Weighing The Facts

News Articles: Eating Disorders

Milkshakes Medicine For Anorexic Teens

NEW YORK, April 4 (UPI) -- Parents are called on to feed their children high-calorie meals like milkshakes and macaroni and cheese in a therapy for anorexia nervosa, U.S. researchers say.

The therapy, known as behavioral family therapy, or the Maudsley Approach, calls on parents to supervise the eating habits of their anorexic child. The approach is being compared with a more established treatment known as Family Systems Therapy as part of an ongoing treatment study at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division and five other centers nationally.

Both are outpatient therapies for adolescents ages 12-18.

"Anorexia is a life-threatening condition. Treating it early is very important since it is during the teenage years that this disorder usually takes hold," Dr. Katherine Halmi, founder of the Eating Disorders Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division and professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, said in a statement.

Read in full here.
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Vegetarianism Linked To Eating Disorder

(ABC) - Young people may prefer a vegetarian diet that's rich in fruits and vegetables. But a new study shows it could also put them at a higher risk for eating disorders including binge eating, taking diet pills or using laxatives to lose weight.

An estimated one in 200 American children is now a vegetarian, according to the latest government statistics.

Vegetarian diets are often quite healthy for kids, exposing them to a wider variety of beans, fruits and vegetables and cutting out the fat.

But a new study finds that some young people may be turning to
vegetarianism as a weight loss strategy and in rare cases, their dieting behavior can be dangerous.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota surveyed more than 2,500 adolescents about their eating habits.

Results showed that both current and former vegetarians were more likely to practice binge eating and to try risky dieting tactics such as vomiting after meals, and taking diet pills or laxatives.

Read in full here.

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Eating Disorders Sending More American's To Hospital

The number of men and women hospitalised due to eating disorders that caused anemia, kidney failure, erratic heart rhythms or other problems rose 18 percent between 1999 and 2006, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Health care Research and Quality.

The federal agency's analysis also found that between 1999 and 2006:

- Hospitalizations for eating disorders rose most sharply for children under 12 years of age - 119 percent. The second steepest rise was for patients ages 45 to 64 - 48 percent.

- Hospitalisations for men also increased sharply - by 37 percent - but women continued to dominate hospitalizations for eating disorders (89 percent in 2006).

Admissions for anorexia, the most common eating disorder, remained relatively stable. People with anorexia typically lose extreme amounts of weight by not eating enough food, over-exercising, self-inducing vomiting, or using laxatives.

In contrast, hospitalisations for bulimia declined 7 percent. Bulimia - binge eating followed by purging by vomiting or use of laxatives - can lead to severe dehydration or stomach and intestinal problems.

Hospitalizations for less common eating disorders increased 38 percent. Those disorders include pica, an obsession with eating non-edible substances such as clay or plaster, and psychogenic vomiting, which is vomiting caused by anxiety and stress.

Read in full here.

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Miss Georgia USA Discusses Bout With Anorexia

Kimberly Gittings is hoping that come April 19 in Las Vegas, she’ll be able to add her name to the list of kids from Lilburn who’ve done well (behind, most recently, fellow Parkview High grad Jeff Francoeur).

That’s when the Air Force brat, UGA student and Miss Georgia USA titleholder will compete for the Miss USA crown. We talked with Gittings about Iraq, her ancestral home of Korea and Michelle Obama’s arms.

Q: No disrespect, but how does a girl who battled anorexia wind up in the pageant circuit? It seems like the pressure to perform and conform to a certain body type would actually exacerbate the disorder.

A: I suffered with anorexia when I was in middle school and high school. I’m 5 feet 10 inches and I weighed 97 pounds. So my parents were on the verge of hospitalizing me. I had heart palpitations, my liver was having issues, my hair was falling out, my nails kept breaking off, my period stopped. What I did to my body when I was younger will [negatively] affect my chances when I’m older if I ever want to conceive kids. But actually, pageants were something of a healing process. They allowed me to talk about what I was going through. [In pageants] you pick a platform that you’re passionate about and you talk about these issues across your state. For me, that’s what I picked. It gives me drive.

Q: Do you feel you’ve conquered it, or are there moments when you think, “I want to win and I need to be as thin as possible so I won’t eat today?” Do you still have it or another eating disorder?

A: I do not. I know how to live healthy now. I do not ever want to be back in that place again. It took a lot of time, money, effort and tears to get over it. Now I love to eat.

Read in full here.

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Eating Disorders On The Rise, Big Spike Among Children

A new report from the government Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality finds that the number of Americans hospitalized for eating disorders increased 18 per cent between 1999 and 2006.

Among children under age 12, the number more than doubled, but even middle-aged men and women are increasingly affected.

Many types of complications can land patients with eating disorders in the hospital, including kidney problems, anemia, and heart-rhythm disturbances.

In rare cases, patients even suffered life-threatening conditions such as total kidney or liver failure.

Anorexia and bulimia together accounted for more than half of the diagnoses, but they are not behind the rise in hospitalizations.

Read in full here.

sources linked above.

Recovery Quote Of The Week: April 4th 2009

"When the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it may be that they take better care of it there." Cecil Selig

*See sidebar for more Inspirational Recovery Quotes and Quotes Of The Week.

Eating Disorders And Art Therapy

Art therapy can be a very beneficial tool in the treatment of eating disorders. Here are some examples of how others have used art to help their recovery.

"FAITH. HOPE. LOVE. LIGHT. These are all real pictures of me. Now, a little more than a year later, my health and heart are filled with hope. We are all beautiful and we all deserve to live the lives we have dreamed. While in my eating disorder I was dead to the world, now in recovery I am a goddess of the earth. I never thought that I would survive the ups and downs of my recovery but pain doesn't last forever and the battle gets easier if you stand strong. God Bless, keep faith, RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE. You are a blessing to this earth and you deserve all that you can dream."
Video by brittybr

"I've always found art to be a creative and soothing outlet for my emotions, particularly the art of collaging. These are a collection of collages from the past 5 years as i've worked towards recovery."
Video by Shanzeeegirl

"Karin used art therapy to deal with her eating disorder. Now she makes spoon pendants and sees the beauty that can be created out of mistakes."
Video by RealWomenRealAdvice

See also:
The Use Of Art Therapy In The Treatment Of Eating Disorders
Relapse Prevention: Eating Disorder Recovery

Recovery Quote Of The Week: March 28th, 2009

"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today."
Dale Carnegie

*See sidebar for more Inspirational Recovery Quotes and Quotes Of The Week.

picture source:publicdomainpictures.net

When You Think You Might Have An Eating Disorders

An excellent video by Holdingon.

Recovery Quote Of The Week: March 21st, 2009

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul."
Emily Dickenson

*See sidebar for more Inspirational Recovery Quotes and Quotes of The Week.

picture source:publicdomainpictures.net

ED News: Recent Eating Disorders' News Articles

Claudia Faniello Speaks Out About The Monster That Ruled Her Life

Times of Malta

For years, the first thing popular singer Claudia Faniello thought about when she woke up was how she would get rid of the food she ate that day.
That thought remained with her until she closed her eyes in the evening.
"It was like a monster living inside me, something which stole my identity," she said about bulimia, the eating disorder that ruled most of her teenage years.
Speaking at the University as part of a campaign by medical students to raise awareness about eating disorders, the 21-year-old recounted how she first fell prey to bulimia.
"I was always very conscious of my body image and knew that if I wanted to take up a singing career I had to watch my weight. I felt chubby and was unhappy with the way I looked. I don't remember the moment I realised I could get rid of the food I ate by throwing up," she said.
But at 14 she began poking her fingers deep in her mouth to throw up after eating something she felt was not good for her. After some time, this became a daily routine and Ms Faniello started inducing vomiting even after drinking a glass of water.
"The situation was getting worse and whatever went into my mouth had to come back out. It was the first thing I thought about when I woke up in the morning and the last thing before going to sleep at night."

Read in full here.

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New Campaign Helps Parents with Kids with Eating Disorders

kyw1060

Miss America 2008 has joined with Pennsylvania's Renfrew Center in a new program to help parents fight eating disorders in their children.
The Renfrew Center's Mom's L.U.V campaign is designed to encourage parents to help their teens battle eating disorders. Miss America 2008 Kristen Haglund battled anorexia nervosa when she was 12. Her parents, both nurses, identified what was going on and took Kristen for treatment.
Kristen says many times, parents suspect but are not empowered enough to get involved:

Read in full here.

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Teenage Latinas Stitch Together A Positive Body Image
by Meribah Knight

The six girls sitting in the church basement come here every Thursday to learn the 101’s of sewing and pattern making, but tonight they are in for a very different lesson.
“Do any of you watch the media or watch TV and say ‘I want to be that person and if I don’t dress like her I don’t feel good about myself?’” asks Kerstin Collett, who leads the class in Holy Cross Church in Chicago’s Back of the Yards.
A resounding “noooooooo, no, no, no,” reverberates across the room.
Today the sewing machines have been put away and instead drawn on the board are three shapes: the hourglass, the triangle and the inverted triangle. They represent the variety of shapes that women come in, and Collett hopes they will provide a frame of reference for the girls to categorize their own figures.
Measuring tapes are brought out and the students, ages 12 to 16, take their measurements in preparation for the patterns they will create for themselves. No sizes and no brands, just their ideas and their bodies.
A growing population at risk
While these girls are adamant that the allure of stick-thin models has no hold on them, their age and demographic tell a different story.

Read in full here.

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There She Is, Strong and Healthy: Miss America 2008 Speaks Out On Eating Disorders

By Korie Wilkins

She poses like a champion, one foot in front of the other, a dazzling -- yet not forced-looking -- smile at the ready.
And even when she's asked the same questions over and over, when she has to shake one more hand, smile for one more picture or when yet another little girl begs to see her sparkly crown, Farmington Hills, Mich., native Kirsten Haglund -- Miss America 2008 -- obliges.
After all, she's more than a beauty queen. She's a role model for women, especially those who suffer from eating disorders.
Her mother, Iora Haglund, never thought she'd see her daughter go to college -- let alone be crowned Miss America. Just five years ago, Kirsten Haglund was so sick, so deep in the throes of anorexia, her family had shelved dreams of a normal future and was just trying to get her back to being healthy.
But Haglund managed to overcome it, and is now trying to help others with eating disorders though a nonprofit she started, the Kirsten Haglund Foundation.
"I have to give back," says Haglund, 20. "That's very important to me. We're all given struggles in our lives. We have to use those struggles for good.

Read in full here.

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Emotions Can Help Predict Future Eating Disorders

ScienceDaily

A PhD thesis at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has analysed the role played by a number of emotional variables, such as the way in which negative emotions are controlled or attitudes to emotional expression, and to use these variables as tools to predict the possibility of suffering an eating disorder.

The author of the thesis, Ms. Aitziber Pascual Jimeno, presented her work under the title, Emotions and emotional control in eating disorders: predictor role and emotional profiles.*
This work focused on two objectives: to find out if certain emotional variables play an significant role in the development of these disorders; and to know in more detail the emotional profiles, both of women at risk of contracting an eating disorder as well as of those already suffering from one.
To this end, the following emotional variables have been specified: those relative to emotional experience —the frequency of positive and negative emotions, anxiety, low self-esteem and the influence of diet, weight and the body shape on the emotional state—; negative perception of emotions, negative attitude to emotional expression, alexithymia —the inability to identify own emotions and to express them verbally— and the manner of controlling negative emotions.
Moreover, another variable has also been taken into account: the need for control. This variable is not strictly emotional, but has a clear emotional component, given that people with a high need for control, experience anxiety and unwellness when perceiving lack of control.

Read in full here.

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Running On Empty Can Be Deadly For Young Female Athletes

By Tom Held

Research has pinpointed the physical components of the female athlete triad: disordered eating, disrupted menstrual cycles and osteoporosis.
Doug DeVinny lives the emotional element: grief.
His daughter, Alex, was a state champion in cross country and track at Racine Park High School in 2003 and 2004. She won scores of races but lost the battle with anorexia nervosa, and died of heart failure at age 20.

It’s her memory that compelled DeVinny to organize the “Running on Empty” conference at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside this Friday, bringing together experts on the specific threats to young female athletes. Anne Hoch, director of women’s sports medicine at the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin will be the keynote speaker.
“It is very difficult for my wife and I to do this,” DeVinny said. “Part of the mission, part of what we owe to our daughter, what we couldn’t do for her, perhaps we can do for somebody else.
“I hate to sound so evangelical about it, but we are obligated to that in a sense, and we want to do that.”
Much of the public knows the story of Alex DeVinny, the high school champion who earned an athletic scholarship to South Carolina University. She drew acclaim and attention with her instant success as a tiny freshman.
That public shine hid much of her private struggle.

Read in full here.

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Students In Bid To Beef Up Awareness Of Eating Disorders
by Cynthia Busuttil

Medical students have taken it upon themselves to raise awareness about eating disorders after finding that university students are poorly informed about such conditions.
A survey carried out last week among some 150 students found that many were under the impression that it was only the stick-thin people who suffered from eating disorders and that these problems all revolved around weight loss.
"In fact, compulsive overeating was never mentioned," student Alexia Farrugia said, adding that very few students thought of eating disorders as a psychological problem.
This was not an unexpected result since an exercise by the Malta Medical Students Association last December found that adults had very little knowledge about eating disorders.
Very few students knew that eating disorders could affect both males and females and even fewer were aware that it could affect adults, thinking it was a disorder that solely affected teenage girls. Although teenage girls are the most common sufferers, everyone can be affected by the condition.
"We felt the need to raise awareness and inform students about eating disorders and how to recognise symptoms," Claire Cassar, a second-year student, said.

Read in full here.

sources linked above

We Can Do It!: Eating Disorder Recovery

video by: ilovegooner

Recovery Quote Of The Week: March 5th, 2009

"Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born."
Dr. Dale Turner

*Please see sidebar for more Inspirational Recovery Quotes, Quotes of the Week, and ED info and resources.

The Turning Point In Her Recovery: Carnation

Today is the final day of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2009.

Following is a story written by Maria. Dieting since the age of 8, she was anorexic and bulimic by age 13. Now 17 years old, she's looking forward to April when she will celebrate a year in recovery. She says she's proud of her recovery but fights daily to stay in it.

She wrote this story after a stay in an ED facility. She calls it her "turning point." Her wish is that others may read it, find hope, and be inspired to take steps towards recovery.

Carnation

7:59, 8:00 , 8:01 . Even though the clock was across the room, the tick of its hands could still be heard by the small girl sitting down at the table in the midst of a showdown. A showdown of epic proportions, one that Clare could not lose.

There the food sat in all its glory screaming and tempting her to eat it, but she, with all her determination, refused. Not because the food looked gross; in fact, it looked delic

ious. The two bran muffins were golden brown with pieces of oats protruding out at the top making it look like the petals of a sunflower. The bright crimson apple was firm to the touch, and even though Clare dared not eat it, she knew it would be crisp just the way she liked it. Even the small Cheerios box seemed to smile warmly at her, as if saying that it was okay to eat its small grainy circles.

But Clare knew better. She knew that the bran muffins were carefully disguised mounds of fat. That the Cheerios were hidden calories. And the apple, though it looked good, was just another way of saying that she really did need this food to survive. Clare refused to believe it, and just glared at the food as if her staring might burn it into the table and make the whole tray disappear.

8:14, 8:15 , 8:16 . “Good morning, Clare,” smiled the nurse until she spotted the tumultuous war that was going on between Clare and her untouched tray of food. “Have a bad night?” the nurse inquired with her sweet voice that sounded as if she might truly care. Clare could only nod a slow, depressive yes and let the strands of her long

sandy brown hair fall into her face. I am so sick of eating food, Clare thought. I don’t need it; I never did. I can’t gain any more weight! I’m humongous! I really should go to a fat camp and lose weight, not come here and gain weight!

“Perhaps,” continued Cindy, not noticing the war going on inside the girl’s head, “maybe I should go find a barrette and pin that lovely hair up so we can see

that pretty face of yours?”

“No, that’s okay,” Clare quickly stammered looking up for only an instant to peer at the nurse with only one eye. Clare quickly replaced each strand in front of her face again, happy that the safety blanket of her hair would continue to provide her with comfort.

“Well, you better start eating,” reminded the nurse as she walked out

the door to her desk again.

But you can’t eat, shrieked the voice inside Clare’s head! You’re a fat and worthless pig! You don’t deserve the food! And do you really want to get any bigger?

You’re right. I can’t get any bigger, Clare acknowledged the voice within. I won’t eat this! I am determined not to! No more fat! No more fat Clare!

8:20, 8:21 , 8:22 . “Good morning, Clare,” said a pretty brunette college student with piercing eyes that had finally started to sparkle again. An older woman with sandy blonde hair and a big smile walked in with her.

“Morning, Shannon , morning Sarah!” exclaimed Clare with as much enthusiasm as she could muster for such a bad day. “How are you? Did you both have a good night?”

“It was alright,” started Shannon . “I talked to my brother and that went really well. A lot better than I had expected.”

“Awww well, I’m glad to hear that! I’m happy that went well for you,” said Clare this time with true enthusiasm.

“Mine was alright too,” stammered Sarah, “I have a bad headache, though, because I haven’t had any coffee in the last three days and it’s killing me! I guess I really do have an addiction to it.”

“I’m sorry, that sucks. I hope you start to feel better soon! I’m not having a good day either…” the lost teen continued with a mesmerizing sigh and a stare towards her untouched tray.

The two fellow patients looked at the food and knew exactly what she meant. Clare had been sitting there for half an hour without touching a single thing on her tray. It was go

ing to be a horrible day, but the failure was masked by the ringing pride that voiced in her head.

It was the tenth day of intense treatment and Clare could not take it anymore. Every day three meals had to be eaten and Clare could not remember a time when she had eaten three meals in… well, as far back as she could remember at the moment. At least she knew it had been a long time ago, way before all this mess had even started. This was life for Clare and she had become comfortable with it.

But people started to notice the strange little things that Clare did— the cutting of her food into small pieces, only eating fruits, taking hours to eat one thing. However, soon Clare’s friends discovered her nasty little companion, and so that was how she soon began going to the hospital every day.

The walk into the building had been torturous. Slowly pushing herself through the large old building, she ambled forward with her head hanging low, reeking of low self-esteem and non existent self-confidence.

The only good thing about the hospital was the nurses. Clare always chatted with them before they had to take her vitals and weigh her. She never minded having her low vitals taken; they were just another delightful reminder of the great job she was doing. But getting weighed was agony. The sluggish movement of the nurse’s fingers over the dials were wat

ched for any signs of a mistake that might have been made. Silent prayers were made in hopes that the numbers would not go up. If she was lucky, they would go down. But Clare was never lucky.

Trying to calm herself from the weigh in, Clare grabbed her manil

a folder and proceeded to fill out charts on the crazy emotions that she could not even identify. How could she possibly know if she felt anxious or worried or mad? After finishing, a slow pause came. The worst part was about to come. It was time to get breakfast.

Shuffling towards the cafeteria, Clare walked as slowly as she could, like a death row inmate on the final walk to meet the end. Not wanting to be seen or heard, she silently entered into the scary food emporium. The next step was to check the menu. Grabbing it with much hesitation at what would have to be eaten that day, Clare, looking calm on the outside but having a

panic attack inside, reached out and grabbed the small white list. Amazing how much distress could be caused by such a small piece of paper! And today was worse than usual!

After having gained six pounds in three days, Clare could feel the fat engulfing her entire body; it started to feel like she was being suffocated from the inside. She had been told that food was necessary for her well being and health, but it couldn’t be true. No way was

food necessary. Not now, not ever! Food made her fat— obese people are not healthy!

After a long breath Clare worked up the courage to look at the deadly choices of food she would have to consume for breakfast. The prognosis was awful. The calorie count had been upped to twenty-one-hundred! A torturous amount. Insane, actually. How could one human possibly eat this much in one day? Clare whined in her head. That’s seven hundred calories at every meal, which is way more than I would even eat in a day! Are they trying to

make me obese? Because it surely will happen with that many calories every day!

Looking calm as usual on the outside, Clare silently walked over to the glass refrigerator. Maneuvering her arm carefully, she tried desperately not to brush the nauseating whole and chocolate milks on her way towards the fat free skims. Once her hand was safely away from the loathsome products, she carefully weighed each skim in hopes of one being li

ghter than the rest. Maybe one has fewer calories then the others, she hoped desperately. Walking over to the muffins she noticed two were needed for today. Peering over into the brown box filled with frightening and appalling carbs, Clare examined each muffin carefully looking from all angles to find the tiniest one. On to the apples, the only safe food.

Not wanting to touch all of the apples, Clare moved the scary bananas and oranges to the side first and then glared at the array of fruits until she found the perfect one, a s

mall and crimson Macintosh. Last of all and definitely the worst, she spied the peanut butter, a man made substance consisting of pure fat, sugar, and lard.

Fat! All fat! Clare’s thoughts kept screaming in her head. This is wh

y you are obese, the voices continued, because you are eating pure fat!

I have to grab it. It’s on my meal plan, Clare said, trying to reason with the voice. I’ll take it but I won’t eat it! I promise!

Then just as quietly as she had entered, Clare trudged with her tr

ay back to the little room with cream walls. And there she sat not giving into the food’s allure. Through the nurse’s quiet little pleadings and Shannon and Sarah’s hellos and the picking of their own menus and trays, she knew they would make her eat. The thought made her sick.

8:50, 8:51 , 8:52 . The girls quietly chatted but not as cheerfully or as much as some other mornings. Each girl struggled with her own thoughts that morning, but none was brave enough to admit it. They never could; each was a prisoner in her locked up mind— a place from where each dared not escape, no matter the price.

9:02, 9:03 , 9:04 . “Good morning,” said the heavy-set therapist

named Janine, as she strolled in cheerily with a happy little smile. “Is everyone ready for morning check in?”

“I guess,” replied Shannon . “I can go first this morning, if you want.”

“Sounds good to me,” agreed Janine, with an exasperated smile and eyes half peering at Clare’s food. Slowly, in a half whisper, she remarked, “Clare, can you

please start on your tray?” The small girl looked down and pushed it a little closer to her, but did not touch anything on it, as if the tray was contaminated by a deadly disease. Good job! Her thoughts congratulated. That’s right! Show that food who’s boss!

Shannon slowly started talking about her night. It was eventful and after reciting most of what had happened, Janine meticulously went through each event to show her things that might be done better next time.

“I can go next,” volunteered Sarah after Shannon finished, knowing full well Clare would not be as upbeat about going next. “I just wish I didn’t have this headache,” Sarah started. “It’s hard to stay focused and stay on track with my meal plan.”

Janine again went through the long routine of going through each part of Sarah’s night, looking at the crucial elements as if life depended on them.

“The lack of sleep and the migraines are really starting to get to you. Do you have anything you can take for it?” asked Janine in a worried voice. “You’ve had this headache for a while now.”

“Yeah, I took some stuff but what I’m going to have to do is get some coffee,” stated Sarah. “The coffee here stinks though. It’s pretty nasty! I need to

go and get my Starbucks!”

9:44, 9:45 , 9:46 . “Clare, are you sure that your weight has really gone up six pounds in two days?” questioned Janine after finally hearing about the messe

d up little girl’s night.

“I’m positive!” shrieked Clare, again feeling the fat start to enclose her like a blanket. You’re obese, Clare, obese, her voice shrieked inside of her. Not even worthy to live!

“It’s probably just water weight. It’s not possible to gain that much weight in two days,” Janine stated. “Is this why you’re not eating? Should I just go and get y

ou a meal supplement right away?”

“Isn’t this why most people don’t eat?” Clare sneered sarcastically. “And you might as well get me a Carnation, cuz I’m not eating this!”

“All right, I’ll get you one,” answered Janine a little depressed.

10:00, 10:01 , 10:02 . “Here you go, Clare. I got you strawberry,” the therapist said in a hopeful voice. “You have till 10:30 to drink that.”

“Thanks,” whispered Clare, barely audible. But I’m not drinking that, she thought. Fat people should not have the luxury of drinking shakes.

At least the tray was gone. No more peanut butter, or milk, or muffins—just an icky caloric loaded strawberry Carnation mix, a pretend shake that tastes like someone took cardboard and syrup and blended them all together. The horror tha

t one little drink could really supply all the calories missed at one meal! Disgusting. . .

Crap, thought Clare, as she saw the head therapist Pam walk into the door for the next group, this is not good!

“Good morning everyone,” Pam said in her matter of fact voi

ce. Heading straight for Clare as if on a mission, she pointed, “I see that you have a Carnation, Clare. I’m going to have to have Jessica take you out of the room until you finish that.”

Of course, the one therapist who would not allow this kind of crap to happen would be the therapist for the next group therapy session. At least I get to be with Jessica and not someone else, Clare felt with a twinge of a smile. I really do like her a lot. Jessica has a way about her. She’s terribly funny and always seems to understand, which is us

ually not the case with many of the other therapists. They just don’t get it.

“Hey Clare,” Jessica was calm but looked a little worried, “I hear that you have to finish that. Are you ready to do it? We can both drink our drinks together,” she laughed as she lifted up her Starbucks in all its irony.

“I’m not drinking it,” Clare answered immediately without a mom

ent’s hesitation. “You can drink yours, but I won’t drink mine!”

“Well, for now let’s just go into the other room and talk, okay?”

10:47, 10:48 , 10:49 . “Clare, what’s stopping you from drinking that Carnation?” inquired Jessica. “Why can’t you do it?”

“Well,” Clare started slowly with tears starting to well in her eyes, “I . . . can’t. I can’t drink this. I’m already super fat and I won’t allow myself to get any more obese! I’m a monster!”

“Clare, you are VERY thin. Your body needs this to stay healthy. Can’t you see that those voices that are telling you that you are too fat are actually killing you? They are the enemy, Clare.”

“I know, Jessica, but they’ve always been there for me when no one

else has. They’re always there. They never talk behind my back. And they’ve never failed me. When things were hard they showed me how to forget the pain. And besides, you’re just trying to make me fat.”

“You and I both know that is a lie, Clare. You say the voices have helped you through the pain, but can’t you see how they’ve made your pain worse? They’ve locked you up, and you can’t get out. They’re hiding your beauty from the world and especia

lly yourself! You’ve got to start telling those voices that you are the boss and not them. You are the boss, Clare! Don’t allow them to do this to you. Everything they say is false. It’s okay, Clare, it’s okay that they’re wrong!”

“But they aren’t wrong! This is how I feel. I am a failure! A horrible person! I’m not worthy of food! An imperfect body reflects an imperfect soul! How true that is for me! Can’t you see why I can’t eat when all this is true!?! Why should I even live? I am a worthless person with no future!” Clare’s body seemed to fall back in shock as she realized that th

ose words were starting to allow her to escape from her gruesome prison.

“That is so wrong!” Jessica shot back. “You have so much to give this world, and slowly killing yourself is not the answer! Your body is not a definition of the wonderful person that you are inside! You are a wonderful person Clare! And you have touched so many people in such positive ways. Clare, you have helped every girl here! They improve with your s

upport!”

“They help me too…” Clare agreed weakly

Silent tears started to fall from Clare’s eyes. The drops floated down like a soft pitter patter rain after a frightening storm. She knew the truth. She had always known it but just never allowed herself to believe it. The truth was painful and it was easier not to believe it. But at that moment for the first time, Clare allowed another person to come into her life—to sav

e her.

Taking a bigger gulp from the Carnation this time, Clare started chatting with Jessica about different things, things that seemed a bit more normal--like the love of black nail polish they both shared and the chill CDs they enjoyed listening to.

Finally coming to the last few sips, Clare burst out with pride to Jes

sica, “I’m done!”

“Good job! I’m really proud of you. You know that, right?” The young girl nodded with twinkling eyes.

How simple a concept, how hard a job, Clare thought. Say no to my voices and drink the Carnation. Easy to say, not easy to do. Every day I am going to have t

o fight off those voices—the ones that say, “You’re ugly. You’re hideous. You’re grotesque. You’re obese. And you’re not worthy of food.” I know I can do this though! It’s going to be an ever lingering struggle, but I’m a fighter and I am going to try!

I guess drinking this Carnation was good for me today. I now sort of see what’s going on. My eating disorder has the power over me. As much as I like to think it’s giving me control, it is really controlling—my whole life! Control over food is not real control.

My so called control has led me here to this place. A place where I am broken down and forced to learn how to pick myself back up again.

“I can’t go on anymore like this Jessica,” Clare remarked with a renewed confidence that surprised even her. “Thank you for everything. You’ve helped me a lot today.”

“I’m proud of you, Clare. You can do this! You can take back control

of your life!”

“I will. . . I will. . .”

Maria

*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

carnation picture source:classroomclipart.com

Recovery Quote Of The Week: Feb 27th, 2009

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."
Flora Whittemore

Please see sidebar for more Inspirational Recovery Quotes, Quotes of the Week, and ED info and resources.

picture source:publicdomainpictures.net

Dove Campaign For Real Beauty

National Report On The State Of Self-Esteem:

7 out of 10 girls believe they are not good enough; looks, school performance, relationships.

75% of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities; disordered eating, smoking, drinking, cutting, bullying when feeling bad about themselves.

57% have a mother who criticizes her own look.

View Report

Free Tools:

Girls Only

Interactive Self-Esteem Zone; Games, Quizzes, Etc.

Girl Scout/Dove Self-Esteem Program

Moms and Mentors

True You Workbook

True You Mother's Guide

Find a Workshop Near You.

See also:
The True Beauty Wales Competition
Self-Esteem Tests

videos and pictures courtesy of Dove Campaign For Real Beauty

Anorexia: What You Want, What You Get

Another excelent video by Holdingon.

*Please see sidebar for more ED videos, recovery quotes, tools, and resources.

Before I Disappear: National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

A song written and performed by N.R. Vandell For National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

"Before I Disappear"

There are days that I feel
Like I'm living a lie
But I fear if I didn't
I could never get by

Though they treat my façade
Even lower than dirt
If I'm not a real person
I can't really get hurt

They only see the image I've created for projection
I wish that I could stop but it is for my own protection
I'm certain that the real me does not deserve affection

Notice me, oh, please notice something
Notice me while I'm still here
Notice me before I shrink to nothing
Notice me before I disappear
Completely

If the saying is true
That you are what you eat
I can prove that I'm nothing
Vindication is sweet

I know how to stand out
I know how to be "in"
You don't have to be nice, girl
You just have to be thin

They say they see my ribs and yet they fail to see my pain
So is there only weight to lose and nothing left to gain?
I seek control and sanity but slowly go insane

Vanishing
Vanishing
Vanishing

Notice me, oh, please notice something
Notice me while I'm still here
Notice me before I shrink to nothing
Notice me before I disappear

Notice me, oh, please notice something
Notice me while I'm still here
Notice me before I shrink to nothing
Notice me before I disappear
Completely

She says, "A song I wrote and performed for Eating Disorder Awareness Week. That's a certain Mr. Zeigler on the keyboard-- he did the arrangement. I wish I had a better quality recording."

A Year Already? Time Flies!

Weighing The Facts is one year old today!
I can't believe a year has gone by already.

My heartfelt thanks to you all; whether you're a subscriber, frequent reader, passerby, post contributor, emailer, commenter, fellow ED blogger, Kimkins activist, friend ... I appreciate all you have done to see Weighing The Facts, and me, through this first year. :)
Health and happiness to you all.
MrsM.

picture source:webweaver.nu

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2009: Online Candlelight Vigil

Alabama Network For Eating Disorders Awareness (ALNEDA) is lighting virtual candles on their website for anyone who has had their life touched by an Eating Disorder. The candles will be on display Until February 28th, 2009

From their site:

White candles are for Remembrance, for individuals who have lost their lives to an eating disorder.
Silver candles are for Support, for individuals who are struggling with an eating disorder.
Gold candles are for Celebration, for individuals who are in recovery or who have recovered from an eating disorder.

You can light a candle for yourself or someone you know here.
You can see the virtual candles here.

*More National Eating Disorders Awareness Week posts.
more links included there.

Picture source:Bigfoto.com

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2009: ED News

In Good Health: Eating Disorders Awareness Week
The Fedrick News-post

This week is Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Up to 10 million people in the U.S. have some type of eating disorder, according to the National Eating Disorders Association, and the costs are high in both dollars and human life.

Anorexia nervosa, which includes self-starvation and excessive weight loss, has the highest premature mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, according to NEDA. The annual cost to treat eating disorder patients in the U.S. is between $5 billion and $6 billion.

While eating disorders can start as preoccupations with food and weight, they often have a more complicated cause, according to NEDA. Behavioral, emotional, and social factors often contribute to the development of eating disorders as the affected person attempts to control food as a way to deal with overwhelming issues.

Read in full here.

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

Dallas Woman Uses Own Recovery From Eating Disorder To Help Others
Pegasus

Abbie Chesney knows what it's like to be hungry. She also knows what it's like to be depressed. When the Dallas native was 16 and a student at Lake Highlands High School, she fell into a cycle: She would stop eating to make herself feel better, but then feel worse because she was not eating. So she'd abstain from eating even more.

"If I didn't eat, I would focus on the fact that I was so hungry, and not think about being depressed," she says.

The problem got so bad that she lost more than a third of her body weight in eight months. By age 16, she was diagnosed with anorexia and ended up at Baylor Hospital's eating disorder treatment program for five weeks.

"My body had deteriorated so bad that I had four leaking heart valves," she says.

Read in full here.

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

GPs Are Failing Patients With Anorexia And Bulimia, Claims Charity
Nursing Times

It found that 59% of respondents had visited their GP about an eating disorder. But only 15% of respondents felt their GP understood eating disorders and knew how to help.

One patient said: 'When I first went to see my GP they didn't listen at all. They just told me it was a phase I was going through.'

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

Children (9) Seeking Help For Eating Disorders
Herald. ie

Children as young as nine are seeking help for eating disorders, a national support group has revealed.

Bodywhys chief executive Jacinta Hastings says the increasingly young age profile of callers is a worrying trend.

"The children affected by eating disorders are not only getting younger, but their conditions are becoming more complex. There is also a rise in the number of boys contacting us.

"There is peer pressure to conform to achieve a certain look, and what with societal pressure and the pressure of their own expectations, young people are becoming increasingly susceptible to eating disorders," said Ms Hastings.

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

Fighting The Inner Anorexic
BBC Today

Statistics released in response to a parliamentary question show an 80% rise in sufferers age 16 or under between 2006-7.

Of the 462 cases there was also a 207% rise in hospitalizations for 12-year-olds - from 13 to 40.

For those who are not anorexic, the condition can seem utterly incomprehensible. To help understand the disorder, Today presenter Evan Davis spoke to Constance Barter and her mother Sarah about their battle to overcome Constance's anorexia.

Read in full here.

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

When Your Food Is Your Child's Enemy

IrishTimes

Eating disorders can be hard to diagnose and treat, and it can take five years to get to grips with anorexia once treatment starts, writes SHEILA WAYMAN

WHO DOESN’T have some sort of issue with food these days? It’s not surprising when we’re bombarded with advice on what we should or shouldn’t eat; regularly presented with “miracle” diets endorsed by some glamorous celebrity, and it’s deemed “news” when a pop singer is spotted wearing her size eight jeans days after giving birth.

Read in full here.

Living With An Eating Disorder: What It Can Be Like

A video by courage4future4 in anticipation of Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

"I want to be able to show what it can be like to live with an eating disorder. Whether it be anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, or EDNOS, all are serious diseases that affect those they afflict in so many ways. I want to stress that eating disorders are not a choice. There are many who suffer who would give the world to live a day free from their eating disorder."

source:youtube.com

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2009: ED Info

In keeping with National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, here are some ED post links from within Weighing The Facts:

Anorexia
Bulimia Nervosa
Warning Signs Of Bulimia
Bulimarexia
Diabulimia
Binge Eating Disorder/Compulsive Overeating
EDNOS
Orthorexia
Selective Eating Disorder
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Dieting/ED Connection
ED Self-Assessment Tests and Quizzes
ED Resources, Hotlines, Websites, Etc.

Please see sidebar for more links to ED info, resources, news, hotlines, recovery, etc.
picture of plate:publicdomainpictures.net

What Are You Doing For National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2009?

It's day 2.

Are you doing anything for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week?

I'd like to invite you to leave a comment about your plans or links to your posts that relate to NEDAwareness week.

Please also take a moment and participate in the poll located in the sidebar.
Thank you.

Completed Poll Results:

Are you doing anything for National Eating Disorders Week, and if so, what are you doing?
(choose all that apply)
votes: 46

Yes 23 (50%)

No 6 (13%)

Undecided 2 (4%)

Uninterested 1 (2%)

Journaling 10 (21%)

Blogging 9 (19%)

Spreading the word 20 (43%)

Educating others 17 (36%)

Educating myself 23 (50%)

A scheduled event 10 (21%)

Helping others 8 (17%)

Working on my recovery 23 (50%)

Taking first step/recovery 2 (4%)

Reaching out for myself 15 (32%)

Reaching out to others 16 (34%)

Sharing my story 15 (32%)

I don't know what to do 10 (21%)

Nothing 2 (4%)

More Poll Results

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2009

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2009: Until Eating Disorders Are History

*UNTIL EATING DISORDERS ARE HISTORY*

The mission of NEDAwareness Week
"Our aim of NEDAwareness Week is to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses — not choices — and it’s important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder."