Saturday, July 28, 2012

Eating Disorder Hope Blog Update

To our dear Visitors and Friends:

We wish to thank you for your continued support and loyalty to Eating Disorder Hope.  Recently, we have made several changes to our websites and blogs, and as a result, we will no longer be posting to this particular blog.  We would like to re-direct you to our new blog, found here.  You can also follow Eating Disorder Hope on Facebook for up-to-date articles, resources, and support for eating disorders and access our website at www.eatingdisorderhope.com.  We thank you for your patience during this time and hope you will continue to choose Eating Disorder Hope for your one stop resource for eating disorder treatment information and recovery tools.  We look forward to continually serving you!  Thank you for being a friend of Eating Disorder Hope.

Blessings,
Eating Disorder Hope

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Athletes and Eating Disorders


With all of the excitement surrounding the London Olympic Games, it seems as though there is an abundance of news with a main focus on athletics. I recently read an article which reported on a new study conducted by sports medicine researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Here they found shortfalls in the methods which were currently being used to screen these athletes for the “female athlete triad” which could potentially put their lives at risk. These findings were published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine on April 12, 2012. A survey was done through 257 NCAA Division I universities to determine when and how often these athletes had health histories and physical examinations performed and also to evaluate the content of the pre-participation examination form which would be used to further asses’ the health of these athletes. The triad, as this article explains, is an interrelationship between energy availability, menstrual function and bone mineral density. Many college women who play sports do not have proper nutrition, may have eating disorders and a lack of menstruation as well as poor bone density. The results of this study were that 63% of the university athletic programs surveyed only a completed full history and exam on freshmen and transfer athletes. In addition to, only 9% had 9 or more of the 12 Athlete Triad screening recommendations on these examination forms. In my opinion, it seems that sometimes high collegiate sports programs take their sports more seriously than the health of their athletes, females in particular. Knowing that compulsive exercise and eating disorders are quite often co-morbid, one would have to wonder why further assessment of the health of these athletes isn’t taken seriously. Many times the comments that get made to these athletes who are possibly dealing with eating disorder or compulsive exercise issues only fuels the fire even more so. An athlete may be given positive feedback for intense, rigorous, and compulsive exercise as well as their strict nutrition; however, it may also be something that could end up killing them. I hope by this study and hopefully many more to come surrounding this topic, will create awareness and that college athlete programs will take more serious action. To read further on the signs of orthorexia, and excessive exercise please click here.
Hannah, Intern with Eating Disorder Hope

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

TEMECULA: Teen battles eating disorders

In a recent interview, 17-year old Maddy Grey discusses her journey of recovery from her eating disorder.  As a young girl who struggled with anorexia and "yo-yo dieting" for most of her life, Maddy explains the ups and downs of treatment and her healing road to recovery.  After admission to a treatment center in San Diego, California, Maddy was able to take positive steps towards freedom from her eating disorder.  Since then, Maddy has joined NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) and is planning a NEDA walk in her hometown.  To learn more about Maddy's inspirational story, please continue reading here.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Anorexia and College Students: Asking the Tough Questions


“It’s complicated,” or so we often hear in answer to the question “what causes an eating disorder?” In understanding the complex causes of eating disorders, the question should be narrowed: what factors contribute to which types of eating disorders in which individuals? It would be naive to attribute the origins of eating disorders to any one life event, yet the majority of eating disorders develop during late adolescent or in the early twenties, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition. This begs the question, why? Well, “it’s complicated,” but one significant factor in the onset and development of disordered eating is college and college life. Being a college student myself, I’m no stranger to the pressure to “diet and date.” Neither am I unfamiliar with the inevitable presence of food and drink at most social events on college campuses. The desire to both starve and binge dominates the lives of many college students. It’s a classic “have her cake and eat it to” dilemma. The pressures of college life are overwhelming, and the attitudes they promote are alarming. In a poll of 1,000 women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, which ran in the 1994 publication of Esquire, 54 percent stated that they would rather be “run over by a truck” than “obese” (Esquire, Feb 1994). It’s not that women are killed more by trucks than obesity, but that women are more afraid of fat than death. I ask again: why?
          I’ve already mentioned pressure as one factor. Piggybacked on pressure is simple stress. Life itself is certainly stressful; but college is stress on steroids. The college life is plagued with personal, physical, psychological, social, and cognitive stress, among others. This stress, whether “positive” (i.e., academic diligence) or “negative” (i.e., gossip and rumors) has to be dealt with... somehow. Many students handle stress well; many do not. In addition to stress and pressure, college is often seen and promoted egocentrically. Though college is not strictly selfish, it is often focused on and encourages self-exploration and experimentation. Living on their own for the first time, students become aware of pathological patterns in their family of origin: college freshman are not only realizing who they are, but who they were. Often, they don’t know how to deal with these questions of identity, responsibility, freedom, and management. College students may feel stuck between a rock and a hard place: they want to display independence, but struggle with unanswered questions. When confusion is internalized, the need for control only grows stronger stimulating one’s tendency for stricter food and weight standards. 
          We could talk about the “why” of eating disorders forever and not even make a dent. More relevant for discussion at this point is the “what” of treatment. What makes the difference for someone on the edge of an eating disorder? What can we do to diminish the suffocating pressure? What can we emphasize to promote a healthy body image? Even with all the “right” ingredients for success, the chance of someone developing an eating disorder is not always removed. Concurrently, positive strategies buffer individuals against potential stressors and combat unhealthy coping mechanisms. One way to fight the lies of college culture, and American culture in general, is to surround oneself with positive media. Several blogs (including this one!) devote themselves to creating awareness of and help for individuals struggling with eating disorders. Get plugged in! Find a support group via Facebook, set up an accountability partner who can text you at meal times with encouragement, and engage in media that promotes a positive body image and healthy lifestyle. Media and online support is just one way to surround oneself with positive influences. Physical support, as opposed to online resources, is also useful in promoting positive coping mechanisms and personal accountability. Surrounding yourself with people who love you, who will both support and confront you, is vital in navigating college life and battling an eating disorder. In fact, many college campuses hold group meetings and discussion forums to help students connect with other students dealing with similar issues. Along with social support and positive media, it is important to surround yourself with creative and therapeutic outlets, such as drawing, painting, music, or dancing. In all of these activities, you’re giving purpose to your body, which promotes positive body image and checks self-loathing.  
          Whatever you do, make it personal; make it doable. The good news is, support can come from multiple sources, and healing can reach you in the deepest of holes.

If you’re interested in learning more about eating disorders and college students, read the full article at http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/article_anorexia-and-college-students

Written by: Rachel Bailey

Friday, January 13, 2012

Valuable advice about your college student and eating disorders


With the increased pressures college students are facing these days, the probability that students are engaging in eating disordered behaviors as a coping mechanism is progressively likely. Parents play an important role in early intervention, which can increase the likelihood of successful treatment and recovery from an eating disorder.  If you suspect your child may have an eating disorder, it may be difficult to understand or know what the best way to approach it is.  In this article, important advice about your college student and eating disorders is discussed as well as advice on how to appropriately deal with this circumstance, such as how to stay connected with your child while focusing on their health and recovery.  Parents have the opportunity to both recognize and intervene in their child’s life positively and effectively if an eating disorder is suspected.

If you have a child that has been in recovery from an eating disorder, how did you address this issue?

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Eating Disorder Hope Blog Update

To our dear Visitors:

We wish to thank you for your continued support and loyalty to Eating Disorder Hope.  Presently, our blogs are temporarily under construction as we seek to improve, enhance, and develop greater resources.  During this time, blog posts will be kept to a minimum, but we excitedly look forward to offering you increased resources in the very near future.  In the meantime, please follow Eating Disorder Hope on Facebook for up-to-date articles, resources, and support for eating disorders or access our website at www.eatingdisorderhope.com.  We thank you for your patience during this time and hope you will continue to choose Eating Disorder Hope for your one stop resource for eating disorder treatment information and recovery tools.  We look forward to continually serving you!

Blessings,
Eating Disorder Hope