In the News
Eating Recovery Center In the News: MSN.com
Signs You’re Too Skinny
Eating Recovery Center’s Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS, Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Services, recently contributed insights to MSN.com’s “Fitbie” blog on the topic of healthy weight. Find an excerpt of the article below, or click here to read the article in its entirety.
Reaching a weight-loss goal requires months—if not years—of dedication. And sometimes, when you reach that milestone, it can be hard to dial back into maintenance mode. If you’re not careful, you may encounter a new batch of health problems related to your weight. “Being too thin stresses the body in a unique way,” says Ilene Fishman, a licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of the National Eating Disorders Association.
So how skinny is too skinny? It’s hard to explain—and even trickier to calculate. A normal weight, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is when your body mass index (BMI) falls somewhere between 18.5 and 24.9, but no two bodies are exactly alike and index numbers alone are not a good way to gauge your health.
Sadly, those nearing a painfully thin frame become less and less likely to acknowledge the problem. “Often patients say ‘I’m not that thin,’ that’s distortion, it’s not reality,” says Fishman. And the same distortion can keep your scale dipping deeper in the wrong direction.
Whether you believe you’re underweight or not (no offense to the naturally thin), these are signs you may not be getting enough nutrients in your body.
You’re moody.
Believe it or not, when your body is undernourished, you may feel energized and have an urge to move. “That’s the brain telling the body to start moving to go get food,” says Dr. Ovidio Bermudez, MD, Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Services at the Eating Recovery Center in Denver. And as your body begins to become anxious physically, you start to drag emotionally. “You become depressed, anxious, and fearful,” says Bermudez.
Your joints look large.
If you’ve lost too much weight, you could be purging your body’s “good” weight—your muscle. “Most people think that as we lose weight we lose fat mass, but the reality is that we tend to lose more lean body mass than fat mass,” says Bermudez. The result is joints and bones that look over-exaggerated because of the loss of muscle tissue around them. Your skin can also become dry and wrinkled because it is losing its protection against your bones. “People begin to take sort of a hollow look,” he says.
Posted in Anorexia Nervosa, In the News •
With Eating Disorders in Children on the Rise, Eating Recovery Center Urges Parents to Practice Prevention at Home
Leading Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Treatment Program Offers 10 Tips to Help Parents Prevent Eating Disorders
Between 1999 and 2006, hospitalizations for eating disorders in children 12 and younger rose 119 percent, according to a 2010 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics. In an effort to curb the growth of anorexia, bulimia, EDNOS and binge eating disorder in this young patient population, Eating Recovery Center (www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com), an international center for eating disorders recovery, urges parents to take preventive measures at home to stop eating disorders before they start.
“While clinicians have yet to identify the absolute keys to preventing eating disorders, we do know that positive parental involvement and heightened awareness can help foster the development of healthy relationships among children, their bodies and food,” explains Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS, medical director of child and adolescent services at Eating Recovery Center.
Eating Recovery Center offers 10 recommendations to help parents practice eating disorders prevention at home:
“Even if parents are not able to prevent eating disorder-related behaviors in their children, prevention activities – such as being well-informed about eating disorders and recognizing changes in attitude or behaviors that may suggest your child is at risk – are invaluable for enhancing early recognition and timely intervention,” continues Dr. Bermudez.
If your child begins showing symptoms of disordered eating, immediately seek eating disorders support from a qualified professional. Early intervention significantly improves the likelihood of recovery. For more information about Eating Recovery Center’s eating disorders treatment programs for children and adolescents ages 10 through 17, please visit www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com.
Posted in About Us, In the News, Press Releases •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: PyschCentral.com
5 Things Not To Say To Someone With An Eating Disorder
Eating disorders are complex issues with biological, psychological and sociocultural implications. While eating disorders awareness is growing among the general public and the healthcare community, this complexity is sometimes lost on even the most well-meaning friends and family members, causing them to oversimplify the illnesses in the statements they make. Regardless of intentions, there are several statements that should not be said to someone with an eating disorder. Eating Recovery Center’s Dr. Weiner was recently quoted in a PsychCentral.com article addressing this very topic. Below is an excerpt from the article, or click here to read the article in its entirety.
Everyone hates their body (or everyone overeats, or everyone skips meals sometimes).
It’s hard watching a person you love struggle. Sometimes we think relating to their words will make them feel better. So if they say something disparaging about their body or talk about skipping a meal or eating a lot in a short period of time, we quickly let them know that they’re not alone. We’ve been there. We can relate.
But in reality, this can shut the person up and stop them from sharing any more of their thoughts and feelings. (Which is a big problem because eating disorders are secretive as it is.)Worse, it can normalize their eating disorder and validate it.
While many of us might’ve struggled with some ED behaviors and thoughts, it’s very different from actually struggling with an eating disorder. Again, eating disorders are serious illnesses that require treatment.
Yes, I’ll keep your ED a secret.
Maybe you’ve noticed the signs of an eating disorder and confronted your loved one or maybe they came to you first. Either way, they beg you to keep their eating disorder a secret. I would say, “No way, no how.”
Eating disorders are dangerous. Even if someone doesn’t look emaciated and sick, they can still suffer serious problems. In her memoir, Purge: Rehab Diaries, Nicole Johns, who struggled with EDNOS, talks about being “normal weight” and having a slew of very serious health problems.
Throughout her 20s, Johns is “hospitalized for fainting, a concussion, electrolyte imbalances, and three different kinds of heart-rhythm irregularities.” During this time, she’s abusing diet pills, starving and purging. In just two years, she has to go to the ER six times because of her heart problems.
The reality is that EDs can be deadly — and secrets don’t lead to treatment, and treatment is essential. According to Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, CEDS, of the Eating Recovery Center:
Eating disorders are the deadliest mental illness. A woman with anorexia
nervosa is 5.6 times more likely to die than another woman of her same age. The
most frequent causes of death from eating disorders are suicide (32 percent),
complications associated with anorexia (19 percent), and cancer (11 percent).
The average age of death for an individual with anorexia is only 34
years.
Posted in Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, General, In the News •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: KGNU Independent Community Radio
Eating disorders don’t discriminate; in fact, they affect men, women, boys and girls of all ethnicities and at all socioeconomic levels. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals aren’t immune to eating disorders either. In fact, according to some studies, gay men are more likely to have an eating disorder than straight men due to increased pressure to meet physical standards that are often considered more “attractive” within the gay community.
In a recent interview with KGNU Independent Community Radio (1390AM Denver, 88.5FM Boulder), Eating Recovery Center therapist Joe Eiben, MA, LPC, shared insights about eating disorders in the gay community. Topics discussed included eating disorder warning signs and treatment options, as well as discussion around the prevalence of anorexia and bulimia among LGBT individuals. Listen the Joe’s interview in its entirety here.
Posted in About Us, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, In the News •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: The Huffington Post
Eating Disorders in Middle Age Bring Unique Challenges, Treatments
Emmett Bishop, MD, FAED, CEDS, Medical Director of Adult Services at Eating Recovery Center, was recently quoted in The Huffington Post discussing the health complications facing middle-aged individuals struggling with eating disorders. Read on for an excerpt of the article, or click here to read the piece in its entirety.
In an Austrian study of 475 women between 60 and 70 years old, published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders in 2006, 45 percent of the women indicated that their self-esteem depended on their shape and weight. The same study revealed that “over 60 percent [of the women] stated ‘moderate’ or ‘low’ satisfaction with weight and shape.”
This pressure to maintain youth may stem from the culture in which post 50s grew up. Dr. Blake Woodside, director of Toronto General Hospital’s in-patient eating disorder program, told the Toronto Star that the increase in midlife eating disorders can be traced to the ’60s, when ideals changed and the “thin is in” culture materialized.
Whatever the cause, eating disorders can have serious side effects, including osteoporosis, heart problems and gastrointestinal issues. In a recent interview with Life Goes Strong, an online site for midlifers, Dr. Emmett Bishop, MD, FAED, CEDS — founding partner and medical director of adult services at the Eating Recovery Center — outlined some specific health issues that middle-agers with EDs may face:
Older individuals have much less resilience when it comes to physical damage from eating disorders. A lot of things can go wrong with vital organs, bone density can be impacted, dental health can suffer, and as tissues become less elastic, I’ve seen people aspirate from purging. A whole host of medical issues can arise as people abuse their bodies over time. Eating disorders are the deadliest mental illnesses and premature death is very common.
Older women also face somber statistics when it comes to EDs and death. Senior women comprise 78 percent of all deaths caused by anorexia, and the average age that women die
from the disease is 69.
Posted in Huffington Post, In the News, Latest Research •
Dr. Michael Spaulding-Barclay Joins Eating Recovery Center’s Child and Adolescent Services
Board Certified in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and with a background in eating disorders treatment, esteemed physician brings valuable skill set to Center’s comprehensive programs
Eating Recovery Center (www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com), an international center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia, bulimia, EDNOS and binge eating disorder, today announced that Michael Spaulding-Barclay, MD, MS, FAAP, has joined its medical team as Attending Physician, Child and Adolescent Services. In this role, Dr. Spaulding-Barclay will work collaboratively with Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Services Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS and the multidisciplinary treatment team to develop and deliver comprehensive eating disorders treatment plans to boys and girls ages 10 through 17.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Spaulding-Barclay has joined Eating Recovery Center’s team of expert eating disorders treatment professionals, and anticipate he will fit seamlessly into our culture of excellence and innovation in the delivery of care for child and adolescent patients and their families,” says Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, FAED, CEDS, Founding Partner, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Eating Recovery Center.
Board Certified in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and with a background in eating disorders treatment, Dr. Spaulding-Barclay comes to Eating Recovery Center from the Eating Disorders Center at Children’s Mercy Hospital & Clinics in Kansas City, Missouri, where he served as Medical Director. He also currently holds an academic appointment as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri’s Kansas City School of Medicine. Other previous positions include Clinical and Research Fellow in Adolescent Medicine at Indiana University’s Riley Hospital for Children and Physician in a private, general pediatric practice in North Andover, Massachusetts. Dr. Spaulding-Barclay also holds memberships in several professional organizations, including the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (President, Mid-West Regional Chapter, 2009-2011), the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Academy of Eating Disorders and the Body Balance Coalition of Missouri (currently Executive Board Member). Additionally, he was selected as a “Top Doctor” in Adolescent Medicine by US News & World Report (in collaboration with Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd., publisher of Americas Top Doctors) in 2011.
Dr. Spaulding-Barclay earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana, and completed his internship and residency in Pediatrics at Indiana University’s Riley Hospital for Children. He also earned a Master’s of Science in Clinical Research through his participation in the Clinical Investigator Training Enhancement (CITE) program, a joint initiative of Indiana and Purdue Universities that is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
In January 2011, Eating Recovery Center opened the Behavioral Hospital for Children and Adolescents to address what experts term “epidemiological drift” in childhood eating disorders, which is marked by the condition’s swift growth in incidence in this young patient population. In fact, recent research from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that hospitalizations for eating disorders increased 119 percent for children younger than 12 years of age between 1999 and 2006. Eating Recovery Center’s Behavioral Hospital for Children and Adolescents offers the full spectrum of recovery programs and services for young patients and their families, including Inpatient, Residential, Partial Hospitalization and Outpatient programs, as well as alumni and family educational programming to support lasting recovery following discharge from the intensive treatment environment.
Posted in About Us, General, In the News •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: Shape.com
What to Do if Your Friend Has an Eating Disorder
In observance of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2012, the internet was abuzz with information about eating disorders awareness and practical tips for friends and families with concerns about their loved ones’ health. One of those stories ran on Shape.com and featured insights from Eating Recovery Center’s Bonnie Brennan, MA, LPC, NCC, Clinical Director of the Adult Partial Hospitalization Program. Read on for a short excerpt of the article, or click here to read the article in its entirety on Shape.com.
The signs are all there. Your friend is intensely afraid of being fat, she talks nonstop about how many calories are in her food and what she weighed this morning, and she’s starting to avoid situations where she’s expected to eat. While you don’t know for sure, you start to get worried that your friend might be developing — or already be suffering from — an eating disorder.
It’s a tricky subject. You want your friends to be healthy and you want to be fit with them, but what happens if your best friend starts to take it too far? Do you stand up and say something? Do you risk hurting your friendship or making her angry and pushing her away?
It’s worth it to speak up even if you’re not sure, says Bonnie Brennan, clinical director of Eating Recovery Center’s Adult Partial Hospitalization Program.
“I think that it is a mistake not to address your concerns with a friend for fear of hurting his or her feelings,” Brennan says. “If a friend does not have an eating disorder and is offended by your inquiry, that emotion will usually last a very short time, even a few minutes. On the other hand, if you are correct about your friend’s eating disorder, you may be saving a life, as
eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any other mental illness.”
Posted in General, In the News •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: Examiner.com
Eating Disorder Treatment in Colorado: Interview with Ken Weiner, MD
Dr. Ken Weiner, Founding Partner, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Eating Recovery Center, recently spoke with Donna Feldman, Denver Health Examiner. In the interview, Dr. Weiner discussed the eating disorder treatment offered at Eating Recovery Center, and provided insight into the decision to pursue a higher level of care for those struggling with eating disorders. See below for an excerpt of Dr. Weiner’s Examiner.com interview, or click here to read the article in its entirety.
One of the driving forces behind Denver’s growing reputation as a hot spot for cutting edge eating disorder treatment has to be Dr. Ken Weiner, MD. Dr. Weiner has been treating eating disorders here for over 25 years, and is a founding partner of the Eating Recovery Center, which offers intensive inpatient, residential and outpatient treatment for both adults and adolescents. The ERC has grown from a 12 bed facility with 40 employees in October 2008 to 46 beds and 235 employees in late 2011, with locations in Lowry and downtown
Denver.
I spoke with Dr. Weiner about his work, and the ERC recently, and posed the question “How does a person decide that an intensive program like this is right for them?”
Weiner: About 85% of eating disordered people do well with multi-disciplinary outpatient treatment. The other 15%, who are not responding to that need a higher level of care. Usually the patient is the driving force looking for more care, yet may still be ambivalent. The ERC offers free assessment to help with the decision.
Examiner: What is the prognosis for recovery from an eating disorder like anorexia?
Weiner: The cure rate for anorexia is over 80%, but it could take 7-10 years. Brain maturation from teen years to mid-20′s helps the recovery process. I’m more optimistic about the outcomes, but still some patients can’t be fixed (Dr. Weiner noted elsewhere that eating disorders have the highest fatality rate of all psychiatric illnesses).
Examiner: What has changed about treatment in the past 10 years?
Weiner: The biggest shift has been the focus on genetics, and the realization that eating disorders may be as heritiable as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Research using neuroimaging opens up some exciting possibilities for understanding what happens in the brain in eating disordered people.
Posted in Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, In the News, Latest Research, Treatment Options •
Eating Recovery Center Raises Awareness of Eating Disorders in “Nontraditional” Populations During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Men, Older Women and Children are Increasingly Developing the Deadliest Mental Illness
Four in 10 Americans have either suffered from or know someone who has suffered from an eating disorder, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 26-March 3), Eating Recovery Center (www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com), an international center for eating disorders recovery, highlights eating disorders’ pervasive impact on Americans of all ages and genders.
“A classic misconception of eating disorders is that they are a teenage girls’ disease, when in fact, we are seeing more older women, younger children and men of all ages entering treatment,” said Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, FAED, CEDS, founding partner, chief executive officer and chief medical officer of Eating Recovery Center. “Genetic risk factors and environmental triggers for these diseases don’t discriminate based on age or gender.”
The 2012 National Eating Disorders Awareness Week theme is “Everybody Knows Somebody,” which is truer now more than ever, as eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction continue to experience what experts term “epidemiological drift,” which is marked by a condition’s swift growth in incidence in new populations.
• Older women: Eating Recovery Center has seen a marked increase in older women seeking treatment for eating disorders. From 2010 to 2011, admissions of women over the age of 30 increased from 27 percent of total admissions to 33 percent of total admissions. In the same timeframe, admissions of women over the age of 40 increased from 13 percent of total admissions to 15 percent of total admissions.
• Men: A recent British study shows that more than 80 percent of men regularly engage in conversation about their bodies, that three in five men are unhappy with their muscularity and that more than one-third of men would trade a year of their life to achieve their ideal body weight or shape.
• Younger children: From 1999 to 2006, hospitalizations for eating disorders increased sharply – 119 percent – for children younger than 12 years of age, according to recent analysis by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
“It’s important to be aware that eating disorders can happen to anyone—men, older women and younger children,” continued Dr. Weiner. “Do not discount disordered eating behaviors or concerning body image issues just because they are displayed by an individual believed to be outside of the traditional ‘eating disorder demographic.’”
Eating Recovery Center encourages individuals to quickly respond if they notice troubling food- or body image-oriented behaviors in their loved ones, regardless of age or gender. Eating disorders recovery is entirely possible with early intervention and proper treatment from qualified professionals.
• If you notice troubling behaviors in an adult friend or loved one, find a quiet time and place for a private, respectful meeting to discuss your concerns; and ask if he or she has considered whether or not he or she may have an eating disorder. While you continue to express your support, offer to help your friend or loved seek treatment.
• If you notice troubling behaviors in your child or adolescent, engage your child in conversation and speak to what you have noticed instead of making accusations; visit a medical provider if you are concerned about your child’s physical health; and identify a mental health provider for an eating disorders assessment.
For more information about National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.
Join Eating Recovery Center at these events during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week:
• An annual candlelight vigil honoring those who have passed away from eating disorders, hosted by The Eating Disorder Foundation, Thursday, March 1, A Place of Our Own, 1901 E. 20th Ave., Denver, Colo.
• Mind and Body Fair, hosted by the University of Northern Colorado’s Women’s Resource Center, Monday, February 27, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Greeley, Colo.
• Eating Recovery Center Patient Art Show, February 27 to March 2, an exhibition of patient artwork, 1830 Franklin Street, Denver, Colo.
• A National Eating Disorders Awareness Week informational table in the Colorado State University Student Center, Wednesday, February 29, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• National Eating Disorders Association Walk, hosted by The Eating Disorder Network of Central Florida, Saturday, March 3, Orlando, Fla.
Posted in About Us, General, In the News, Press Releases •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: SheKnows.com
Is Your Teen into the eTriggers Trend?
Last week, Dr. Ovidio Bermudez, Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Services at Eating Recovery Center, was featured on SheKnows.com, a website dedicated to the provision of intelligent information, helpful resources and community support for women. In the article, Dr. Bermudez shares insights on how technology can trigger rigid behavior that fuels extreme dieting and exercise for kids and teens struggling with eating issues. Read on for an excerpt of the article, or click here to view the article in its entirety.
Tech Triggers
Though not a clinical term, eTriggers is a shortened way of referring to electronic- or technology-based activities that could potentially trigger someone to engage in dieting, exercise or disordered eating behaviors, says Ovidio Bermudez, M.D., the medical director of child and adolescent services at Eating Recovery Center in Denver, Colorado.
Kids and teens may use game consoles, computers, tablets and phones to study diet and exercise techniques. For example, calorie-counting smart phone or tablet apps that manage calorie intake or exercise-focused video games that measure current weight and calories burned. Healthy when used in moderation, but when taken too far, they can enable damaging behaviors.
In addition, there’s a myriad of websites, such as pro-anorexia or pro-bulimia websites or forums, that offer harmful tips to help children and adolescents learn and practice disordered eating behaviors, Dr. Bermudez adds. It’s important to recognize that these activities do not “cause” eating disorders. Eating disorders are complex, heritable diseases that involve bio-psycho-social factors, says Dr. Bermudez. “These triggers can simply kick-start one behavior that may be taken to an extreme, and they can serve as enablers for unhealthy food- or exercise-focused behaviors that have already begun.”
They want to be the best
Through websites, phone apps, games and social media forums, technology can trigger or enable an eating disorder. “An important part of the mindset of individuals struggling with eating disorders is a desire to learn ‘how to do it better’ and how to compete with others,” says Dr. Bermudez. “Both of these can be cemented by accessing information related to losing weight.” Plus, they compare themselves to other people with eating disorders and motivate themselves to “do it better” by learning new ways to drop weight and bond with others around their successes or failures in eating disorders behaviors.
Posted in Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, In the News, Uncategorized •
