Archive for the 'Celebrity Topical News' Category

What’s All The Buzz About Eating Disorder Prevention? Rosalind Wiseman Speaks About Raising Confident & Competent Children

 In honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt has been hosting a variety of events to promote eating disorder awareness and to provide tools to work towards the prevention of eating disorders. To that end, best-selling author of “Queen Bees & Wannabes” Rosalind Wiseman, spoke on Sunday to an audience of one hundred teachers, parents, school counselors, and teens about the ways that we can each help to develop a culture of dignity within our families, schools and social groups, particularly in regards to body shape and size.

As Rosalind Wiseman mentioned in her presentation on Sunday, the overarching goal of her work is to promote dignity for all.  As it relates to body image, she offered some hard hitting advice to attendees by challenging the parents in the audience to look honestly at the way they see their own bodies. She asked the mothers in the audience, in particular, how their child would answer if asked about how their mom feels about her own body or how she responds to a compliment.  She explained that this will play a large part in how our children and students evaluate their own bodies and that parents that criticize their own bodies or judge people by their body shape/weight “lose credibility” when discussing these issues with their children.

Ms. Wiseman also explored why it is important to help your child develop social competencies and effective strategies for dealing with anger.  Watch the clip of her explanation here.

By helping the audience to connect with and acknowledge the reality of the youth experience, Ms. Wiseman also provided techniques to help children problem solve situations involving eating disorders and body image concerns in their own lives.  Her straightforward advice included some concrete tips for connecting with kids in ways that may help to prevent the disordered eating and how to respond in a supportive way to their body image concerns when expressed.

The Positive Parenting workshop was just one of three events sponsored by The Center for Eating Disorders and Sheppard Pratt in honor of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2010.  If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive announcements about future events, please send an email request to kclemmer@sheppardpratt.org.

Blog contributions by Rachel Hendricks and Kate Clemmer

Published by Kate Clemmer
March 1st, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News
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Like A Tree My Body Is…

Tuesday evening marked the 4th annual Love Your Tree Recognition Ceremony which culminated with an unveiling of the 2010 Love Your Tree poster. This year’s chosen artwork was created by Kiley Baker, a sophomore at Bel Air High School in Harford County, Maryland.

“Like a tree, my body is…Renewed”

Following the awards ceremony, an audience of very proud students, family members and art teachers, explored the entire exhibit of artwork created by over 130 students from middle schools, high schools and colleges across the state of Maryland. Inspired by and developed around Eve Ensler’s play The Good Body, the Love Your Tree poster campaign encourages students of all ages to create a poster in response to the phrase “Like a tree, my body is…”.  The goal of the campaign is to help participants, and all who view the exhibit, to appreciate the natural diversity of our bodies by promoting acceptance and celebration of beauty in many forms rather than prescribing to the narrow definition of beauty so often endorsed by the media.

The campaign capitalizes on body image research which demonstrates that individuals spending time creating positive body image messages for others, will be more likely to internalize and accept the positive statements themselves.  The exhibit, which has been on public display throughout the entire month of February has received many accolades from all who have viewed it.  Tuesday evening’s event was a wonderful example of a community of students, families and teachers  in Maryland coming together for a worthy cause – promoting positive self-esteem in our youth.  The exhibit even caught the attention of an ABC News crew!  Watch the news coverage of The Love Your Tree Campaign here.

You can also check out a gallery of pictures from the exhibit and the event on our Facebook Page!

Published by Kate Clemmer
February 26th, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News
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Awareness Meets Action – National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2010

February 21-27, 2010 

a·ware (-wâr) adj. 1. knowing something: having knowledge of something from having observed it or been told about it

Did you know that eating disorders are the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents and that the rates of eating disorders among males, adults and young children are also on the rise?  Did you realize that half of us know someone who has been personally affected by an eating disorder (even though you might not know it)? Were you aware that eating disorders may end up killing upwards of 20% of affected individuals who do not receive treatment and that dieting is a major risk factor for developing an eating disorder?  Did you know that you may not be able to tell just by looking at someone that they have an eating disorder? 

Awareness, of course, is the goal of this upcoming week – the 23rd annual National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAWeek).  A general awareness about the prevalence, severity and symptoms of eating disorders can be an incredibly powerful tool for parents, spouses, doctors, teachers or anyone who is worried about a loved one, or in some cases, themselves.  Having the knowledge to question or identify the early signs of an eating disorder is an integral first step in helping someone who may be struggling from disordered eating, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, eating disorder NOS, or binge eating disorder – but it is just that, a first step.  This year, we hope many of you will make a commitment to go beyond awareness to ACTION.  This may mean different things for different people and could be a small task or a BIG one.   It could include simply attending a free NEDAWeek community event, or possibly taking action in one of the following ways:

For individuals who think they may be struggling with an eating disorder:

For Parents and Other Influential Adults:

  • Don’t shy away from difficult conversations regarding the way your kids feel about their bodies

  • Consider alternative uses for the money you spend on monthly subscriptions to fashion and beauty magazines; Or consider using the ones you have to strike up a conversation with your son or daughter about the media’s misleading definition and creation of “beauty”. 

  • If you think your son or daughter might be displaying some of the warning signs of an eating disorder, don’t ignore it.  Early intervention is the key to successfully overcoming an eating disorder.  Talk with your child about your concerns and schedule a session with a therapist if appropriate.

  • Find out what you can do to help PREVENT eating disorders; consider attending “Positive Parenting for a Healthy Self-Image” this Sunday, February 21st in Baltimore, Maryland. 

For School Personnel:

  • Ensure that your school counselor has appropriate resources and referral information regarding eating disorders specific to your community

  • Organize an information session about eating disorders for parents, coaches and school staff

  • Incorporate age-appropriate, evidence-based body image education into your curriculum

  • Consider conducting a Love Your Tree workshop at your school to help create an environment of acceptance and diverse definitions of beauty

  • Review your current education practices regarding eating disorders to ensure that they are not unintentionally promoting specific symptoms or dangerous behaviors

For Medical Professionals:

  • Ensure that you have accurate and appropriate screening tools in place for patients at-risk for eating disorders

  • Provide information in your waiting rooms regarding the prevention and treatment of eating disorders 

  • Refrain from discussing weight concerns in front of children and adolescent patients because it can trigger negative feelings about their bodies and lead to disordered eating

  • Ensure that your entire staff is sensitive to the issue of patients with eating disorders.  For example, nurses can respect a patient’s request to be weighed backwards and to not be told their weight.

  • Focus on promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors instead of encouraging a focus on the number on the scale. 

At the very least, every one of us can take action today by telling one person about the dangers of eating disorders. Let them know that eating disorders affect 4 times as many people as breast cancer.  Tell them that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.  Tell them that eating disorders can cause heart failure, infertility, kidney failure, electrolyte imbalances, serious gastrointestinal problems, osteoporosis, muscle atrophy and tooth erosion (and that’s the short list!). Tell one person today that over 10 million people in our country currently suffer from eating disorders but that only 1 in 10 receives treatment.   It is through awareness and subsequently, through our ACTION, that we as a nation can begin to bring the first number down and the second number up. Do your part today.

 If you have questions about treatment for an eating disorder or about outreach services provided by The Center for Eating Disorders, please call us at (410) 938-5252, visit our website www.eatingdisorder.org or send an email to EatingDisorderInfo@sheppardpratt.org.

  

Published by Kate Clemmer
February 19th, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News
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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
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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
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Breaking news from The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt!

Tune into ABC’s Good Morning America tomorrow between 7 and 9 a.m. to see The Center’s very own Dr. Harry Brandt discuss the dangers of Smartphone applications as they relate to eating disorders, disordered eating and compulsive exercise. The Center has been doing outreach about the potential risks associated with weight loss applications for the past few months, and Good Morning America is going to help the message reach thousands of people across the country. We will be sure to post a link to the interview after it airs.

Published by CED Editor
February 5th, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News
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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
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Risky Retail: CVS Circular Sends Dangerous Message About Laxatives

Unfortunately we are all too familiar with a constant undertone of media and societal support for the “thin ideal” and a perpetuation of the dieting culture.  It’s not as often though, that we see messages from media or other advertising outlets that blatantly encourage dangerous eating disorder behaviors.    

This was our experience yesterday when we were shown the most current circular sent out in print and distributed online by CVS Pharmacy.  The promotional flyer included a sales section entitled “shape up & save.”  Not surprisingly, in light of the New Year, and in response to an over abundance of weight-related New Year’s resolutions, CVS is apparently offering low-cost products for customers looking to “shape up.”  This yearly obsession, although disheartening given prior information we’ve shared on our blog about why diets don’t work, is not what caused us to pause.

Our concern came when we saw a brand name laxative among the sale items featured in the weight loss section. By highlighting this product as part of the “shape up & save” category, CVS is inadvertently suggesting that using laxatives is an acceptable and healthy way to lose weight.  This could not be further from the truth.  Laxatives are not intended, nor are they effective, for weight loss and when used for these purposes can result in serious medical consequences.  Laxative use and abuse is common amongst individuals suffering from eating disorders, and CVS’ placement of the product promotion sends a harmful message that this very dangerous behavior is appripriate or, even healthy. The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt would like to take this opportunity to educate retailers about inappropriate health care product marketing tactics and remind the public of the dangers associated with laxative abuse.

Steven Crawford, M.D., Associate Director of the Center for Eating Disorders, had the following to say in response to the concerning advertisement: 

“The CVS ‘Shape Up & Save’ circular is a prime example of retailers sending subliminal and harmful messages to consumers. While we doubt CVS’ intention was to support, or suggest, eating disorder behaviors and tendencies, we feel that companies have an obligation to understand what their marketing practices are suggesting to their customers. Laxative abuse can lead to serious health-related problems including severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, severe constipation, chronic diarrhea, and significant edema [an abnormal accumulation of fluid inside the body].  Persistent use may result in anemia, laxative dependency, and may even increase the risk of colon cancer. “  

Our hope in reaching out to CVS and other retailers, is that harmful ads such as this will be removed from circulation and a dialogue can be started around responsible retail actions as they relate to eating disorder prevention, awareness and treatment.  We plan to keep all of our readers updated on this important topic.  Stay tuned!  

If you have any thoughts about this topic, please feel free to join in the discussion on our Facebook page.

Published by Kate Clemmer
January 8th, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News
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Why Diets Don’t Work

“Lose 20 pounds in less than two weeks!” “Join our program and never be hungry again!” These types of advertisements are all too familiar in today’s culture.  With society’s strong emphasis on being thin, it’s no wonder that lofty claims from diet programs, plans and pills have such strong appeal. But do they really work?  It depends on what you mean by “work”.  If you ask in terms of whether they work to make money and profits for the diet industry – well, then the answer is yes.  In fact, the diet industry generates over $40 billion dollars for itself each year but not because their products work, because they don’t.  Consider how many people you know who have dieted once and never dieted again?  Most likely, none.

There is resounding evidence that says diets don’t work.  Dieting is typically temporary – a means to an end – and therefore not a healthful long term approach to improving health, managing weight or sustaining a balanced relationship with food.  The restriction encouraged by diets can lead to extreme hunger, deprivation, overeating, loss of the body’s natural hunger and fullness cues, and weight gain.  In fact, the irony of diets is that the cycle of yo-yo dieting and chronic weight fluctuations can result in health problems and weight re-gain, potentially above one’s pre-diet weight.  For the diet industry this ensures that they keep making money, because customers go back time and time again.  Research shows:

  • 95-98% of dieters regain their lost weight within 1-5 years

  • Over half of them end up gaining back more than they lost

  • Moderate dieters are 5x more likely to develop eating disorders than those who don’t diet.  Severe dieters are 18x more likely to develop an eating disorder.

Beyond the physical effects, diets don’t address underlying issues, such as our relationship with food, and, in many ways, diets increase stress in an already stressful relationship with eating and food.  Diets also place value judgments on specific foods (or entire food groups!) and create various food rules which can quickly become obsessions or lead to eating disorders.  These rules and thoughts can also exacerbate concerns about body image and size acceptance.  Furthermore, when a diet doesn’t “work”, individuals tend to blame themselves and feel as though they failed – this can lead to depression and lower self-esteem.

Unfortunately, dieting is not only accepted in our culture, it has become a pervasive social norm – almost a rite of passage that we are expected to take part in.   In fact, a recent study in London, found that dieting behavior in mothers can negatively impact their daughter’s own body image and increases the daughter’s chances of developing an eating disorder.  Moving beyond a dieting mentality takes practice, and often professional guidance. Learning benefits of a diet free lifestyle can improve one’s relationship with food, enhance acceptance of body shape and weight, and provide healthier thought patterns. These types of changes are much more likely to be sustainable and long term, therefore providing a balanced and healthy lifestyle, instead of a temporary non-solution.

At The Center for Eating Disorders, we have a full staff of licensed dietitians who work with patients to restore balance and health to their meals.  Meeting with a dietitian can be a helpful and effective way to learn accurate information about food and begin to move away from the dieting mentality.  If you have questions about treatment for an eating disorder, including nutrition therapy with a registered dietitian, please call (410) 938-5252.

Written and contributed by Samantha Lewandowski, MS, RD, LDN
Nutritional Care Coordinator of Outpatient Services, CED

photo courtesy of: www.nedic.ca

Published by Kate Clemmer
December 30th, 2009 in Celebrity Topical News
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Parties and Presents and Resolutions, Oh My!

The end of a calendar year brings with it endless conversations of new year’s resolutions.  Setting these notoriously lofty goals is often an attempt to pull oneself out of the seasonal funk that can settle in with shorter days, colder weather and a barrage of holiday stressors.  When people make resolutions, it is often with the intent to completely overhaul their life.  They look to make a sweeping change that will fix all that is wrong, and get them back on the “right track”.  Unfortunately, this particular type of goal setting usually backfires – as evidenced by the fact that most people end up making the same exact resolutions year after year.  

New year’s resolutions also send a message that today doesn’t count – it gives us permission to stay unhappy or unhealthy ”just a little bit longer” until January 1st rolls around. This could mean different things for different people depending on whether you are working towards recovery from an eating disorder, still struggle with chronic yo-yo dieting or are trying to quit smoking.  So, how do you pull yourself out of the winter blues without jumping on the resolution bandwagon?  Here are a few ideas to get you started…

1.  Don’t wait.  Start making small adjustments today that have nothing to do with food, eating, or your weight. Creating small but positive disruptions in your daily routine can help you stay grounded and may even help to break a cycle of negative thoughts or eating disorder symptoms that are associated with certain places or a time of day.

  • Try taking a different route to work or school.  This small change could open up new possibilities, even if its just observing the new scenery or discovering a park along the way that you never knew existed!  Who knows, you may even find out that your new detour involves less traffic or fewer lights.
  • Do some interior designing.  Consider rearranging some furniture or updating a picture wall inside your house or apartment.  Visible changes such as these can offer a sense of renewal without the obligation or pressure.
  • These are just a few examples…you can come up with your own ideas for “minor adjustments” and share them on our Facebook page.

2. Setting goals is a great thing but not if the goal is unrealistic, unhealthy, too vague, or involves intense pressure to succeed.  All of these charactersistics can make it very difficult to follow through with a resolution.  Instead, focus on taking small, concrete steps forward in the direction of balanced living.    

  • If you tend to make resolutions that are unrealistic and unhealthy…“I have to get myself to the gym.  I’m going to purchase a membership and force myself to go everyday, no matter what.”
    • Try this instead: “I will commit to going to one or two community yoga classes by the end of the month and work on developing a positive and supportive relationship with my body.”
  • If you tend to make resolutions that are vague and counterproductive… “I need to lose weight by the summer so I’m really going to stick to my diet this year!”
    • Try this instead: “I give myself permission to stop dieting and to trust my body. If I need the help of a professional nutritionist to do this, I will seek one out.”
  • If you tend to make resolutions that leave no room for error and put a lot of pressure on you to succeed…“As of January 1st, I am never going to act on my eating disorder symptoms again.”
    • Try this instead: “Before the week is over, I will call and schedule an appointment to begin seeing a therapist.” This is an example of a small but very meaningful task that can result in long-term change.  If you already see a therapist, consider this instead: “In the next week, I will use at least one new support or coping skill that I’ve never tried before.”  Examples include: attending a support group, journaling, or enrolling in art therapy.

3. Now that you’ve resolved NOT to make a resolution, how are you going to cope with everybody else who feels inclined to talk about resolutions, weight loss and diets all of the time? 

  •  Be the bearer of accurate news.  When your friends start discussing the new diet they will begin on January 1st, inform them about why diets don’t work.  If you’re not sure why, stay tuned for our upcoming blog that will convince you once and for all that dieting is NOT the way to go.
  • Try out the “shock and awe” technique. As others start to bemoan their hips and curse their thighs while resolving to change their bodies in the new year, employ the element of surprise – say something  NICE about yourself and your body. Body bashing has become such an accepted form of conversation (especially around the holidays) that when someone (You!) is able to reflect positively on their own body, people are seriously caught off guard and may think twice about their own statements.  Try one of the comments below or come up with a few of your own!
    • “I am so grateful for all of the things my body allows me to accomplish.” 
    • “I’m much more concerned about feeling strong and healthy than I am about fitting into a particular size.”
    • Even if you are not at a point in your life, or in recovery, where you actually believe these statements, say them anyway!  Saying them out loud helps move you in the right direction toward real change.  You will not only have helped yourself, but you will steer the conversation away from a negative place and become a role model for positive body image.  This is particularly important if children and adolescents are within earshot of the conversation.

Here’s to a happy and balanced end of 2009 and continued hopefulness in 2010! 

If you have any questions about eating disorders, please call our admissions coordinators at (410) 938-5252 to speak confidentially about your concerns and treatment options.  Additionally, you can visit our website at  www.eatingdisorder.org for more information, including an interactive on-line quiz that can help determine whether you, or someone you care about, might have an eating disorder that requires professional treatment.   

Photo courtesy of grandhoteloceancity.com

Published by Kate Clemmer
December 22nd, 2009 in Body Image, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks, In the News, Nutrition
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