Anorexia and Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become fragile, increasing the risk of breaking. It can progress painlessly if not prevented or if left untreated.

"Any bone can be affected, but of special concern are fractures of the hip and spine. A hip fracture almost always requires hospitalization and major surgery. It can impair a person's ability to walk unassisted and may cause prolonged or permanent disability or even death. Spinal or vertebral fractures also have serious consequences, including loss of height, severe back pain, and deformity."

Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.

Risk Factors

• Certain people are more likely to develop osteoporosis than others. Factors that increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis and broken bones are called "risk factors." Many of these risk factors include:
  
  • Being female
  • Older age
  • Family history of osteoporosis or broken bones
  • Being small and thin
  • Certain race/ethnicities such as Caucasian, Asian, or Hispanic/Latino although African Americans are also at risk
  • History of broken bones
  • Low sex hormones
    
    • Low estrogen levels in women, including menopause
    • Missing periods (amenorrhea)
    • Low levels of testosterone and estrogen in men
  • Diet
    
  • Low calcium intake
  • Low vitamin D intake
  • Excessive intake of protein, sodium and caffeine
  • Inactive lifestyle
  • Smoking
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Certain medications such as steroid medications, some anticonvulsants and others
  • Certain diseases and conditions such as anorexia nervosa, rheumatoid arthritis, gastrointestinal diseases and others.

The Anorexia Nervosa-Osteoporosis Link

From the National Institutes of Health's Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases - National Resource Center

Anorexia nervosa has significant physical consequences. Affected individuals can experience nutritional and hormonal problems that negatively impact bone density. Low body weight in females causes the body to stop producing estrogen, resulting in a condition known as amenorrhea, or absent menstrual periods. Low estrogen levels contribute to significant losses in bone density.

In addition, individuals with anorexia often produce excessive amounts of the adrenal hormone cortisol, which is known to trigger bone loss. Other problems — such as a decrease in the production of growth hormone and other growth factors, low body weight (apart from the estrogen loss it causes), calcium deficiency, and malnutrition — contribute to bone loss in girls and women with anorexia. Weight loss, restricted dietary intake, and testosterone deficiency may be responsible for the low bone density found in males with the disorder.

Studies suggest that low bone mass (osteopenia) is common in people with anorexia and that it occurs early in the course of the disease. Girls with anorexia are less likely to reach their peak bone density and therefore may be at increased risk for osteoporosis and fracture throughout life.

Helpful links:
What People With Anorexia Nervosa Need To Know About Osteoporosis
National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF.org)
Bone Density Test


Sources: linked in post.

Recovery Quote Of The Week: October 17th

"Don't shirk away from challenges ... keep reaching for that star, that sky."
Rick Moore

Please see:
*sidebar "Inspirational Quotes" and "Recovery Quotes of the Week" for links to more recovery quotes.


picture source:Photobucket.com

Fat Talk Free Week: October 13th-17th

Get educated. Get involved. Make a difference!

"10 million women are dealing with eating disorders in this country, which is more than are suffering from breast cancer. It’s time we take control over our own destinies, our own bodies, and our own inner dialogues. We’re changing the conversation to create a more positive body image for ourselves, our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, and our friends.
It’s time to free ourselves from fat talk, and focus on the healthy ideal–which looks different for every woman–and focuses on health, NOT weight or size."

It starts with you. It starts today!

Sign the Fat Talk Free Promise.

“The Top 5 Things You Can Do Now to Promote Positive Body Image”



sources:http://www.bodyimageprogram.org/

Shame And Eating Disorders: Readers Share Their Experience

Based on the recent poll, My Eating Disorder: One Word At A Time, "Shame" was the word most selected out of all the choices. Here, in an effort to help others better understand and/or relate, readers share their experience with shame in relation to their eating disorder:

I am too much
and not enough.

I feel conspicuous
self-conscious
as if everyone
can see
that there's
something inherently
wrong with me.

I am too much -
too much anger
flowing to the
surface
too loud
and too raw
in my expression.
You lock me
in my room
and all I see
is a closed door
reflecting my anger
back toward me.

I am not enough.
I am not neat enough
I cannot compose
myself or
colour strictly
between the lines.

I am not loud enough
I cannot put myself
out there
I feel shame burning
my insides
as you all see
my pitiful core...
the wrong
parts of me.

I am too much
I don't deserve
to take up so much space...
I am selfish
or so you say,
so I learn to deny
my needs.
I learn to starve
my feelings away.

I am too much
but I am shrinking...
I am not enough
so endlessly
I pursue an ideal
hoping it will
transform...or destroy me.
~Anonymous

~My Claim to Shame~

Shame. It's a word that trembles with negative feeling. It's a word that has a lot of power. It's a word that I used to associate with my eating disorder. I felt shame when I restricted, when I counted calories, when I fit into tiny clothes, when I threw away food that I couldn't bring myself to eat, when I worried my friends and family. But most of all, I felt shame when I cried. When I cried, I felt so weak and so helpless and so out of control that I was absolutely disgusted with myself. I couldn't fathom someone being as stupid as I was. I couldn't understand how a girl with a brain could hurt her entire family and all her dear friends by continuing on a path of self destruction. It wasn't rational. It was shameful. At least in the eyes of a girl struggling with anorexia. My shame when I cried overpowered me. I took to crying in private, waiting until doors were locked and my dorm room/apartment/bathroom where empty and I was the sole occupant. I cried in the shower. I cried in bed at night, in the dark, silently, when my room mate was but feet away in her own bed. But sometimes--when my life and my emotions and my pain became too much--I cried in front of someone. And that was when the shame flooded my face with heat and made me wish I were dead. If I cried in front of a friend, I would instantly apologize over and over again. I would shake my head and cover my face as though to say, "Don't look at me!" If I cried in front of my parents, it was worse still. I had to walk--no, run--away; the shame was just too great. Once, I cried in front of my eating disorder therapy group. All eyes were on me. I was explaining something or telling some weekly tale, and out came the tears in a torrential cascade. I was mortified. And the therapists and participants alike were stunned--because they'd never seen me cry before. I couldn't SPEAK for the rest of the group session; I was so overcome with shame. Shame had in me in a fierce and unyielding grasp. I'll never forget the time I cried in front of my former therapist. I had been going to her for about 2 years. One particular day, she was prodding me about something that was a tender point. I was getting angry. I was getting upset. I was getting... overwrought. I was becoming a mess. I let go. I cried. I bawled. I couldn't stop and I couldn't speak for a moment or two. I played my old game of covering my tear-sodden face with my hands and apologizing. When I looked at my therapist again, she was smiling. No, grinning. I was dumbstruck. But I'll never forget what she said to me: "I can finally see YOU. The real you." I questioned her with my disbelieving eyes and she said, "Finally you are giving me something. You're not closing off or holding it in. You're crying. Sometimes you need to cry." It had a real effect on me. I've since transformed her words to mean: "Sometimes you need to cry in order to get better." I've learned that being ashamed of something real serves no purpose and will only keep you from gaining ground. I've also learned that by crying, you can get out some of the bad that's inside and make room for the good. I apply this whole concept and attitude to my eating disorder in general. So much shame enveloped me that I couldn't get past what was going on inside me. I had to come to terms with the shameful behaviors and feelings in order to move forward. Shame is a dirty word. An anagram for shame is: has me. And have me it did. I think of that when I feel shame about something. I don't want to be had by anything. I want to turn it around. If eating disorder = shame, then it stands to reason that if you get rid of the shame, you are that much closer to getting rid of the eating disorder. It certainly was an important step for me.
~Arielle, 24

~A Leap Of Faith~

Another early morning, and the battle between my mind and my body begins. Again. I have every intention of giving up some of the behaviors that just fuel my downward spiral. I am too ashamed to even say what those behaviors are, and I'm definitely not proud of the things that I have done in order to hide from myself.

I spent almost my entire life with the secret shame of being raped. When I let go of that secret, I almost felt as if I were mourning the loss of something that I held very dear. I felt so exposed that I began to find other secrets that I could keep. A way to keep something for just myself, and a way to distance myself from the very people that I trusted enough to tell. Who will be there to catch me when I fall? I want to believe and trust that I won't be abandoned, but I haven't been able to take that leap of faith. The secrets must end if I am to survive, and I do believe that I can let go of them.

I am going to be honest in saying that right now I am actively restricting my food intake, and I just don't feel safe in letting go of that. I did promise my nutritionist that if I couldn't get back on track in a few days, then I would reach out for more help and support. I'm not even sure what that would be at this point, so I will have to figure that out. I just want to try to find my way back on my own first.

~Angie, 42

When I was six years old my best friend caught the stomach flu. For a week, the virus made her existence miserable and kept me from being able to see her. At the end of that week, she had lost almost ten pounds and was suddenly much smaller than me. I had put on some weight recently and could no longer wear some of the clothes that I had before. My mother and I bagged those clothes up to give away. She didn't specify to who until I had already helped her carry them downstairs. Then she told me that we were giving them to my best friend, that same friend who had just had the flu for a week. She said, "when she got sick, she lost weight. Granted that's not the best way to do it, but you could do to lose some." I was six years old and it was the first time that anyone had ever made me feel that I was fat and disgusting. It had to be my own mother and I had to watch those clothes on my skinny, beautiful best friend for almost another year before she moved away.
~Female, 17

*I'd like to thank these women for their amazing contributions and for sharing their experiences so openly and so eloquently. I feel honored to be able to share them here. Thank You.

*See sidebar menu for more ED poetry and writings

*Click here to have your Eating Disorders/Body Image poetry/writings featured on Weighing The Facts

Recovery Quote Of The Week: October 9th

"Jump and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall."
Ray Bradbury

Please see:
*sidebar "Inspirational Quotes" and "Recovery Quotes of the Week" for links to more recovery quotes.

picture source:photobucket.com

Mental Health Parity Signed Into Law

President Bush has signed the Mental Health Parity into law, a victory for millions of Americans who, due to insurance discrimination, have been unable to obtain the mental health care they have needed.

It is estimated that 67 percent of adults and 80 percent of children requiring mental health/addiction services have been affected by limitations in health insurance coverage. Insurance companies have for years set higher copays and deductibles with stricter limitations for mental health and addiction treatment resulting in many going untreated or not receiving the treatment they need.

"The mental parity law, one of many amendments included in the legislation to broaden legislative support for the bailout package, requires health insurance companies to charge the same deductibles, co payments, and out-of-pocket expenses for mental health treatments as for all other illnesses."

"Federal officials said the law would improve coverage for 113 million people, including 82 million in employer-sponsored plans that are not subject to state regulation. The effective date, for most health plans, will be Jan. 1, 2010."

Businesses of 50 employees or fewer are exempt.

For more information:
Mental Health America
The New York Times
Patricia E. Bauer


sources:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/washington/06mental.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
http://takeaction.mentalhealthamerica.net/site/PageServer?pagename=Equity_Campaign
http://www.patriciaebauer.com/2008/10/05/mental-health-parity/ picture source:photobucket.com

Recovering From An Eating Disorder: In Their Own Words

"Recovery One Day At A Time." Another wonderful video by Holdingon.
See more of her videos here.



source:Youtube.com

Recovery Quote Of The Week: October 2nd

"Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it eludes you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it comes and sits softly on your shoulder."
Anonymous

Please see:
*sidebar "Inspirational Quotes" and "Recovery Quotes of the Week" for links to more recovery quotes.

butterfly picture source:pdphoto.org

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD): Self-Assessment Tests

HealthyPlace.com: Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Children

Butler Hospital: Screening Questionnaire for Adults.

Butler Hospital: Screening Questionnaire for Adolescents.

Clayton Therapy: Body Image Test for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Pamguide.com: Body Dysmorphic Self-Test


See also: BDD: Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Recovery Quote Of The Week: September 25th

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight inside the bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom."
Anais Nin


Please see:
*sidebar "Inspirational Quotes" and "Recovery Quotes of the Week" for links to more recovery quotes.
*archives for more quotes of the week.

sources:flower pic: freepicturesphotos.com

Eating Disorders In The News: September 2008

Treatment Can Help Break Cycle of Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder is defined as feeling out of control while eating a large quantity of food in a short period of time. Although it is the newest classification of eating disorders, more people suffer from binge eating disorder than anorexia and bulimia combined.

Unlike bulimia, people with a binge eating disorder do not purge, use laxatives, fast or engage in strenuous exercise as a means to get rid of extra calories.

As a result, most people with a binge eating disorder are overweight or obese. Because of this, they are at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, menstrual problems, sleep problems, gallbladder disease and certain types of cancer.

Read in full here.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Struggling With An Eating Disorder

The numbers are hard to come by, and they're approximate, but experts say as many as 4 percent of all women will struggle with an eating disorder at some point in their lives.

The numbers are only estimates because so few victims are willing to admit their disease.

Read in full here.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Increasing Number of Men Succumbing To "Good Looks and Anorexia"

Eating Disorders are no longer exclusively women’s territory, say the experts. In fact, the number of men suffering from anorexia has been on the rise for quite sometime now. Some even claim to have seen more male anorexia referrals than females.

Professor Hubert Lacey, the head of the eating disorder unit at St George's hospital in Tooting, south London, attributes the rise in male sufferers to greater social pressure on men to look good.

"Last week for the first time ever I had more male referrals for anorexia than female.

Read in full here.

--------------------------------------------------------

Drug Abused for Weight Loss; Deadly Similarity to Cocaine

(Rochester, N.Y.) -- Popping pills to lose weight is not a new practice. But the newest pill of choice, Adderall, is a prescription drug, that when abused, has effects similar to cocaine.

Adderall speeds up the metabolism and releases more dopamine to the brain, creating a sense of euphoria and decreasing appetite. Doctors use Adderall to treat hyperactivity and narcolepsy.

While it is a stimulant, it has a calming affect on patients. But. if abused, it can raise blood pressure and heart rate-which can be fatal.

Read in full here.

---------------------------------------------------------

The Number of Web Sites Promoting Anorexia and Bulimia Has Increased 470% Since 2006, According to Optenet Research


MIAMI, Sept 24, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Analysis of nearly three million random URLs also reveals that over one-third contain pornography
Optenet, a global IT security company and provider of high-performance content filtering solutions, today announced the results of a report showing that adult content on the Internet -- including pro-anorexia and bulimia, racism, violence and child pornography -- has significantly increased since the end of 2006.
The report utilizes Optenet's unique traffic analysis and classification engine for dynamic traffic, which combines artificial intelligence with traditional content filtering technology to categorize Web site and Web 2.0 content. The report tracks Internet content trends since the end of 2006, based on a random sampling of nearly three million Web sites from around the world. Key findings include:

-- Pro-anorexia and bulimia web sites have increased by 470 percent;

Read in full here.

----------------------------------------------------------

National Eating Disorders Assn. Issues Strategies For School To Identify, Assist Students With Eating Disorders

NEW YORK,, Sept 24, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- In response to an increasing demand from educators for hands-on strategies to deal with eating disorders among students, the National Eating Disorders Association has produced a toolkit of the latest information on how to identify and assist students at risk for anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder.

Guidelines for teachers, administrators and staff include:

Read in full here.

sources: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20080924/LIVING0106/809240335/-1/COLUMNS *www.cfnews13.com/Health/KnowYourNumbers/2008/9/23/struggling_with_an_eating_disorder.html*http://www.medindia.net/news/Increasing-Number-of-Men-Succumbing-to-good-Looks-and-Anorexia-42194-1.htm*http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=8f459f19-aa37-4c97-a572-6c17f065bf9b*http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/national-eating-disorders-assn-issues/story.aspx?guid={D7EF1684-FFB8-4432-BB28-62EED01F06EB}&dist=hppr*picture source: bigfoto.com

Eating Disorders: What Parents Can Do

Below you will find some informative links to help parents in the fight against eating disorders.

NEDA (National Eating Disorders Org): 10 Things Parents Can Do To Prevent Eating Disorders

ANRED (Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorder Inc): Eating Disorders Prevention: Parents Are Key Players

A Chance To Heal: Your Role In Eating Disorder Prevention

Kaboose: What Parents Should Do

Kids Health Org: Eating Disorders


picture source: http://www.free-pictures-photos.com/misc/index.htm

Recovery Quote Of The Week: September 18th

"It's never to late to be what you might have been."
George Eliot


Please see:
*sidebar "Inspirational Quotes" for links to more recovery quotes.
*archives for more quotes of the week.

Increased Anxiety and Depression in Pregnant Women With Bulimia

Pregnant women with bulimia have more anxiety and depression
Physorg.com

Women who have bulimia in pregnancy have more symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to pregnant women without eating disorders. A new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) shows that they also have lower self-esteem and are more dissatisfied with life and their relationship with their partner.

The findings come from the world's first major population study of psychosocial factors in bulimia (bulimia nervosa) during pregnancy. Bulimia in pregnancy can have serious consequences for both mother and child.

The new study includes more than 41 000 pregnant women who responded to a questionnaire from the Norwegian Mother and Child Study (MoBa) from the NIPH.

Higher incidence of physical and sexual abuse

Out of more than 41 000 pregnant women, 96 (0.2 %) met the criteria for broadly defined bulimia (bulimia nervosa) in the first trimester of pregnancy. 67 of the women reported that they had also had bulimia six months before pregnancy, while 26 had developed bulimia after becoming pregnant. It is unknown whether these women had bulimia earlier in life.

Women with bulimia reported lower self-esteem and less satisfaction with life and their relationship with their partner. In addition, they reported a higher prevalence of symptoms associated with anxiety and depression.

Women with bulimia reported a higher prevalence of life-long physical abuse, sexual abuse and major depression compared with others, says Cecilie Knoph Berg at the Division of Mental Health at the NIPH.

Women who had bulimia six months before pregnancy but who were symptom-free in the first trimester, experienced higher self-esteem and satisfaction with life compared to other women with persistent symptoms.

Bulimia was measured six months before pregnancy and in the first trimester of pregnancy by completing the questionnaire in the first trimester.

Knoph Berg is the first author of "Psychosocial factors associated with broadly-defined bulimia nervosa during early pregnancy: Findings from the Norwegian mother and child cohort study" which is published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.

Read in full here.
See also: Pregnancy and Eating Disorders: Important Information




source: http://www.physorg.com/news140862450.html
picture source: http://www.clker.com/

BULIMIA: Internet-Based Study of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

E Science News

"The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is leading a novel clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of online cognitive behavioral therapy, delivered through a Web site and augmented with therapist-moderated, weekly online chat sessions, to face-to-face group therapy for the treatment of bulimia nervosa. "For individuals with bulimia nervosa – an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging behaviors – face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT has long been considered the gold standard of treatment," said Cynthia M. Bulik, Ph.D., William and Jeanne Jordan Distinguished Professor of Eating Disorders and director of the UNC Eating Disorders Program, who is the study's principal investigator.

The Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center will also take part in the study. Marsha D. Marcus, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology and Service Chief of the Center for Overcoming Problem Eating (COPE), serves as the principal investigator at the Pittsburgh site."

Read in full here.

Sources:http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/09/15/unc.wpic.conduct.internet.based.study.cognitive.behavioral.therapy.bulimia

picture source:http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/details.php?gid=85&sgid=&pid=834

Poll: My Recovery, One Word At A Time

What words help define your experience with your ED Recovery? In the sidebar you will find an anonymous poll, My Recovery, One Word At A time, where you can share your words with others who are also in recovery from their ED, and help those that aren't in recovery (or are attempting to recover) to relate and better understand.

If the list is missing words that are important to you and your experience please feel free to share them in the comment section to this post.


Participation is always greatly appreciated. Thank You.

Completed Poll Results:

My Recovery, One Word At A Time (choose as many words as you feel relate to your ED recovery).
Votes: 26

					Joy 8 (30%) Freedom 11(42%)
					Security 3 (11%)
					Identity 12 (46%)
					Elusive 4 (15%)
					Community 4 (15%)
					Fear 17 (65%)
					Difficult 20 (76%)
					Fleeting 3 (11%)
					Enduring 3 (11%)
					Happy 6 (23%)
					Anxiety 14 (53%)
					Support 10 (38%)
					Affirming 6 (23%)
					Effortless 0 (0%)
					Failing 12 (46%)
					Attempting 12 (46%)
					Succeeding 6 (23%)
					Desired 15 (57%)
					Unwanted 5 (19%)
					Renewed 5 (19%)
					Unnecessary 2 (7%)
					Assisted 4 (15%)
					Monitored 5 (19%)
					Depressing 10 (38%)
					Inspired 7 (26%)
					Considering 3 (11%)
					Unassisted 2 (7%)
					Panic 10 (38%)
					Apprehensive 9 (34%)
					Scary 15 (57%)
					Amazing 12 (46%)

More Polls/Results

Psychiatric Advance Directive for Eating Disorder Treatment

What is a Psychiatric Advance Directive? Known as a PAD, a psychiatric advance directive is a fairly new legal document, much like a living will. It is a tool for conveying your instructions and preferences, to both your family and the medical community, regarding future mental health treatment in the event you are incapable of giving informed consent concerning your treatment during acute episodes of psychiatric illness.

Though a PAD states your preferences for hospital/facilities, medication, and refusal of certain procedures, there are situations/conditions in which it would not be followed due to conflicts with; emergency treatment, accepted community practice standards, and/or applicable law.

You can get more information about Psychiatric Advanced Directives in your state here.

For information on PADs please visit:
National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advanced Directives (NRC*PAD)


sources:http://www.nrc-pad.org/

Recovery Quote of the Week: September 11

"Our way is not soft grass, it's a mountain path with lots of rocks. But it goes upward, forward, towards the sun."
Ruth Westheimer


Please see:
*sidebar "Inspirational Quotes" for links to more recovery quotes.
*archives for more quotes of the week.

DIABULIMIA: Conference Planned to Set International Standards for Treatment

Park Nicollet Hosts Conference to Explore the Best Treatment of Diabulimia.

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders in the fields of diabetes and eating disorders from across the U.S. and Canada will convene in Minneapolis to begin the process of setting international standards for treatment of the dual diagnosis of these two disorders. Organizers want to raise awareness, collect current best practices, define research questions and submit a peer reviewed paper to a major medical journal critically reviewing this field. They also hope to identify international centers for treatment and establish an ongoing collaborative network.

"It's time to get the experts together, not only to review the research, but to learn from each other," says Richard Bergenstal, MD, Executive Director of the International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet, and co-host of the conference.

Read in full here.

See also: Diabulimia: The Restriction Of Insulin For Weight Loss.

sources:http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1550508/park_nicollet_hosts_conference_to_explore_the_best_treatment_of/

picture source:http://media.photobucket.com/image/syringe/67cupchamps/Syringe-715850.jpg?o=33

Recovery Quote Of The Week: September 4

"The most important of life's battles is the one we fight daily in the silent chambers of the soul."
David O. McKay


Please see:
*sidebar "Inspirational Quotes" for links to more recovery quotes.
*archives for more quotes of the week.

Eating Disorders In the News: Aug 2008

Size Zero: Here We Go Again
Super-skinny models dominate the autumn fashion shows, and now MTV is actively promoting competitive dieting. Jonathan Owen and John Sunyer report Sunday, 31 August 200

"As the New York fashion industry prepares to launch new collections starting on Friday, followed by London on 14 September, attention is again drawn to models and their weight.

After the furore at London Fashion Week last spring, with calls for a ban on size-zero models, not only has nothing been done, but the unrealistic super-skinny image is now being positively promoted again internationally.

MTV is under fire for promoting competitive dieting and fuelling the damaging size-zero catwalk culture, following the announcement that it is to launch a controversial new TV show in which girls must lose between 30 and 80lb in the hope of becoming a model. The channel is advertising the show Model Maker with a request for "girls willing to shed the pounds" in a three-month boot camp in a quest to become a "self-confident, high-profile fashion model".

Recruitment adverts – featuring the statement "Women come in all shapes and sizes, but models don't. Skinny, no body fat and size zero are the words and phrases associated with models. Chubby, well-fed, and big-boned are not ..." – have been condemned by eating-disorder charities as promoting extreme dieting."

Read in full here.

------------------------------------------------

Eating Disorders Aren't Cool

Windsor Star. Published: Saturday, August 30, 2008

"A Quebec retailer of women's clothes is justifiably being praised for pulling from shelves a run of 450,000 catalogues featuring images of borderline anorexic models. Peter Simons of La Maison Simons acted quickly to recall the catalogues because he felt the images were "unsuitable" and "destructive to a more vulnerable portion of the population which is exposed to anorexia.'

Read in full here.
-----------------------------------------------

Binge Eaters Not Getting Help
By Siobhan Courtney BBC News Fenella Lemonsky is a compulsive over eater.

"The 40-year-old from London said she has had issues with food from childhood.

"When things used to go wrong, the food was there," she said.

"I would turn to it and it would make me feel better. I have been trapped in a destructive cycle of binge and over-eating all my life."

Whilst stroking her dog Simbur, Fenella talks openly about her ritual of binge eating.

"It would be secretive, I would eat in private, all binge eaters do.

"It doesn't matter where you are, as long as there is space to put the food in front of you and then just get the food down, that's the most important thing."

Read in full here.

-------------------------------------------------

The Dark Side of a Midnight Feast

Telegraph.co.uk

"Nocturnal eaters who wake up to devour calories are suffering from a recognised illness, says Tamsin Kelly. Nigella Lawson may have made the midnight munchies look glamorous as she crept downstairs to whip up feasts in her clinging black satin dressing-gown.

But for sufferers of night eating syndrome, excessive and uncontrollable feasting during the night can cause misery. In typical cases, people who suffer from night eating syndrome are prone to stress and disrupted sleep.

Each time they wake, they head for the kitchen to eat food high in carbohydrates, such as chocolate, cake, bread and biscuits. Night eaters may consume half their daily calorie intake after their evening meal and this frequently leads to weight gain. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found typical nocturnal eaters consumed 500 calories more than those whose sleep was undisturbed."

Read in full here.

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Skill Based Therapy May Curb Eating Disorders
Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - "Women who suffer from bulimia or binge-eating disorder and who have borderline personality may be helped with "dialectical behavior therapy," results of a pilot study suggest.

Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, is a form of cognitive-behavior therapy originally developed for women with borderline personality disorder -- a disorder characterized by recurrent suicidal behavior and multiple problem behaviors.

Standard DBT is a comprehensive, multi-component "life skills-based" treatment targeting behaviors that threaten a person's life and interfere with therapy and overall quality of life. DBT helps people be mindful of their emotions and regulate their emotions and tolerate life's ups and downs."

Read in full here.



sources: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/sizezero-here-we-go-again-913931.html http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/editorial/story.html?id=6366504b-3cef-429f-89df-88679c14f976 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7587515.stm http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2008/08/30/hnighteat130.xml http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL85693420080828

RECOVERY QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Aug 28

"Understanding is the first step to acceptance and only with acceptance can there be recovery."
Joanne Kathleen Rowling


Please see sidebar "Inspirational Quotes" for links to more recovery quotes.

BDD: Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Characterized by an excessive preoccupation with defects in physical appearance, real or imagined, people with Body Dysmorphic Disorder have an exaggerated view of how they look. They are obsessed with perceived flaws and often see themselves as ugly, and even disfigured. Even when reassured by others that their perceived flaws are not noticeable and that they look fine, those with BDD generally find it very difficult to control negative thoughts about their appearance.

People with this disorder commonly focus their obsessions on the face or head. They may be preoccupied with thinning hair, wrinkles, the color/shade of their skin, size and shape of their ears, nose, eyes, and jaw but may also include other body parts such as arms, legs, stomach, hips, genitals, and overall body size. Suffers may endure repeated plastic surgery procedures in an attempt to rectify these imagined defects. It is not uncommon for those with BDD to shun the company of others, whether at work or socially.

BDD usually beings in adolescence and affects both males and females. It often goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed due to the symptoms being similar to other disorders such as panic disorder, social phobia, agoraphobia, OCD, and depression. Testing is done by a psychiatrist or psychologist and will include administering the BDDQ (Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire).

Symptoms:

• Frequently comparing appearance with that of others
• Repeatedly checking the appearance of the specific body part in mirrors or other reflective surfaces
• Refusing to have pictures taken
• Wearing excessive clothing, makeup and hats to camouflage the perceived flaw
• Using hands or posture to hide the imagined defect
• Frequently touching the perceived flaw
• Picking at one's skin
• Frequently measuring the imagined or exaggerated defect
• Elaborate grooming rituals
• Excessive researching about the perceived defective body part
• Seeking surgery or other medical treatment despite contrary opinions or medical recommendations
• Seeking reassurance about the perceived defect or trying to convince others that it's abnormal or excessive
• Avoiding social situations in which the perceived flaw might be noticed
• Feeling anxious and self-conscious around others (social phobia) because of the imagined defect. (mayo clinic)

Causes:

The Cause of Body Dysmorphic Disorder is unclear. There are a number of factors that may be involved and may occur in combination, according to researchers. These include:

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Eating Disorders
• Anxiety Disorder
• Chemical Imbalances of the Brain

Treatment:

"Treatment for body dysmorphic disorder may involve a combined approach involving medication and talk therapy (psychotherapy). Antidepressant medications used along with cognitive behavior therapy can help people with body dysmorphic disorder manage the obsession and anxiety about their appearance, increase confidence in how they look, and obtain normalcy in their social and work lives."

See also: Body Dysmorphic Disorder(BDD):Self-Assessment Tests


sources:http://www.healthyplace.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com
picture:bigfoto.com