Archive for the 'CED Events' Category

Q & A with Rosalind Wiseman – Part II

On Sunday we posted Part I of our interview with best-selling author, Rosalind Wiseman, an expert in teaching parents, educators and other adults how to effectively guide youth through the social challenges of Girl World and Boy World.  Today’s post includes Part II of our Q & A which ventures into the effects of parents’ own body image issues, adolescent “beauty pageants”, and the role of teachers in developing kids’ body image.  Read on to find out what Rosalind has to say about these important topics, then join us in Baltimore on February 21st for her keynote presentation, “Positive Parenting for a Healthy Self Image: Helping Children Develop Social Competence and Body Confidence in Girl World and Boy World.

In your book, Queen Bees & Wannabes you write, “Adolescence is a beauty pageant. Even if your daughter doesn’t want to be a contestant, others will look at her as if she is”.  How can we teach our girls to socialize effectively without engaging in that competition? 

All of us, but particularly adolescents, tend to focus on what other people think about them, and pleasing and conforming to what other people want. So there are three things I think are key to helping your child successfully disengage from the competition.  The first is having an adult in addition to your parent whom you feel comfortable going to with problems. Second is having one friend who really has your back and whose loyalty means they will confront you respectfully when they’re worried about you or see you behaving in destructive ways. And third is having one competency (a sport, a skill, etc.) that allows you to feel good about yourself apart from how you look – it’s a reminder that you are more than your appearance.

How can a parent help their child develop social competence and body confidence if they are still struggling with their own body image and self-esteem issues? 

When your child is faced with a problem in any capacity having to do with body image, you’re on a road together to support the child.  A parent’s sacred responsibility is to ask themselves difficult questions about themselves and their own behavior. That means examining your beliefs about how your self worth is determined by your body image, and the messages that you’ve imparted about that to your child.  This is important not only for a parent who has eating issues or is struggling with their weight, but also the parents who in the things they say, even if they mean well, may come across as really degrading.  So, saying things like, “Do you really want to eat that?” or, “If you lose 10 pounds, I’ll give you X reward.”

And if you as a parent have or are struggling with these issues, one of the most important, profound things you can do is to admit the challenges you’ve had and how that impacts the way that you speak to them.  You need to ask your child, “Do I say things that annoy you about the way you eat or how you look?  How do you feel when I say those things?  What’s a better way for me to talk to you about this?”

And if your child sees you doing anything – small concrete things – that reflect your thoughtfulness about this and your commitment to helping them and helping yourself, that is profoundly meaningful to them. You’re taking the risk to change, and that is one of the most important things for your child to be able to see because it’s going to be so much easier for them to take that leap themselves.

What role do teachers, school staff and other professionals play in “girl world & boy world”?  As non-family members, can they make a difference (for better or worse) in a child’s long-term self-esteem or body image?

Of course teachers and other adults in kids’ lives can, for better or worse, have an effect on a child’s self-esteem. A helpful adult can pierce the notion that it’s normal to feel self-loathing and that you’re nothing unless you look a certain way. It may be common, but it doesn’t mean it’s right. Secondly, the same as with parents, you allow students to have conversations that make you uncomfortable, and don’t answer them with cliché statements like “everyone’s beautiful in their own way.”

Educators must not allow children to ever tease others about their looks or make comments themselves about a student’s appearance.  Even if the teacher or professional doesn’t have the expertise to help a child who’s suffering from a problem with body image or eating disorders, the relationship they have with the child serves as a bridge to encourage them to take the enormous risk of asking for help.

Many thanks to Rosalind Wiseman for taking the time to provide such insightful and thorough responses to our questions!  If you are interested in attending her presentation on February 21st at The Conference Center at Sheppard Pratt, please RSVP by calling (410) 938-3157 or email rsvp@sheppardpratt.org.  Admission is FREE but seats are limited so reserve your’s today! 

Visit our Events page for a listing of additional free community events hosted by The Center for Eating Disorders in recognition of the upcoming, National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 21-27).

Did you miss Part I of the Q & A blog with Rosalind Wiseman yesterday?  Read it here .

Published by Kate Clemmer
February 9th, 2010 in Body Image, CED Events, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks
0 Comments

Q & A with Rosalind Wiseman

Each year, the last week of February marks National Eating Disorder Awareness Week across the country.  This year, on Sunday February 21st, The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt will kick-off a full week of events designed not only to promote awareness for the cause, but ultimately to spread education that will help prevent eating disorders before they begin.  Who better to give this message than author, educator and parenting expert, Rosalind Wiseman? Wiseman is the author of the bestselling book, “Queen Bees & Wannabes”, “Owning Up” body image curriculum, and a new young adult novel, “Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Material”.  In anticipation of her keynote presentation in Baltimore, we asked Rosalind Wiseman to answer some tough questions about body image concerns and weight issues among youth.  This is what she had to say…

  

Simply stated, what are some of the most effective things parents can do to help their children develop confidence and a positive self image? 

From the earliest ages you have to teach your child how to navigate Girl and Boy World – a world that will try to convince your child that they are not good enough unless they conform to a rigid belief system of how you should look and how you should act.

It’s almost impossible, as much as parents want this to be the case, to completely protect your child from the influence of these Worlds.  More realistically, parents should, age-appropriately, inform their children how to withstand its insidious ability to make people feel worthless unless they buy into it. Are you teaching them – by word and deed – that you are more than your physical presentation? For example, when you’re watching TV, listening to the music your kids like, or talking about their friends and the people they gravitate towards, use it as an opportunity to help the child think critically about what they are learning in those moments.  The lessons are not only about how they define “beautiful,” but about how they can be convinced that they will never physically match up – pretty enough, masculine enough – to what they’re “supposed” to be.

Another important part of this is to allow room for having the difficult but important conversations about body image -particularly when children feel rejected -instead of ignoring it or responding with common yet often ineffective responses like, “Everyone’s beautiful in their own way,” “Those people are just insecure,” or “People should see you for what you are on the inside, and if they don’t they’re not worth it.”

Instead, while of course you can tell your child that he or she is beautiful, allow the child to talk about how and why they are feeling like they’re not good enough. Sit with these uncomfortable feelings so you can get to a place where the child feels that it’s not weak to talk about it, and that everyone has to deal with these feelings of insecurity.  The very process of talking with your child goes a long way toward being able to withstand the pressures of Girl World and Boy World, and toward developing healthy body image.

In Queen Bees & Wannabes, You refer to the management of weight as “The Competition No One Wins” – can you elaborate on this?

For the vast majority of kids, you feel like you never measure up, and it’s so easy to get to a place of “I’m worthless unless I fit this impossible ideal in my head.”  As soon as that happens you’re on a path to low self-esteem.  But the reason I say that there really are no winners in this “competition” is that everybody looks at certain people and thinks that because he/she is so beautiful they must never struggle with these issues or they must not be insecure.  The reality is, in my experience, even those girls and boys feel like they’re never good enough, or they feel like they would be nothing if that façade were taken away.

Here are some recent blogs from my Website that help to illustrate this point: The Price of Success: Girls, Stress and Being Your Own Worst Enemy and Why We’ve Turned on Heidi Montag.

At what age should parents start actively addressing body image concerns with their children? Is there anything we can do when our kids are infants and toddlers to build a good foundation?

By the time kids are four and five years old, it’s not unusual for them to start making comments about their own or others’ bodies. They may say things like, “I have a big belly” or “That person is so fat.” 

Now, there’s a tendency among parents to ignore this, hush it, or say it’s not true.  The problem with that strategy is that children are still going to believe what they see but they just won’t have the opportunity to talk about it. So then, it’s left up to the kids on the playground to talk about it and define how to treat people based on how they look. And that’s even more harmful because it will probably be in the context of teasing, shame, or embarrassment.  And so as soon as your child starts making comments or asking questions about how people look, you have to take that as an opportunity to talk about people’s differences – you can explain that just like people can have different skin colors, people also come in different sizes and that’s just the way they are. 

If you’re child is making negative comments about his or her self at this age, you can respond by telling them, “You have a beautiful body. It’s healthy for kids to have a tummy and what’s more important than what you weigh or look like, is how you eat, eating nutritious food, and being physically active.” My colleague, Julia V. Taylor has written a wonderful children’s book about body image called “Perfectly You”, which I encourage you to check out. 

Stay tuned for Part II of our Q & A with Rosalind Wiseman tomorrow! If you have your own questions for Rosalind you can ask them live in Baltimore following her presentation, “Positive Parenting for A Health Self Image” on February 21, 2010, 1:00 – 3:00 PM at The Conference Center at Sheppard Pratt.  Visit our Events page for more information about this free event and how to reserve your seat!  Want to find out more about Rosalind Wiseman and her publications?  Visit her website at www.rosalindwiseman.com.

Published by Kate Clemmer
February 7th, 2010 in CED Events, Celebrity Topical News
0 Comments

Baltimore’s Jewish Community Braves Snow to Attend Eating Disorders Conference

“Promoting Self-Esteem & Positive Body Image: A Program for the Jewish Community” 

On Sunday January 31, 2010, The Center for Eating Disorders (CED) at Sheppard Pratt, in partnership with The Orthodox Union and in collaboration with Hadassah of Greater Baltimore and Jewish Community Services, hosted an event to help shed light on the issue of eating disorders and body image concerns within the Jewish community.  Sunday’s free event, which attracted nearly 200 people to The Conference Center at Sheppard Pratt in Towson was the first of its kind to take place in Maryland.  Key players in the event’s success include those pictured above, from left, Frank Buchweitz (National Director of OU Community Services and Special Projects), Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb (Keynote Speaker), Dr. Harry Brandt (CED Director), Catherine Steiner Adair (Plenary Speaker) and Dr. Steven Crawford (CED Associate Director).

 

Despite an unexpected dose of winter weather the night before, the day began as scheduled with Rabbi Dr. Weinreb, a Baltimore native, speaking to the crowd about the intersection of the Jewish faith and eating disorders.  Rabbi Dr. Weinreb, pictured above during his keynote presentation, discussed the importance of nourishing one’s body and caring for it in a way that simultaneously promotes health and the Jewish culture.  Following this presentation, conference attendees dispersed into five diverse morning workshops including a screening of the documentary “Hungry To Be Heard”, moderated by the film’s Executive Producer, Elisheva Diamond, M.A. (pictured below, left).

Also pictured above (right) is Catherine Steiner Adair, Ed.D. who provided the plenary address entitled, “Raising Strong and Resilient Children in Today’s Society”.  During her talk, Dr. Steiner Adair discussed the progression of body image pressures throughout the twentieth century as well as the implications of society’s obsession with thinness on today’s young Jewish women. Later in the day, a panel of Jewish high school students from various Baltimore schools, discussed the real life pressures they feel to succeed academically, socially, and to fit the standard definition of beauty.

Those in attendance at the conference included religious and community leaders from Baltimore’s Jewish community, parents, young people, psychologists, social workers and other mental health providers, as well as individuals in recovery from eating disorders.  After a successful event, Dr. Crawford and Dr. Brandt of the Center for Eating Disorders, along with additional CED staff (pictured above) look forward to coordinating additional follow up community events to help continue creating awareness about the need for the prevention, early identification and treatment of eating disorders within this community and others affected by eating disorders.   

If you missed this event but are interested in finding out whats coming up next on the calendar, please visit our Events page and visit our Facebook page to see additional photos from this event.

Published by Kate Clemmer
February 5th, 2010 in Body Image, CED Events, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks
0 Comments

Eating Disorders in the Jewish Community

Tackling issues often wondered about and little discussed…

Eating disorders are amongst the most serious of medical conditions with high rates of morbidity, including the highest death rate of any psychiatric illness.  It is important to note that within diverse populations, the stressors that may exacerbate an eating disorder can vary greatly, as can unique cultural factors which may serve as preventive or protective factors.  In recent years, more attention has been paid to these issues within the Jewish community specifically, as concerns continue to surface about increasing numbers of Jewish girls and boys struggling with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. 

An increasing rate of eating disorders is certainly not unique to the Jewish population – numbers are rising across the country regardless of ethnicity, religion or race.  However, the effective prevention, early identification and treatment of eating disorders within the Jewish community is dependent upon education and discussion that is socially and culturally relevant to those who are affected.  For example, the centralized role of food in Jewish heritage and traditions, including celebratory feasts and fasting, as well as stressors associated with the shidduchim, or traditional Jewish matchmaking, may influence one’s relationship with food and weight.

Research around eating disorders in the Jewish community has been done but studies regarding the prevalence are somewhat conflicting. According to one study, eating disorders affect one out of every 19 girls ages 14 – 16 in the Orthodox and Syrian communities, a rate that is 50% greater than in the general population.  Other studies have shown that while the incidence of eating disorders among the Jewish population may not necessarily be greater than that of the general population, Jews are often part of a demographic that would be more susceptible to eating disorders.  Orthodox women were found to have similar rates of eating disorders as secular Jewish women, however Orthodox women may be less likely to seek treatment given the cultural stigma that exists around the issue.  This stigma is a key reason why it has become so important to shed light on the topic of eating disorders in the Jewish community.   

On January 31st2010, the Center for Eating Disorders and the Orthodox Union will host a workshop in collaboration with Jewish Community Services and Hadassah of Greater Baltimore to address the topics identified above as well as the importance of self-esteem, body image and family communication in the Jewish community.  The free community event, Promoting Self Esteem & Healthy Body Image: A Program for the Jewish Community, is intended to help people develop a better understanding of the seriousness of these illnesses and help them identify risk factors and utilize prevention techniques.  This program is focused on addressing these concerns as they uniquely affect the Jewish Community and is geared toward educators, clinicians, parents, lay persons, and family members of affected individuals.

With a large Jewish population in the Baltimore area, we hope to provide the community with education about prevention strategies, risk factors for early identification, and the effective treatment of individuals with eating disorders. This workshop will include a plenary session from Catherine Steiner Adair, Ed.D,Director of Education and Preventions at the Klarman Eating Disorders Center at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MD.  Dr. Steiner Adair is a leader in the field of eating disorder treatment and the author of Full of Ourselves: A Wellness Program to Advance Girl Power, Health, and Leadership. She has also published a supplement to this guidebook, titled Bishvilli- For Me, specifically to assist those in the Jewish Community to utilize these activities in a way that compliment their lifestyle.

The program’s keynote address will be presented by Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President, Emeritus of the Orthodox Union.  He will be focusing on the issues of self esteem and eating disorders as they affect those in the Orthodox Jewish Community.  Eight other workshops will be facilitated by eating disorder professionals and mental health providers who have an understanding of the concerns of the Jewish Community.  For a full listing of presenters and workshop titles, download the Event Program.  Those who attend the program will have an opportunity to learn about and discuss the following subjects:

  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of eating disorders
  • Identify early warning signs and risk factors of eating disorders
  • Become aware of the effects of eating disorders and related issues in the Jewish community
  • Understand how modern therapeutic techniques can be applied while maintaining respect for traditional Jewish culture and values
  • Utilize Jewish tradition, culture, spirituality, and rituals as resources for health and protective factors against the development of negative body image and eating disorders

Attendance at this event is free but pre-registration is required. Please call 410-938-3157 or email rsvp@sheppardpratt.org to reserve your seat. Download the FINAL PROGRAM BROCHURE for complete details and share the promotional event flyer with others who may be interested in attending.

photo courtesy of jewishharlem.com

Published by Kate Clemmer
January 7th, 2010 in Body Image, CED Events, Editor's Picks, In the News
0 Comments

Tips for Overcoming Holiday Stress & Anxiety – Part II: The Stress

Thanksgiving, a holiday of gratitude and hopefulness, can also come with a large dose of frustration, worry and woes.  In an attempt to make this Thanksgiving a positive one, especially for those who are also struggling with an eating disorder, we’ve offered some ideas for overcoming and embracing the holiday season.  Yesterday, we posted Part I: The Food, the first in a holiday blog series that addresses unique challenges associated with eating and socializing during the holidays. Today, Part II in the series offers even more constructive ideas and concrete steps you can take to make your Thanksgiving a success, while still prioritizing your recovery.

Part II: When it comes to the STRESS…

If the place where you are staying is particularly stressful or triggering, carving out time for yourself is a necessity.  Try finding a quiet room to be alone for several minutes in order to clear your head and re-energize yourself for encounters with others around you. Taking five minutes out to breathe and re-center can make a big difference in your ability to maintain your composure and keep you focused on your goals of having a healthy and positive holiday experience.  If you’re worried that you will seem rude if you leave or have a hard time finding the time to be alone, consider offering to pick up or drop off elderly family members who can’t drive themselves.  

  • Depending on your preference, try to let those around you know what is helpful and what isn’t. The holidays are an important time to practice being assertive.
  • Reach out - we all know one or two people who can’t travel to their own family’s Thanksgiving event or just don’t have a place to go for the holiday – invite them along to share in your festivities.  
    • Bonus - An extra support person for you before, during and after the meal!  
  • Focus on the kids!  Get the younger generation involved in your support plan.  Round up the youngest family members for a post-dinner game of  Pictionary or puzzles.  Often, kids can be the most positive and least triggering family members.
  • In the event that someone makes a triggering food/body comment to you, have a plan for ways to quickly shift attention away from you in a positive way…respond strategically to the comment and then ask your cousin how her new job is going, or mention that your parents should tell everyone about their recent vacation.
  • Just because it is a holiday doesn’t mean you have to clear your social calendar – think about making plans with a friend to see a movie right after your holiday gathering so you can have something to look forward to regardless of how well your Thanksgiving meal goes. 
  • The same goes for your pre-meal schedule.  Sitting around, smelling food and just waiting for the meal to be ready can be a very triggering or anxiety-provoking time.  Consider offering to run a last minute errand or employ yourself as the family photographer!  Make it your goal to snap some great pictures of your family members arriving and socializing together. 
    • Bonus – The resulting photos could make great gifts when the next holiday rolls around!

Although the holidays can be difficult, try to place them in perspective and remember that no single day determines your worth, value, or potential as a person.  Regardless of what you hear from others, keep in mind that this is a season of hope and thanks-giving, so try to focus less on the stressors and more on the ability that you have to give thanks and receive joy this holiday season.

Find even more holiday coping skills by reading last year’s blog, Thanksgiving with an Eating Disorder: 10 Tips to Help You Get Through the Holiday.

photo courtesy of bhg.com/holidays

Published by Kate Clemmer
November 24th, 2009 in CED Events, Editor's Picks, In the News, Nutrition
0 Comments

Saying Goodbye to Ed…

 

Individuals with eating disorders often express frustration because other people in their lives who have never had an eating disorder, just don’t seem to fully understand how difficult it is to live with this disease.  Furthermore, once you have lived with an eating disorder, its often very difficult to imagine life without it – to imagine being recovered.   

The Center for Eating Disorders’ 2009 Fall Awareness event, on Sunday, October 25th, helped to address both of the above scenarios.  Featured keynote speaker, Jenni Schaefer, visited Baltimore and spoke to a crowded auditorium about her own struggles with eating disorders and, most importantly, about her own triumphs – she is now, as her shirt said: ”Recovered.” (Emphasis on the period.)  Jenni has written two books on the subject, her most recent – Goodbye Ed, Hello Me -was the topic of her talk.

 Jenni Schaefer, author of “Goodbye Ed, Hello Me”

Jenni’s presentation resonated with those in attendance in a way that helped the parents, spouses, and friends without eating disorders begin to understand what it is like to live with “Ed”, a term she uses to personify her eating disorder and the role it played in her life.  Additionally, for the many individuals in the audience who also struggle with their own “Ed”, Jenni provided hope and proof that it is possible, even after struggling for years, to overcome an eating disorder. 

Jenni discussed various stages of her recovery, including “mediocre recovery” and how it can be very easy to get comfortable at different stages when you are still hanging on to small, yet significant, symptoms of your eating disorder.  She assured the crowd that “it gets so much better” once you make the commitment to be fully recovered.  Jenni also acknowledged the “Societal Ed” that perpetuates a focus on weight and size for everyone, even those without eating disorders; she offered helpful advice in dealing with these social pressures.        

Following her presentation, Jenni answered several questions from the audience, posed for a picture with CED staff (above), and spent a great deal of time signing books and speaking individually with many of the people who attended the event.  It was an inspiring day for those who attended and we are so grateful to Jenni Schaefer for spending the day at The Center for Eating Disorders.

To see more photos of the event, please visit our Facebook page at: http://facebook.com/eatingdisorderhelp.

The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt sponsors a community awareness event each year in the fall as well as other outreach events throughout the year.  If you would like to receive information  about these events via email, please request to be added to our email distribution list by sending a message to EatingDisorderInfo@sheppardpratt.org or call (410) 938-5252.

Published by Kate Clemmer
October 30th, 2009 in CED Events, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks, In the News
0 Comments

A Few Questions for “Goodbye Ed” Author, Jenni Schaefer…

On October 25th, The Center for Eating Disorders will host nationally recognized author Jenni Schaefer.  Jenni will present the keynote presentation for our 2009 community awareness event, during which she will discuss her newest book, a follow-up to her first, and extremely popular book, “Life Without Ed”.  

Jenni’s new book, “Goodbye Ed, Hello Me” was released in August and has already made quite an impact with its hopeful messages about her own recovery from an eating disorder.  In anticipation of her arrival in Baltimore in two , we had a few questions for Jenni and asked her to share some insight into the important topics she discusses in her book.  This is what she had to say…

What were the factors that played a role in you seeking treatment for your eating disorder?

My life was spinning out of control. All I could think about was food and weight. Joy in life was gone-I had hit rock bottom. I knew I needed help.

Looking back on your experience, what is the best advice you could give to those who may be considering treatment or are just beginning treatment for an eating disorder?

I highly encourage people to get professional help in order to fully recover from an eating disorder. I never could have recovered from anorexia and bulimia without a team of treatment professionals supporting me. I also needed love and support from family and friends. Most importantly, I would tell people who are struggling with an eating disorder to never give up. It does get better.

Why was it important for you to eventually refer to yourself as recovered from your eating disorder instead of being in recovery?

As long as I kept saying that I was “in recovery,” I was giving Ed (aka “eating disorder”) a place in my life. As long as I believed Ed would haunt me, he did. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

After doing well in recovery for many years and going through difficult times without turning to eating disordered behaviors, I began to claim fully recovered for myself. Today, I am completely free from Ed and have joy and peace in my life.

In the same way you differentiate between being “in recovery” and being “recovered”, you also make an important distinction in terms of the type of support that was helpful to receive from your family.  Can you explain why your family was better able to support you when they stopped trying to understand the eating disorder?  What could other families learn from this?

In my first book, Life Without Ed, I talk about the fact that my family never had to understand my eating disorder. (I think it is impossible for someone who has never had an eating disorder to fully understand it.) The good news is that my family never had to understand my eating disorder, but they just had to love and support me. They also needed to believe me. When I said I felt fat, they didn’t understand how I could possibly feel that way. But they believed me. It made all of the difference.

I’d encourage other families to really listen to their loved ones in regard to the eating disorder. Believe their experience. And love them.

The title of your new book is Goodbye Ed, Hello Me – how has saying goodbye to Ed opened the door to a new you?

Saying goodbye to Ed has opened the door to endless possibilities for me. I recovered from my eating disorder and recovered myself in the process. Now that I am recovered, I can do anything at all!

You will be coming to Baltimore to speak about your new book on October 25th at The Center for Eating Disorders’ annual fall outreach event – who do you think can benefit from attending this talk and what is the message you hope people will walk away with?

In our society, almost everyone knows someone who has been touched by an eating disorder, so I believe many people will benefit from the event. Also, in my presentation, I will talk some about the voice of Societal Ed (our culture’s eating disorder), which we all hear in this diet-crazed world. I want people to walk away with the hope and belief that full freedom from food and weight struggles is possible.

 ~~~~~~~

Jenni Schaefer’s presentation is a FREE event sponsored by The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt.  It is open to the community and light refreshments will be provided.  If you are planning to attend on October 25th, visit our Events page for more details and remember to RSVP to reserve your seat – they are filling up quickly!  And don’t forget to bring your books!  Jenni Schaefer will be available for a book signing immediately following her talk.  Her books will also be available for purchase at the event.  

Published by Kate Clemmer
October 9th, 2009 in CED Events, Celebrity Topical News, In the News
0 Comments

The Love Your Tree Program goes “Beyond Bars”…

Over the past four years, staff from the Center for Eating Disorders’ Love Your Tree program have traveled to many different places and worked with a variety of organizations on creating Love Your Tree posters and discussing the importance of positive body image in the prevention of eating disorders.  Middle schools, high schools, colleges, and community art centers - Love Your Tree has visited them all and found great enthusiasm for the program at every event. 

But  this past Saturday, September 5th offered a brand new stop on the 2009-2010 Love Your Tree tour – The Maryland Women’s Correctional Facility in Jessup, Maryland.  It is there, in a prison, that approximately 20 female inmates and their daughters meet together twice a month as the collective, Girl Scout Troop 7140.  This troop of mothers and daughters is part of the Beyond Bars program, run by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, whose overarching goal is to help girls discover who they are and gain the self-confidence they need to to fulfill their dreams. 

With the understanding that a positive body image can contribute greatly to one’s self-confidence and the knowledge that moms are particularly important to their daughter’s developing body image, the Love Your Tree program ventured into a collaboration with Beyond Bars to provide a body image and creative arts workshop for Troop 7140 and several media outlets were there as well!   Click on the links below to read or watch more about The Center for Eating Disorders’ Love Your Tree workshop and the Girl Scouts’ Beyond Bars program.

Click here to read The Baltimore Sun Article, “Inmates get ‘body image’ lesson: Resist one-size-fits all idea, says official from eating disorders center”

Click here to watch a Fox 5 News report, “Girl Scout Troop Meets in prison”, about the Love Your Tree & Beyond Bars event.

The Love Your Tree program is open to middle, high school and college-aged youth.  Workshops are available to a variety of community organizations and schools through November 2009, and poster submissions are due by December 18th.  Contact Kate Clemmer at (410) 427-3886 to schedule a workshop today!

Published by Kate Clemmer
September 10th, 2009 in Body Image, CED Events, In the News
0 Comments

Won’t YOU Come Chat With Us?

 

The Center for Eating Disorders (CED) has now hosted five on-line support group chats – two for family members and friends of individuals struggling with eating disorders and three for the individuals themselves. Embarking on this new use of technology has been a bumpy ride for us and our users, some of whom have had difficulty getting into the chat-room and/or obtaining a login to do so. Oh, the joys of technology – it is wonderful – but only when it works! While we are still working out some of the kinks, if you would like to participate in a future chat, check out the system requirements in advance and turn off your pop-up blocker before trying to enter the chat room!

For those who have been able to get on-line with us, the technology has been well used. Chats have gone in a myriad of directions — one chat focused on the pressures of conformity and how much harder it is to not conform to what others are doing, but how much better it feels to go with your own values and convictions. Another chat led to a discussion about how to obtain treatment for an adolescent who did not think she was sick and how to best support a fiancée with an eating disorder.

Most recently, we had our most active chat to date! The participants discussed, among other things, recovery and “getting to the other side” of the illness. Individuals chatted about the frustrations associated with recovery, but the chat also led to a direction of hope in the journey. Helpful resources were discussed as well, including Jessica Weiner’s book, “Life Doesn’t Begin 5 Pounds From Now” and “Goodbye Ed, Hello Me”, the new book by Jenni Shaefer, who will be speaking at CED’s annual fall outreach event on October 25th at the Conference Center at Sheppard Pratt.

As the most recent chat progressed, the conversation led participants to discuss the dilemma of figuring out who they really are without their eating disorders and what their passion is in life.  Suggestions and ideas about helpful coping skills were also shared during this fast paced discussion.

SO, what might you bring to our next chat? Questions? Concerns? Insights? There is room for all of this and so much more! The next live chat support group is scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 3rd from 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. To participate in a live chat, you must first register with a username and password on CED’s online forum. This will allow you to access the discussion board where you will find the link to the chat 10-20 minutes before the chat is scheduled to begin.

We would love the chance to chat with you!!

If you have questions about how to join our live chat, or if you experience technical difficulties, please call or email Kate Clemmer at 410-427-3886, kclemmer@sheppardpratt.org or Sarah Blake at 410-427-3856, sblake@sheppardpratt.org.

photos courtesy of:

i.dailymail.co.uk, newsimg.bbc.co.uk & pc1news.com

Published by Sarah Blake
August 27th, 2009 in CED Events, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks
0 Comments

Annual Symposium Review

As we mentioned in our last few Q&A posts, we hosted our Annual Symposium on Saturday, April 18. The beautiful weather and gathering of accomplished eating disorder professionals made for an extremely enjoyable day. Our symposium was designed to bring cutting edge, innovative treatment knowledge and options to the professionals caring for people with eating disorders. And, we are happy to report that more than 135 people were in attendance!

Below is a list of speakers, topics and a few pictures from our exciting event:

  • Steven Wonderlich, Ph.D., spoke about trauma as it relates to eating disorders and the impact this trauma may have on diagnosis and treatment. 

  • Stewart Agras, M.D., discussed empirically-based treatments for Bulimia Nervosa, including Guided Self Help, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the use of antidepressants in the treatment of bulimia.

  • Judith Banker, MA, LCP, FAED, talked about the gap between research and practice and the concern that research findings and clinical observations become lost in this gap. She went over the proposed guidelines for Research-Practice Integration and the benefits to patients, researchers and clinicians in this exchange.

  • Dr. Kathryn Zerbe created a beautiful artwork backdrop to help illustrate her description of interventions with eating disorders based on their specific life stage. Throughout her discussion of transferance and countertransferance, she continued to provide fantastic works of art to help solidify her concepts.  

  • Michael Levine, Ph.D., who returned to the symposium after postive feedback from his presentation last year, revisited the ideas around prevention efforts and the ways in which media and culture can shape individual’s views on beauty and cultural norms. He exhorted the audience to use courage to fight against the pervasive messages within our culture, not just in reference to beauty but in reference to gender, class, race and the ideas of power, as well.

 

Keep checking back as we will post select video footage from the symposium soon!

Published by CED Editor
May 3rd, 2009 in CED Events
0 Comments