EverydayHealth.com
Vegetarian Eating Disorders: New Study Links Vegetarian Diets to Eating Disorders
Chief Marketing Officer Julie Holland’s EverydayHealth blog “The Truth About Eating Disorders,” is temporarily unavailable while it moves to a new location on the EverydayHealth website. In the meantime, Julie’s blogs will be posted here on the Eating Recovery Center blog.
Community-supported restrictive diets are becoming more and more common in today’s society. If an individual has the genetic or temperamental risk for developing an eating disorder, choosing to eat strictly vegetarian, vegan or gluten free for non-medical reasons can be a precursor for the onset of an eating disorder. Following a strict diet and avoiding certain food groups could also be an individual’s veiled attempt to minimize disordered eating behaviors that are being used to lose weight.
A recent study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, found that women who struggle with disordered eating behaviors are four times more likely to be vegetarian than women without eating disorders. It’s suggested that eating disordered individuals engaging in a vegetarian lifestyle may be trying to legitimize their food avoidance. In addition, some study participants were in various stages of eating disorders recovery: fully recovered, partially recovered and not recovered (or active in the eating disorder); and the study found that as individuals progressed further in their recovery, the likelihood that they were eating strictly vegetarian decreased greatly, from 33 percent of eating disordered individuals to only five percent of fully recovered individuals.
No, “vegetarian eating disorders” aren’t a new type of eating disorder, but these behaviors certainly are ones to be taken seriously.
At Eating Recovery Center, nutrition for eating disorders patients is a crucial part of the treatment process. Our dieticians take each eating disorders patient’s diet into consideration and actively discuss his or her motive or desire to be vegetarian, vegan, etc. Although not always intertwined with an eating disorder, restrictive-style diets like vegetarianism can play a role in the development of an eating disorder as well as cause barriers to lasting eating disorders recovery.
If you, a friend or a loved one is eating vegetarian and engaging in disordered eating behaviors, you may want to speak with an eating disorders specialist, family doctor or dietician to learn more about vegetarianism and eating disorders and how to approach your friend or loved one to seek eating disorders treatment.
Posted in EverydayHealth.com, In the News •
Effectively Managing College Stressors While in Eating Disorders Recovery
Chief Marketing Officer Julie Holland’s EverydayHealth blog “The Truth About Eating Disorders,” is temporarily unavailable while it moves to a new location on the EverydayHealth website. In the meantime, Julie’s blogs will be posted here on the Eating Recovery Center blog.
Puberty and the transition to college are the two most common times for eating disorders to develop. In our instant gratification-focused, social media-enthused society, individuals recovering from an eating disorder and embarking upon college face a whole new set of stressors. Identifying potential relapse triggers and implementing effective prevention tools is crucial in sustaining your eating disorders recovery.
College life and eating disorders don’t have to go hand in hand. In fact, with the help of a support system – friends, family and treatment team – individuals in recovery can stay on the right track as they transition into a collegiate environment. Always remember to keep the lines of communication open and have a focus on the college-bound individual’s wellbeing while staying active in his or her eating disorders recovery.
Unplugging from social media
All too often, college-aged coeds rely too heavily on their peers’ reactions and comments through social media channels and minimize communication through interpersonal relationships. For someone in recovery from an eating disorder, social media takes on a different tone and many former eating disorders patients choose to disengage from social media all together.
“It’s a fantasy life that is really just an image that people are trying to hold themselves to that standard that’s ultimately killing them,” explains Joe Eiben, MA, LPC, a primary therapist at Eating Recovery Center, in an interview with KOAA-TV. ”Facebook is the new fashion magazine on some level. Men and women alike will start to have drops in self-esteem after spending time online looking at pictures of friends, pictures of how they want to look, looking at old pictures of how they may have gained weight.”
Leaving high school and moving on to college doesn’t have to derail your recovery process or cause a relapse in eating disordered behaviors. College and eating disordered behaviors don’t have to be a reality if you keep lessons learned during treatment and your personal values at top of mind.
Take your newfound independence in strides
For many 18-year-olds who are itching for their independence after years living under their parents’ roofs, making the big move to college is an exciting one. However, if you’re recently leaving eating disorders treatment, you may want to consider a school close to home for the first year or so. Remember, it’s a much easier transition to attend a nearby school for a semester or two than to move several states away and find yourself struggling to maintain eating disorders recovery.
Lasting eating disorders recovery
Eating disorders recovery is a time-intensive, ongoing process; and it doesn’t just happen overnight. So as you venture to college, don’t forget about your outpatient treatment team and your aftercare plan provided to you prior to leaving treatment. Remember to work on maintaining your relationships with those who played pertinent roles in your recovery: doctors, dieticians and therapists. These individuals always appreciate progress reports and they’re certainly available to offer support during difficult times as needed.
Along with your treatment team, many individuals in recovery find it helpful to stay in touch with those they met and bonded with at the eating disorders treatment center. Having someone who truly understands what you’ve been through can help you make it through the tough days. Many treatment centers have initiated alumni reunions, support groups or other programs and resources for their former patients, making it that much easier to maintain friendships.
Whether you’ve been in recovery for years or only weeks, there can be difficult times and trying days. Eating Recovery Center offers the opportunity for individuals to chat confidentially with a member of the Intake Team should you need the support.
Posted in EverydayHealth.com, In the News •
Look to Your Community for Support in Lasting Eating Disorders Recovery
Chief Marketing Officer Julie Holland’s EverydayHealth blog “The Truth About Eating Disorders,” is temporarily unavailable while it moves to a new location on the EverydayHealth website. In the meantime, Julie’s blogs will be posted here on the Eating Recovery Center blog.
Eating disorders recovery is an ongoing, lifelong process. Leaving the familiarity and security of an eating disorders treatment center can be overwhelming at first. However, through identifying community resources and turning to those around us for support and guidance, lasting eating disorders recovery can be reality.
That’s exactly what we saw last weekend at Eating Recovery Center’s 2nd Annual Alumni Retreat. Each summer, we invite all former adult patients to attend a two-day retreat to connect with old friends and treatment professionals and find support wherever they may be in their eating disorders recovery process. During the retreat, alumni are able to attend sessions that speak to what they participated in while seeking treatment at the Center, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which supports the idea that people can live a valued life in the presence of negative thoughts and feelings. Alumni events are opportunities to extend lessons learned in treatment to each individual’s own life.
Eating disorders relapse prevention
One crucial element that we stress during each alumni event, and in aftercare planning, is eating disorders relapse prevention. Although an individual may be in recovery from an eating disorder, it’s a lifelong journey to stay in recovery; therefore, Pam Cleland, MS, LPC, aftercare coordinator at Eating Recovery Center, offers these four ways that individuals can prevent themselves from experiencing an eating disorder relapse.
- Be consistent with your outpatient treatment team. Regular visits with your therapist, dietitian, psychiatrist and other members of your team are crucial to lasting recovery.
- Follow your meal plan diligently. Your nutritionist carefully plans out your meal plan so that it can be a source of empowerment as you continue in recovery.
- Surround yourself with friends, family and loved ones who are understanding, nonjudgmental and can help in preventing relapse.
- Never forget your internal values. Focusing on your internal values will help improve your “selfs”: self-esteem, self-awareness and self-confidence.
An eating disorder relapse doesn’t have to be a major setback, as long as you use your support network and treatment team to work through it. Pam encourages individuals to remember an eating disorders relapse doesn’t mean failure.
Using exercise in a healthy manner
For eating disordered individuals, it can be difficult to find a healthy way to return to exercise, especially if they’re recovering from bulimia nervosa and compulsively exercised to purge calories. Additionally, it’s not realistic to believe a patient will remove all exercise for his or her life; after all, it’s a healthy activity. As a patient, what is important is developing a healthy “movement plan” with your nutritionist or dietitian that incorporates relevant activities, your meal plan and addresses the dangerous implications of over-exercising.
Eating disorders recovery is a process
Eating disorders recovery is all about practicing. Throughout eating disorders treatment, patients are taught different ways to practice non-eating disordered behaviors, practice how to handle negative thoughts and practice supporting their own wellbeing. However, if you find yourself, a friend or a loved one going through an eating disorders relapse, be kind to yourself and accept those personal limitations that inevitably exist, but don’t set you back. Know that “failure” doesn’t define you and embrace that you’re willing to take on challenges.
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Did you miss out on this year’s alumni retreat? Email Sarah Gilstrap (sgilstrap@EatingRecoveryCenter.com) and ask to be added to our alumni e-newsletter list to say up to date on all alumni events.
Posted in EverydayHealth.com, In the News •
Summer Olympic Games: A Chance to Celebrate Athleticism and Increase Education About Eating Disorders Among Athletes
Chief Marketing Officer Julie Holland’s EverydayHealth blog “The Truth About Eating Disorders,” is temporarily unavailable while it moves to a new location on the EverydayHealth website. In the mean time, Julie’s blogs will be posted here on the Eating Recovery Center blog.
This Friday marks the opening ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympic Games, putting the excitement of athletics and competition at the forefront of our minds. However, this year’s Summer Olympics also creates an opportunity to address a serious issue: eating disorders among athletes.
Tuning in every two years to watch the Olympics is exciting. It’s fun to see all the countries enter together at the opening ceremonies and cheer on your favorite athletes in different sports and events. However, as an active member of the eating disorders field, I also want to use this time to raise awareness and educate others about eating disorders in athletes, especially as the majority of experts agree that certain sports and athletic events can put athletes at a higher risk for developing an eating disorder.
According to research by Eating Recovery Center’s chief clinical officer, Dr. Craig Johnson, at least one-third of female college athletes have an eating disorder.[i]
Many people may stereotypically think that ballet is the only sporting activity that has a high prevalence of eating disorders, while there are actually several sports where eating disorders persist. Body- or weight-focused sports like gymnastics, swimming and diving, and even wrestling and horse racing may be harmful to athletes who are either genetically predisposed to an eating disorder or struggling with their own body image issues.
Elite athletes often share similar personality traits and characteristics with eating disordered individuals. Both types of individuals strive for perfection and are quite often people-pleasing high achievers. These personality traits can lead to disordered eating when weight becomes a determining participation factor or the focus is on a particular outfit an athlete wears in competition. Coaches, trainers and even parents should be aware of how their athlete handles these requirements and stay attuned to potential warning signs.
A few common warning signs specific to eating disorders in athletes include:
- Decrease in performance.
- Increase in exercise outside of normal or routine preparation activities.
- Stress fractures and other “overuse” injuries.
Along with staying aware of potential warning signs, coaches, trainers and even fellow athletes and team members can actively practice prevention strategies to minimize the risk of eating disorders among athletes.
Prevention strategies for coaches and trainers include:
- Stress and promote overall performance rather than weight, body fat percentage or other quantitative measures.
- Recognize your role in the relationship with your athletes; use that strength and influence to educate them about eating disorders and prevent their development.
- Arm yourself with an understanding of potential eating disorders risks associated with your sport and team. Learning about preventative measures and eating disorders resources can be immensely helpful.
Preventative strategies for athletes:
- Be aware of your own and your fellow athletes’ perspectives on food, weight and body image as well as the available eating disorders resources should they be needed.
- Avoid quick fix or last minute weight loss solutions by preparing early for weight management events such as competitions or weigh-ins.
- Engage in and stay active with comprehensive nutrition assessments that help to educate you about healthy weights, body fat percentages and associated behaviors.
It’s important to remember that eating disorders don’t discriminate. Regardless of athletic ability or gender, elite athletes can still struggle with potentially dangerous body image issues and disordered eating behaviors. Therefore, as an athletic community, coaches, trainers, parents and fellow athletes should educate themselves to help others prevent eating disorders.
[i] Johnson, C., Powers, P.S., Dick, R. Athletes and Eating Disorders: The National Collegiate Athletic Association Study. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999, International Journal of Eating Disorders 26, 179-188.
Posted in EverydayHealth.com, In the News •
Eating Recovery Center In The News: EverydayHealth.com
Each week, Eating Recovery Center’s Chief Marketing Officer Julie Holland, MHS, CEDS, a clinician with almost 30 years experience in the treatment of eating disorders, shares advice and insights with readers of EverydayHealth.com. In the most recent installment of her blog, The Truth About Eating Disorders, Julie discusses with Bonnie Brennan, MA, LPC, Clinical Director of the Adult Partial Hospitalization Program, how eating disorders are becoming more common than expected in older women. Read the full blog post below, or click here to view other posts from Julie on EverydayHealth.com.
Anorexia and bulimia have traditionally – and errantly – been seen as a “teenage girl’s” disease, but recent trends and an online study from the University of North Carolina Eating Disorders Program released last month reveal that more and more women in mid-life are struggling with disordered eating behaviors and body image issues. In fact, last year, Eating Recovery Center saw patients ranging from 9 to 81 years old, underscoring the fact that eating disorders affect people of all ages.
Bonnie Brennan, MA, LPC, clinical director of the adult partial hospitalization program at Eating Recovery Center, shares her thoughts on the rising incidence of eating disorders in older women.
Often, women who are seeking eating disorders treatment in mid-life aren’t doing so because they’ve recently begun exhibiting disordered eating behaviors; but rather, because a past struggle with food and eating disorders is emerging once again due to a major life event.
As many women enter their 40s and 50s, they find themselves with new experiences they’ve never had to face before. Whether their children are leaving for college and having an “empty nest,” a parent becoming ill or passing away or going through a divorce, baby boomers are facing major life changes that could potentially trigger the onset or relapse of eating disordered behaviors.
It’s also important to note that much of the recent research that has been published is helping more women in mid-life understand that what they’re experiencing is in fact an eating disorder and that they should seek treatment. Decades ago, we simply didn’t have the background and education about eating disorders like we do today and many doctors didn’t even think non-teenage women could have anorexia or bulimia. In the past, these doctors’ training would likely have led them to believe these patients were dealing with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other medical issues. In fact, several women in Eating Recovery Center’s adult partial hospitalization program have mentioned doctors telling them they were “too old to have an eating disorder” when these women were first looking for answers.
This online study found some interesting information as it pertains to weight issues and eating disordered behaviors among older women:
- 71.2 percent stated they were currently trying to lose weight and many are going about it in unhealthy ways.
- About 13 percent of women older than 50 said they’d currently binged, purged or practiced other behaviors associated with eating disorders; 27.7 percent reported having eating disordered behaviors at some point in the past.
- About 8 percent of women who participated in the study admitted to vomited or used laxatives to lose weight in the last five years, which is surprisingly the same proportion found in young women.
The release of this online study creates an opportunity for all of us to educate the public that eating disorders don’t discriminate based on age. We all need to remind our loved ones about potential eating disorders warning signs and help those that need help start down the path of eating disorders treatment. Regardless of an individual’s age, the sooner he or she seeks treatment, the better his or her chances are for lasting eating disorders recovery.
If you’re concerned that a friend or loved one may be struggling with an eating disorder or body image issues, find a quiet place to talk with him or her, discuss your worries in an open and caring manner and urge your loved one to speak with a eating disorders specialist and address the issue. This can be especially difficult if it’s someone close to you like your mother or aunt. Just remind your loved one that you’re worried for her health and want to make sure she’s healthy—physically, mentally and emotionally.
Ms. Brennan recently spoke to a Denver TV station about one woman’s attempt to be the “perfect mom” only to find herself struggling with an eating disorder. Check out the interview about older women with eating disorders.
Posted in EverydayHealth.com, In the News, Uncategorized •
Eating Recovery Center In The News: EverydayHealth.com
Each week, Eating Recovery Center’s Chief Marketing Officer Julie Holland, MHS, CEDS, a clinician with almost 30 years experience in the treatment of eating disorders, shares advice and insights with readers of EverydayHealth.com. In the most recent installment of her blog, The Truth About Eating Disorders, Julie discusses valuable resources available to provide education and support recovery. Read the full blog post below, or click here to view other posts from Julie on EverydayHealth.com.
Eating disorders take a toll on an individual physically, mentally and emotionally. Furthermore, recovery can be impacted without adequate support or if the individual is engaging in other compulsive behaviors. For individuals who indulge in alcohol, both socially and as a way to deal with emotions, there are additional complexities and consequences associated that make lasting recovery that much more difficult.
Most studies have reported that eating disorders and substance use disorders, such as alcoholism, frequently co-occur.* Doctors are seeing an increase in the potentially deadly combination of eating disorders and alcohol, often in one of the three following ways.
- College students are minimizing their food-based caloric intake in order to “save” calories and more comfortably drink when they go out with their friends.
- Men and women struggling with eating disorders use beer, wine and cocktails, rather than food, as main sources of sustenance.
- Eating disordered individuals use alcoholic beverages to deal with uncomfortable emotions and to ease the stress they’ve come to associate with eating.
Regardless of the behaviors individuals may practice, over indulging in alcohol when already restricting nutrients can be a deadly cocktail.
One thought related to why eating disorders and alcohol abuse are so often seen occurring together is the fact that both disorders, according to The Seattle Times, have “behaviors that are glorified and reinforced. Binge drinking is almost as cool and hip as losing weight and being thin” in today’s society.** Thankfully the combination of eating disorders and alcohol has reached a tipping point and the public – and medical profession – are taking notice.
When an individual restricts calories, he or she strips his or her body of the vital nutrients it needs to function day in and day out. Prolonged restriction will eventually cause the body’s systems to begin to shut down. When alcohol is introduced into this situation, the shock to the body and its systems can trigger irreversible damage and deterioration.
The sooner you, or someone you love, seek treatment for an eating disorder or alcohol abuse, the better the chances are for a full, lasting recovery. For individuals watching a friend or loved one struggle with disordered behavior, it can be difficult to know how to best provide support. Remember that recovery is an ongoing process and takes more than days and weeks; it can take months and even years.
Additionally, individuals in recovery from an eating disorder need to be cautious of crossover addictions that can occur in recovery. Eating disordered individuals often display addictive personalities and personality traits. Therefore, they need to be cautious of compensatory coping behaviors once eating disorder recovery has begun.
Are you or someone you know struggling with an eating disorder or perhaps substituting food with alcoholic beverages? Visit Eating Recovery Center’s website to confidentially chat online with a member of the Intake Team. He or she can expertly answer your questions and get you the information your need.
Posted in EverydayHealth.com, In the News •
Eating Recovery Center In The News: EverydayHealth.com
Eating Disorders Resources Updated: Supportive Organizations for You, Friends and Loved Ones
Each week, Eating Recovery Center’s Chief Marketing Officer Julie Holland, MHS, CEDS, a clinician with almost 30 years experience in the treatment of eating disorders, shares advice and insights with readers of EverydayHealth.com. In the most recent installment of her blog, The Truth About Eating Disorders, Julie discusses valuable resources available to provide education and support recovery. Read the full blog post below, or click here to view other posts from Julie on EverydayHealth.com.
Eating disorders are the deadliest mental illness, currently affecting more than 11 million Americans. If you are – or know – one of the millions of people struggling with these diseases, asking questions and educating yourself about eating disorders can be the first step in changing your life or the life of a loved one. A multitude of resources are available to help you educate yourself, from local, community-focused organizations to national associations, financial support options and non-profits with a mission.
Previously, I’ve written about eating disorders resources; however have recently updated the list. There are many valuable resources available to provide education and support recovery.
National and regional eating disorders resources
Resources and support for eating disorders are available across the country. Depending on where you find yourself in the search for treatment, a regional or national group may offer the best support for you and your loved ones. Here are just a few of the national and regional resources available.
Body Balance Coalition
913.631.3800 ext. 102 | Dr. Michelle Micsko
This Kansas City-based organization brings eating disorders professionals from both the Missouri and Kansas together to provide assistance to individuals struggling with eating disorders.
Columbia River Eating Disorder Network
credn.org
A group of professionals in Oregon and southern Washington dedicated to providing qualified eating disorders treatment and promoting community awareness of eating disorders.
Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa
edciowa.org
An organization comprised of Iowa community members, families and professionals with a passion to prevent eating disorders and promote hope and healing for eating disordered individuals.
Eating Disorder Recovery Support
415.898.9839 | edrs.net
A resource focused on prevention and education, it offers educational information and referral sources in the San Francisco bay area.
National Association for Men with Eating Disorders
239.775.1145 | namedinc.org
One of the only organizations in the United States geared specifically to men with eating disorders. It offers support and strives to educate the public on males with eating disorders.
Oklahoma Eating Disorder Association
405.418.4448 | okeatingdisorders.org
This association focuses on preventing disordered eating behaviors by promoting awareness and supporting positive body image throughout Oklahoma and the surrounding states.
Reaching Out Against Eating Disorders
516.510. 9001 | roaed.org
A New York City-based organization addressing the needs of individuals struggling with disordered eating behaviors as well as their families and friends.
Financial support resources for eating disorders treatment
Due to the complex nature of eating disorders, treatment is rarely an in-and-out process. It can take weeks, months and even years for individuals to reach full recovery. Families and individuals can find help for this journey in the financial support resources available. Here’s a brief list of financially minded resources.
Kirsten Haglund Foundation
kirstenhaglund.org
Kirsten Haglund, a former Miss America and eating disorders patient, created this foundation to encourage individuals to stand up for their health and help secure financial aid for those seeking treatment.
Manna Scholarship Fund
770.495.9775; ext. 107| mannafund.org
Based in Georgia, this scholarship opportunity provides funds for residential and inpatient eating disorders treatment for individual lacking adequate insurance coverage.
Mentor Connect
mentorconnect-ed.org
Mentor Connect strives to connect people with relevant mentors to guide individuals struggling with eating disorders through the treatment and recovery processes.
Moonshadow’s Spirit
moonshadowsspirit.org
In memory of Jennifer Mathiason, this funding organization offers financial assistance to individuals seeking treatment in inpatient or partial hospitalization eating disorders programs.
Project HEAL
866.785.8407 | theprojectheal.org
An organization created by three teenage girls who befriended one another during eating disorders treatment now raises money to provide scholarships for others seeking eating disorders treatment.
Other non-profits and foundations for eating disorders resources
Although millions of men and women suffering from eating disorders in the United States, there are many more – friends and loved ones – who also need support and assistance. These non-profit organizations are just some of the possible places friends and loved ones can find support.
Andrea’s Voice Foundation
andreasvoice.org
Based in California, this website promotes education and understanding toward the prevention, identification, diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders.
Hope Network
616.301.8000 | hopenetwork.org
A Michigan-based organization which offers support for friends and families dealing with a loved one’s eating disorder.
Eating for Life Alliance
eatingforlife.org
In response to a reported 24.3 percent increase in college eating disorders behaviors, this Massachusetts organization offers colleges and students valuable access to educational resources for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders.
Eating Disorder Activist Network
edactivistnetwork.org
This network offers resources and strives to unite communities around the awareness and prevention of disordered eating behaviors and negative body image issues.
The Anna Westin Foundation
annawestinfoundation.org
Following the passing of Anna Westin, this foundation is a support resource for individuals directly – or indirectly – affected by eating disorders.
The Emily Program Foundation
651.379.6134 | emilyprogramfoundation.org
With the understanding that eating disorders are isolating diseases, this Minnesota foundation prides itself on working to eliminate eating disorders through advocacy and education.
The Renfrew Center Foundation
877.367.3383 | renfrew.org
Through educational programs and community outreach, this foundation helps the general public to better understand the complexities of eating disorders and prevent their development.
Niche-based eating disorders resources
Experiencing lasting recovery from eating disorders can often be done by way of an individual’s passions, whether activity or religion focused. Although not a comprehensive list by any means, the organizations listed below offer support for eating disorders recovery, complimented by faith and/or artistic guided therapies.
Finding Balance
615.599.6948 | findingbalance.com
A Christian focused organization, it offers resources for living healthier lives free from disordered eating behaviors and negative body image issues.
Mercy Ministries
615.831.6987 | mercyministries.org
A free of charge, faith-based treatment program, this organization offers eating disorders treatment to young women helping empower them and find lasting recovery.
NORMAL in Schools
917.771.4977 | normal-life.org
This national non-profit educates communities about eating disorders and promotes positive self-esteem and body image through arts and mindfulness-based activities.
If you or a friend or loved one is in need of advice or even eating disorders treatment, contacting any of the above resources can be an important and life-saving first step. Additionally, please visit Eating Recovery Center’s website to chat confidentially with a member of the Intake Team about your questions, concerns and treatment options.
Posted in EverydayHealth.com, In the News •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: EverydayHealth.com
Unexpected Eating Disorders Causes and Triggers
Each week, Eating Recovery Center’s Chief Marketing Officer Julie Holland, MHS, CEDS, a clinician with almost 30 years experience in the treatment of eating disorders, shares advice and insights with readers of EverydayHealth.com. In the most recent installment of her blog, The Truth About Eating Disorders (which celebrates its two year anniversary this week!), discusses unexpected triggers for eating disorders. Read the full blog post below, or click here to view other posts from Julie on EverydayHealth.com.
A major life transition or change, such as puberty or leaving for college, is a common eating disorders trigger. However, eating disorders specialists are taking note of the more unexpected eating disorders causes: manipulating medications and taking a new lifestyle diet too far. For someone with the genes or the temperament that predisposes him or her to an eating disorder, manipulating medication or eliminating food groups for a variety of reasons can trigger dangerous disordered eating behaviors.
Insulin manipulation: Diabetes and eating disorders
Most of what we eat is broken down into glucose, which our cells use for fuel. Insulin allows your cells to either use the glucose for fuel or store it as fat. However, for individuals with type 1 diabetes, their bodies no longer produce insulin. Therefore, they use daily insulin injections to help their bodies absorb glucose.
Some people with diabetes who are also genetically predisposed to eating disorders have been known to use insulin manipulation as a form of weight control. They under-dose, or skip their insulin entirely, which causes sugar to be eliminated from their bodies via urine and never to be stored as fat or used as fuel.
Although not an official medical term, this behavior is often referred to as “diabulimia.” People with bulimia nervosa will purge through vomiting, laxative abuse or over-exercise to compensate for binging, while people with diabetes restrict insulin to achieve similar results. Like all eating disorders patients, these individuals are striving for unrealistic body ideals and a desire to be thin.
This potentially deadly combination strips your body of its nutrients and fuel. People with eating disorders who are abusing insulin can find themselves weak and lethargic and, in extreme circumstances, may fall into a coma as their bodies turn to other tissues for energy. The overwhelming desire for these individuals to be thin negates any of the other medical risks such as kidney or heart failure, blindness or even amputation.
Gluten free and other diet fads: Community supported restrictive diets
We live in a society fascinated with the latest diet fads. From cleanses to anti-carbohydrate or high-protein diets, each one introduces a “new” way to lose weight and live healthfully. Most recently we’ve seen the rise of veganism and gluten free diets. Originally intended as a dietary regimen for people with celiac disease, a gluten free diet can help people who are unable to break down gluten and absorb it, minimize damaging results on their bodies.
For individuals who are genetically predisposed to an eating disorder, cutting major food groups, such as gluten, dairy or meat from their diets when it’s not medically necessary can be a serious eating disorders cause trigger. They start restricting because it’s part of a new diet designed to help them live healthfully and find themselves tumbling down that slippery slope into an eating disorder.
If you or one of your friend’s or loved ones is practicing “diabulimia” and manipulating insulin or is drastically changing his or her diet as a means to lose weight, visit the Eating Recovery Center website to find resources and treatment options and learn how to approach him or her to express your concerns.
Posted in Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, EverydayHealth.com, In the News •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: EverydayHealth.com
Anti-Obesity Ads: How Far is Too Far in Addressing Childhood Obesity?
In her most recent EverydayHealth.com blog posting, Julie Holland examines the issue of campaigns designed to combat childhood obesity rates. While childhood obesity is a serious health concern, are anti-obesity campaigns effective in addressing the issue or do they shame and stigmatize overweight and obese children? Read an excerpt of the article below, or click here to read Julie’s blog post in its entirety.
There’s no argument that childhood obesity is a serious health concern. More than one-third of children ages 10-17 are obese or overweight* and obesity rates among U.S. children grew from 14.8 percent in 2003 to 16.4 percent in 2007.**
Obesity is related to more than 20 major chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, and children who are obese are more than twice as likely to die prematurely before the age of 55 compared to healthy-weight children.***
Education and nutritional intervention is key to combating childhood obesity rates; however, are anti-obesity ads effective in addressing the issue or are they crossing a line into body shaming?
As some of my readers may already know, I struggled with eating disorders from the time I was seven years old through much of high school. From a very young age I battled with negative body image and a low self-esteem; being perceived by my peers as the “fat girl in class” was never easy. This perfect storm of factors triggered an onset of binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa until I was nearly 20 years old.
Many obesity prevention campaigns promote balance and moderation, practices I agree with and that I think we can all support. However, a recent anti-obesity campaign in Georgia has come under fire for, according to critics, shaming and stigmatizing children who are obese. It probably goes without saying that this anti-obesity campaign hits close to home for me. Although I’ve been in recovery from my eating disorder for 30 years now, maintaining a positive body image and self-esteem is something I work on each and every day. When I see TV ads identifying overweight children as “fat” and placing a negative connotation on that label, I worry about what someone genetically predisposed to an eating disorder might think and feel.
Posted in Anorexia Nervosa, Binge Eating, Bulimia Nervosa, EverydayHealth.com, General, In the News •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: EverydayHealth.com
“Are Parents to Blame for Their Children with Eating Disorders?”
The most recent installment of Julie Holland’s EverydayHealth.com blog addresses this key question. Recognizing that many parents of children with eating disorders wonder about their role in the development of the illness, Julie welcomes insights from Brittany Lacour, LCSW, DAACS, primary therapist at Eating Recovery Center. In the article, Brittany offers suggestions to help families, eating disorders professionals and children and adolescents understand that while it’s natural to look for a “cause,” parents are not to blame for an eating disorder. Read an excerpt of the article below, or click here to view it in its entirety.
Parents help us, teach us, raise us and are integral in forming the person we grow to become. There’s no doubt that children take on a piece of their parents personalities and behaviors when they grow up and take an active role in the world. But how does that translate when a child develops a serious illness or mental health issue? Is it his or her parents’ fault?
Eating disorders leave individuals and families faced with a complex illness that offers little room for logic or reason. The severity of the illness, combined with uncertainty of its origin leaves many of us wondering, “Who’s to blame?” This question becomes especially important when treating children with eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia. Are parents to blame for their child’s disordered eating behaviors?
Although eating disorders are in fact genetic, that doesn’t mean parents are responsible.
Brittany Lacour, LCSW, DAACS, primary therapist at Eating Recovery Center, explains that as humans we look for cause and effect—it’s natural. However, when it comes to an illness, especially a multifaceted illness with genetic, psychological and social roots, this can lead to finger pointing. Often we try to control what’s scary to us; and having a radically ill child or partner is petrifying. If it’s our fault, we then carry the faulty belief that we can “fix” it.
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