaps she is feeling insecure about her body or is concerned about changes that might be taking place.  This is particularly germaine around the time of puberty.  As parents, it is incumbent upon us to interact with our daughters about such topics as the importance  of health over weight and the value of individual character vs. the size of our jeans. 

Unfortunately, all of us in the eating disorder world have seen too many little girls  enter treatment because their health has been destroyed by an illness such as anorexia.  I have seen nine-year-old girls --  children who should be home playing with family pets, riding bikes, and joining soccer teams -- who are so emaciated by and eating disorder that they are little more than a bag of bones.  To say this is heartbreaking is a profound understatement.  No one wants this for their child.  

Debra M. Cooper, a graduate of Arizona State University, has worked as a professional writer for 25 years.  On staff at a prominent eating disorder treatment center for nine years, Debra is an expert in topics such as anorexia, bulimia and anxiety disorders.  She is the author of Behind The Broken Image, a novel that explores the impact of eating disorders on the individual and the family.    

For additional information regarding eating disorders in children and adolescents, please consult the ED Hope website.   

June 9-12, 2011 Los Vegas Conference: Latest Research, Trends and Treatments of Eating Disorders

Ben Franklin Institute's Summit for Clinical Excellence Hosts Event on Latest Research, Trends and Treatments of Eating Disorders Clinical Recipes for Success: The Psychology of Eating Disorders Revealed Held June 9-12, 2011 in Las Vegas.

PHOENIX, May 6, 2011 ­ The nation¹s leading experts and authors in the field of eating disorders will come together at a special four-day event hosted by Ben Franklin Institute's Summit for Clinical Excellence. The ground-breaking event, Clinical Recipes for Success: The Psychology of Eating Disorders Revealed will be held June 9-12, 2011 in Las Vegas at the Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa. Therapists and counselors will hear about the latest research, trends and treatments for eating disorders.

Acclaimed speakers and topics at the conference include:

·Overcoming Emotional Eating in Obesity, Binge Eating & Bulimia Nervosa by Edward Abramson PhD

·Beyond Wasted: Reflections on 20 Years in Recovery by best-selling author, Marya Hornbacher

·Kids, Eating, Weight and Health: Helping Without Harming by Jon Robison, PhD

There are 22.5 continuing education credits available. For more information on other speakers and topics, visit www.bfisummit.com or call 1-800-643-0797.

About Ben Franklin Institute's Summit for Clinical Excellence Summit for Clinical Excellence is the premier provider of continuing education for mental health, behavioral health and addiction professionals. The Summit's faculty are top experts in the field including noted trainers and best-selling authors known for their comprehensive experience and riveting presentations. We offer the best and brightest from many clinical disciplines, which ultimately brings a broader perspective and an expanded learning opportunity for therapists and counselors. For more information, visit www.bfisummit.com.

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Find additional information regarding Eating Disorder information and awareness conferences and events at the Eating Disorder Hope Events Calendar

Binge Eating Disorder: What You Need to Know

@ Remuda Ranch

Binge eating is not what families do at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner; it is not having a second dish of ice cream because it's your favorite flavor; it's not over-indulging in fried chicken while visiting someone down South.

Binge eating is a serious disorder that affects 3-5% of American men and women. Binge eating involves consuming a great deal of food, in an uncontrolled and/or rapid manner, and eating beyond the point of fullness. Binge eating is not motivated by physiological hunger. It is driven by psychological issues, such as fear of failure or rejection, unmet expectations, or feeling inadequate. Binges may be spontaneous or planned. No purging is involved, but there may be sporadic fasting or repeat dieting. To have the diagnosis of binge-eating disorder, the behavior must occur at least twice a week for six months. But even with less frequency, binge eating can be a serious problem.

There are many emotional and physical consequences to bingeing. Immediately after a binge, feelings of shame, self-hatred, anxiety, and depression are common. Physical discomfort and gastrointestinal distress frequently occur due to the high volume of food ingested. The person may experience lethargy and fatigue...finish article