Archive for the 'Celebrity Topical News' Category

Q & A with Harriet Brown: Part III

In exactly one week, Harriet Brown will visit The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt in Baltimore to speak about her new book, Brave Girl Eating: A Family’s Struggle With Anorexia. Below is the third of her 3-part blog series with us, in which Harriet discusses some of the most important things she’s learned as a parent of an adolescent with an eating disorder.  She also extends a hopeful call to all of the individuals, families and professionals who could benefit from reading her book and attending her presentation on August 25th.

After finding out about her family’s introduction to anorexia nervosa in Part I and delving into the labor of her daughter’s struggle and recovery in Part II, we asked Harriet to reflect on the lessons she has learned that would be helpful to share with other parents and families.  Her very honest and informative answers are below.  If you’d like to hear more from Harriet and have a chance to ask her your own questions, please join us on August 25th from 7:00-9:00pm at The Conference Center at Sheppard Pratt.  Visit our Events Page for more details about this free community event and see more about Harriet and her new book on her website, www.harrietbrown.com.


Q & A with Harriet Brown: Part III

What would you tell other parents who are in a similar situation and looking for support and hope?

HB: I’d tell them four things:

• Full recovery is possible. Many professionals will tell you that once you have an eating disorder, you’ll always have it. That it’s like alcoholism, something you can learn to manage, something you’ll “be in recovery from” for the rest of your life. The evidence suggests that especially for adolescents who are sick for less than three years, full recovery is absolutely possible. Don’t settle for anything less.

• You have more power than you realize. I get emails and phone calls from many parents who say that FBT [Family-Based Treatment] would never work for their family because their child is too stubborn, too entrenched, too defiant, too fill-in-the-blank. FBT doesn’t work for every family, it’s true. But the studies done on it so far show that it works in about 90% of families. That’s the vast majority. I think families often count themselves out, in a way; they think they can’t do it, and then they can’t. The most important piece of helping a child recover using FBT is believing that it will work. Because it usually does.

• Faster is better. Studies show that time is of the essence; the less time a child or teen spends being acutely ill, the better her chance for full recovery. There’s absolutely nothing to be gained by waiting and seeing. You’d never hear an oncologist suggest that a Stage 1 tumor be “watched” rather than treated, yet people say that about eating disorders all the time. Once someone has been acutely ill for 5 or 15 years, her chance of full recovery is greatly diminished. At some point people become chronically ill, and no treatments help. It’s crucial to turn the eating disorder around before that happens.

• You don’t have to do this alone. In fact, you shouldn’t—it’s way too hard and stressful. When we went through this, there were very few therapists trained in FBT. There still aren’t enough, but thanks to Drs. Daniel le Grange and James Lock, who started a training institute to certify FBT providers, the numbers are growing. We also relied on the help of friends and neighbors. Many families don’t want to tell anyone what they’re going through; they feel ashamed, responsible, embarrassed. But secrecy and isolation make recovery that much harder. So look for support. Several other moms and I started a website of resources for parents, Maudsley Parents (www.maudsleyparents.org), which offers information on treatment, recipes, stories about how other families have managed, and links to a lot of useful information.

Who could benefit from reading your book, Brave Girl Eating and attending your presentation in Baltimore on August 25th?

HB: First and foremost, families who have a child with an eating disorder. Our story is about anorexia, but FBT has been very successful with bulimia as well. Second, friends and relatives of those families, because if they really understand the nature of the illness and what families have to go through to make it, they will have a better sense of how to support and nurture those families. Third, professionals who diagnose and treat eating disorders—pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, nutritionists, social workers, dietitians. Many of them have still never heard of FBT. I would love for them to become aware of FBT and be able to refer families to it and, maybe, to get trained in doing it themselves. Fourth, sports coaches and dance teachers, especially in the activities where eating disorders abound: ballet, figure skating, gymnastics, track, cross-country, cycling, as well as wrestling and ski jumping. I recently read a tragic story about a 16-year-old track star who died from anorexia while training. Her high school coach was quoted in the article as saying that in his 30 years of coaching he’d never encountered an athlete with anorexia before. I wanted to say, Really? Even those who are perfectly aware of eating disorders don’t know much about them and don’t know how to support and help their athletes.

Finally, I hope the general public will read this book, too. The more people who truly understand the essential nature of eating disorders, the more our dialogue around EDs will evolve. The more awareness, the faster people can get help, and the fewer people who will become chronically ill.

Many thanks to Harriet Brown for answering our questions and providing hope to other families struggling with an eating disorder.  We look forward to her arrival in Baltimore on August 25th and hope to see many of our readers at the event as well!

Join CED on Facebook to receive formal invitations to this and other free community events throughout the year. If you have any questions about our program or general questions about treatment for eating disorders, please call one of our admissions counselors at (410) 938-5252 or email us at EatingDisorderInfo@sheppardpratt.org.


Published by Kate Clemmer
August 18th, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News
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Q & A with Harriet Brown: Part II

On Monday we began a 3-part blog series featuring Harriet Brown, author of the upcoming book, Brave Girl Eating: One Family’s Struggle With Anorexia.   If you missed it, you can go back and read Part I in which Harriet shared about her family’s initial discovery of her daughter’s anorexia and where their journey to recovery began. Today in Part II, we resume our conversation with her about that journey to help her daughter recover, how it affected their family, and what she has learned from it.

Harriet Brown will be speaking at a free community event in Towson, MD on August 25, 2010 – click here for details.

Q & A with Harriet Brown: Part II

You describe your daughter’s recovery as a “slow, painful, infinitely courageous climb back up to health and hope.”  Can you share some of the most important steps your family took along this difficult journey?

HB: The most important step in the journey came when we decided to use family-based treatment and, essentially, empowered ourselves to help her recover. Until then we’d been more or less sidelined; we felt helpless and we didn’t know what to do. We wanted the doctors to tell us what to do and how to cure our daughter. It quickly became apparent that they weren’t going to do that, that they didn’t seem to know much more than we did in certain ways.

When we took on the FBT, we took on both the responsibility and the power to intervene. That was a tremendously liberating step. The worst part of my daughter’s illness for me was standing by helplessly, watching her suffer and starve. The notion that my husband and I could help her required a huge mental paradigm shift—but once we made it, we were much more effective.

Externalizing the disease makes it easier to stay calm, not engage with the eating disorder, and not get angry at what often feels like oppositionality. It helps you understand, as a parent, that your child is essentially being held hostage by an illness, not acting out or being stubborn. It’s very, very helpful.

Another important step was learning to externalize the disease. Anorexia is insidious; it speaks with your child’s voice and looks out of her eyes. It’s natural to think that it’s your child refusing to eat, resisting, raging, or whatever the behaviors are. We made a conscious effort to think of the illness as something separate from our daughter, and that let us see the glimpses of the real her under the savage face of the disease. I characterize the disease as the demon in the book—it’s not that I thought she was literally satanically possessed. Rather it was my metaphor for the way the illness took over her thinking and behavior.

As parents, how did you and your husband manage to take care of yourselves and other aspects of the family while putting the necessary time and energy into supporting your daughter’s recovery?

HB: Well, I don’t think we managed this very well! We made our daughter’s recovery our top priority in the family for many many months. We more or less gave up having a social life, because most social events revolve around eating, and it was a long time before we could eat in public comfortably. We cared for our younger daughter, which mostly consisted of getting her out of the house sometimes so she didn’t have to deal with all the chaos and noise and angst. I went to work sometimes and worked at home sometimes, thanks to a very supportive boss; my husband is a freelancer, so he was home a lot. Other than that we did very little that wasn’t related to re-feeding and recovery. We became very single-minded. And honestly, I think that’s what we needed to do. When you’re engaged in such a full-on onslaught, such an encompassing, overwhelming effort, you have to focus on that as much as possible. In fact that’s advice I would offer families: Don’t think you have to keep up a normal social life during this time. Take care of recovery first, and if you want to fit in other things and they nurture you, great. But don’t feel like you have to. Most families find this process pretty absorbing.

What is the most important thing you learned in the process of parenting and caring for someone with an eating disorder?

HB: I learned the power of love. I know that sounds corny, but the truth is that no one loves your child the way you do. And no one, therefore, has the power you do, the utter commitment, the doggedness, the resilience, to see her through the hell of an eating disorder. And you need every ounce of those qualities as a parent, because this is the most grueling experience your family will likely go through.

We would like to express continued thanks to Harriet Brown for taking the time to address these questions and share her insight and experience with our readers.  Be sure to check back for the third and final Q & A post with Harriet next week.

Interested in hearing from Harriet in-person and getting a signed copy of her book? Download the EVENT FLYER for her August 25th presentation at The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt and find driving directions on our Events page.

Published by Kate Clemmer
August 12th, 2010 in CED Events, Celebrity Topical News, In the News, Recovery, Therapies
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“Brave Girl Eating” – Q & A with Harriet Brown, Part I

On August 25th, 2010, The Center for Eating Disorders will welcome Harriet Brown – journalist, professor and parent of a child who almost died from an eating disorder.  Harriet Brown will be traveling to Baltimore to speak about her oldest daughter, Kitty’s difficult struggle with anorexia and  how their family used love, persistence and Family-Based Treatment (FBT) to help her recover.  In anticipation of her presentation and the upcoming release of her new book (left), we asked Harriet to share a little bit about her family’s experience in this three-part blog series. Her strikingly honest and insightful responses are sure to resonate with and empower countless other families who’ve been impacted by an eating disorder.

Harriet Brown’s presentation on Aug. 25th at The Center for Eating Disorders is FREE and open to the public. More information is available on our Events Page.


Q & A with Harriet Brown: Part I

Before your family went through this very personal experience with anorexia nervosa, what knowledge did you have of eating disorders and the treatment process?

HB: Probably about what most people know, which is basically nothing. I bought into all the usual myths: Anorexia affected white girls from rich families. Anorexia was a bid for attention, a way to act out in a dysfunctional family. I had no idea what I thought about treatment—I probably never gave it a thought, honestly.

When and how did you first become aware that your daughter was struggling with an eating disorder?  What were your initial reactions?

HB: We’d been aware of the possibility for a while—Kitty was a gymnast, and she’d always been on the thin side. I’d even asked her pediatrician about six months before she was diagnosed whether Kitty was maybe too thin; she’d grown half an inch and not gained any weight in a year, at age 13. The pediatrician reassured us, which in retrospect was a mistake; all adolescents need to be growing and gaining weight, and failure to gain can be as much a symptom as losing weight.

My husband and I first noticed an uptick in anxiety, but no weight loss. That’s why I was confused—I thought there had to be sudden dramatic weight loss. Kitty developed some obsessive tendencies around food and other areas, and her anxiety bloomed to the point of interfering with daily life. By now my husband and I were very alarmed. Around then Kitty lost a few pounds—4 or 5—and suddenly we put 2 and 2 together and realized we were dealing with anorexia.

Our first reaction was to push her to eat. That’s when we began to understand what we were dealing with. The harder we pushed her to eat, the more she resisted, and that was not like Kitty. By the time she was formally diagnosed, three weeks later, we were in a state of utter shock and panic. That sense of panic persisted for several months as we tried and failed to get her to eat, as her physical condition deteriorated; she landed in the hospital for dehydration and bradycardia at one point. That hospitalization was a turning point for all of us. We’d been trying to get her to eat, and failing; she was insisting she wasn’t hungry, she’d already eaten, her stomach hurt, all the excuses an individual with an eating disorder offers up. And part of us believed her, because we’d always been able to believe her. I think I was in denial. I know I was, actually. There was a moment, in the hospital, when after 4 hours of re-hydration, her heart rate still didn’t come up. The doc transferred her to the peds ICU. I remember distinctly running alongside the bed and arguing with the doctor about why she didn’t need to be in the ICU. I look back on that moment with horror, because it shows how much in denial I was that this was a life-threatening illness. No parent really wants to think that. And in retrospect I think all families pass through a stage of denial like this, and the best thing you can do is hurry them through it so they can get to the hard work of helping their child recover.

We flailed around unsuccessfully from June to August, when we stumbled on the notion of family-based treatment and decided immediately to try it. That’s when we started to make progress.

…to be continued.

Check back to read more of Harriet’s incredibly poignant account of her daughter’s illness and recovery.  In part II, Harriet talks about the most important thing she learned in the process of parenting a child with anorexia and the critical steps her family took along the way.

If you’d like to comment on this blog, or you want to receive updates when Parts II and III of this blog are posted, please join in the discussion and become a fan of CED’s Facebook page.

You can learn more about Harriet Brown and the upcoming release of her book, Brave Girl Eating: A Family’s Struggle With Anorexia, by visiting her website, www.harrietbrown.com.


Published by Kate Clemmer
August 9th, 2010 in CED Events, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks, In the News, Nutrition, Recovery
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In Search of…

One of the most frequently used phrases in marketing to mothers is “How to get your body back… .” The ending varies and generally goes something like, “How to get your body back…after pregnancy…after baby…after having children…,” but the specific ending is less important than the underlying message.  When women are told repeatedly that they will need to “get their bodies back” after pregnancy doesn’t that seem to imply that their bodies are lost, damaged or missing as a result of the pregnancy?

The truth is, a pregnant body does not represent a loss of one’s body or even a damaging of it (despite a recent celebrity comment which seems to suggest this).  To the contrary, pregnancy can actually be a very visible expression of the body’s resourcefulness, strength and utility, and that is beautiful. You’ve owned your body the whole time, and it’s been doing important things for you and your baby.  During pregnancy, the body does go through changes, albeit sometimes difficult or painful ones that are a necessary part of pregnancy and childbirth, but it is still your body – the same one that climbed the jungle gym when you were five years old, the same one that walked up on stage during graduation and the same one that embraced a friend when they needed a hug.  Bodies are not lost; they don’t disappear because they change size or shape or because they’ve accumulated stretch marks or c-section scars.  Bodies work hard and deserve to be cared for, respected and appreciated.

It can be very easy to fall into a pattern of rebelling against weight gain and other physical changes that accompany pregnancy and childbirth.  That is after all, the strategy most often proposed by our image-obsessed media, a relentless diet industry, and even sometimes further encouraged by well-intentioned family members or friends.  But in reality, it’s not helpful to spend significant time and energy in search of a body you’ve been told you lost.  This quest too often ends up spiraling into years of yo-yo dieting, excessive exercise, negative body image or even serious eating disorders – all of which can be detrimental to physical and emotional well-being.  Too much time spent focused on “getting your pre-baby body back” can also have the unfortunate and undesired consequence of interfering with important bonding time between mom and baby.  This might be one reason why authors, Claire Mysko and Magali Amadei, named the phrase “get your body back” to their list of the top 5 most detrimental tabloid catch phrases for new and pregnant moms.

Search no more.  Trust your body’s natural changes and processes, including hunger and fullness cues and your unique set-point.  Nourish yourself appropriately.  Respect your body’s journey and its accomplishments; appreciate your body for what it allows you to do, not solely for how it looks.  Remind yourself that nurturing your body with enjoyable movement, adequate rest and unconditional kindness is the best way to be a healthy and beautiful mom.

If you enjoyed this blog, you may want to read these previous entries from CED’s Nurture Blog Series:

Want to receive blog updates? Follow The Center for Eating Disorders on Twitter and Facebook:

Published by Kate Clemmer
July 9th, 2010 in Body Image, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks, Glossary Definitions, Nurture. Blog Series
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CED’s Annual Professional Symposium – Look Who’s Coming to Baltimore…


The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt invites medical and mental health professionals from across the country, to join us on September 25th, 2010 for our annual symposium, Eating Disorders: State of the Art Treatment. We are incredibly excited to introduce the following lineup of internationally acclaimed speakers who will come together  in Baltimore, Maryland to share invaluable clinical insights, practical application techniques and cutting edge research.  This one-day,  professional training is designed to help attendees  enhance treatment and improve outcomes for individuals with eating disorders and their families.  Find out more about all six symposium presenters below and DOWNLOAD THE SYMPOSIUM BROCHURE for details about the agenda, hotel accommodations, and registration rates.  7 CME/CEUs will be offered.  Please note: space is limited!!  We recommend early registration to ensure your space prior to booking travel plans.

Eating Disorders: State of the Art Treatment
2010 SPEAKER BIOS

Scott Crow, M.D., is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School and its Psychiatry Residency Training Program, where he was Chief Resident and a Consult-Liaison Psychiatry Fellow. He is currently a Professor of Psychiatry at The University of Minnesota, Director of the Midwest Regional Postdoctoral Training Program in Disorders Research, and Director of the Disordered Eating/Assessment Core of the Minnesota Obesity Center. Dr. Crow’s research interests include the causes, course and treatment of eating disorders.  He previously received a Mid-Career Independent Scientist Award from NIMH focused on the treatment of eating disorders.  Dr. Crow is a past President of the Academy for Eating Disorders and serves on editorial boards for multiple professional journals, including the International Journal of Eating Disorders. He has published extensively and is co-author of two books, including Binge Eating: Clinical Foundations and Treatment.  

Marcia Herrin, EdD, MPH, RD, is the founder of Dartmouth College’s nationally renowned nutrition programs. Currently, Dr. Herrin conducts a private practice in Lebanon, New Hampshire where she specializes in children and adults with weight issues and eating disorders. She received her master’s of public health from the University of California at Berkeley, and a doctorate in nutrition education from Columbia University.  Dr. Herrin has been featured in a variety of media outlets including, The Today Show, 48 Hours, and The New York Times and has served as a nutrition consultant to a variety of universities and school systems, including the school of the American Ballet Theatre.  Dr. Herrin is the author of several books, including Nutrition Counseling in the Treatment of Eating Disorders, a detailed treatment manual for professionals.

Daniel Le Grange, Ph.D.,is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and Director of the Eating Disorders Program at The University of Chicago. He trained in family-based treatment at the Maudsley Hospital in London where he was a member of the team that developed the “Maudsley Approach”. Dr. Le Grange is the author or co-author of more than 175 articles, chapters, abstracts and books including the  Treatment Manual for Anorexia Nervosa: A Family Based Approach.  He is a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders, a member of the Eating Disorders Research Society, and serves on the clinical and scientific advisory council of the National Eating Disorders Association. Dr. Le Grange is principle investigator for multiple NIMH-funded studies, and has lectured extensively in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and South Africa.

James Lock, MD, Ph.D. is Professor of Child Psychiatry and Pediatrics in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine where he also serves as Director of the Eating Disorder Program for Children and Adolescents.  Dr. Lock has published over 200 articles, abstracts, and book chapters.  He is the co-author of the only evidenced-based treatment manual for anorexia nervosa and has also co-authored a book for parents of children with eating disorders. One of his newest publications is a treatment manual for adolescent bulimia nervosa entitled: Treating Bulimia in Adolescents: A Family-Based Approach. Dr. Lock has lectured extensively across the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. His current research focuses on interventions for Anorexia and Bulimia in younger patients.

Lucy Serpell, PhD, DClinPsy is a Clinical Psychologist at North East London NHS Foundation Trust and a Lecturer for University College London.  Dr. Serpell was awarded her PhD in cognitive processes in anorexia nervosa from the University of London in 2000 and received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from University College London in 2004.  She has fifteen years of  experience working with individuals with eating disorders and is particularly interested in the roles of cognition, motivation and personality in anorexia nervosa.  Dr. Serpell is passionate about developing research to understand the perseveration of eating disorders and contributing to advancements in treatment for this population.  She has published and presented her work internationally and is uniquely qualified to speak on the topic of innovative therapies for individuals with complex and treatment resistant eating disorders.

Kathryn Zerbe, M.D.is Professor of Psychiatry & Obstetrics & Gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University and also serves as the Director of the Oregon Psychoanalytic Institute.  Dr. Zerbe has authored over 60 clinical papers and four books including, Integrated Treatment for Eating Disorders: Beyond the Body Betrayed (2008).  In 2005, Dr. Zerbe was recognized by the American Psychiatric Association and the Association of Women Psychiatrists with the Alexandra Symonds Award for “outstanding contributions to women’s health and leadership in advancement of women.” She is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Fellow of the Academy of Eating Disorders. She has been repeatedly selected as one of “America’s Top Doctors” and is a frequently requested speaker both nationally and internationally.

You may also register for this event online at www.eventville.com/sheppardpratt

For further information call 410-938-4593

Never been to Baltimore?   Go to  Visit Baltimore! to find out all about the many exciting things to do in “Charm City” -  then register your group for the 2010 symposium and make a weekend out of it!

Published by Kate Clemmer
June 21st, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News
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Motivational Mini-Clips from Jenni Schaefer!

Each year, The Center for Eating Disorders sponsors a Fall Outreach Event to help promote messages about eating disorder recovery, awareness and prevention within the community.  Last October, we were proud to host best-selling author, advocate and recovery role model, Jenni Schaefer.  Jenni spoke about her own experience with an eating disorder and about her latest book Goodbye Ed, Hello Me: Recover from Your Eating Disorder and Fall in Love with Life.  While its been almost eight months since Jenni’s presentation here in Baltimore, we know that the summer season can offer specific challenges related to eating disorder recovery, and so it seemed like a good opportunity for us to share some motivational moments from the presentation.  Check out these short, inspirational clips from Jenni’s talk – we hope that watching them might help others to stay focused on saying “Goodbye to Ed” too! 

Are you or someone you love working hard on recovery from an eating disorder?  Jenni speaks about “mediocre stages of recovery” in this clip and offers a little perspective on why its worth it to keep going. 

http://eatingdisorder.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/schaefer1.flv

Have you ever felt that you have to be unhappy or that you were “born to be miserable”?   You certainly aren’t alone.  In this clip Jenni talks about breaking away from this belief and adding joy back into life. 

http://eatingdisorder.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/schaefer2.flv

What is recovery about for you? 

For everyone who could use a little ongoing motivation - check out Jenni Schaefer’s Recovery Support Blog  as well as her regular blog contributions to The Huffington Post  which often span the topics of eating disorders, recovery and dating.  And if you’re curious about that guitar she was talking about or the song she sang later in her presentation- check out her website for the lyrics.

Many thanks to Jenni Schaefer for continuing to inspire so many people and for being a role model not just in recovery but in living a balanced and joyful life. 

Appointed to the Ambassador Council of the National Eating Disorders Association, Jenni Schaefer is a singer/songwriter, speaker, and author of Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too(McGraw-Hill) and Goodbye Ed, Hello Me: Recover from Your Eating Disorder and Fall in Love with Life(McGraw-Hill 2009). She is a consultant with Center For Change in Orem, Utah. For more information: www.jennischaefer.com

If you’d like to receive updates about future community events at The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, please visit our website and sign-up on our mailing list.

Published by Kate Clemmer
June 11th, 2010 in CED Events, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks, Recovery
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What is Reality?

 

A plethora of news stories developed overnight, placing “Real Housewife”  TV Star, Bethenny Frankel in the media spotlight for her drastic post-pregnancy weight loss three weeks after giving birth to her daughter via cesarean section.  Most sources are speculating that these rapid changes to her body are unrealistic, are the result of unhealthy behaviors and set an undeniably dangerous and negative standard for everyday, non-celebrity moms.  Even while suggesting the danger in this, magazines and news shows continue to flaunt photos of her in a bathing suit, promote her books and products, and proclaim her diet, exercise and weight loss to the world as though it is something to emulate.  Subsequently, the public is greeted with more mixed messages about health and weight loss that are confusing and difficult to sort through.

Our questions amidst this media frenzy differ from the slew of inquiries into how much weight was gained and lost or what Bethenny was eating or not eating.  We would rather ask why reporters and news media feel its appropriate to provide readers and viewers with the specific details of Bethenny’s weight loss regimen while simultaneously questioning its safety?  And why would someone who has publicly discussed a “former” unhealthy obsession with food, weight and exercise, support a publicity storm focused on weight just three weeks after the premature birth of her child? 

Its time to focus on reality instead of reality TV and on healthy moms and babies instead of weight loss.  Want some real-life tips for avoiding “the numbers game” of pregnancy and post pregnancy weight? Check out our newest guest blog from the authors of Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? The Essential Guide to Loving Your Body Before and After Baby.  Click here to read, “Adding Up, Weighing In, and Counting Down: Five Ways to Cope with the Numbers Game of Pregnancy,” by Claire Mysko and Magali Amadei

Published by Kate Clemmer
June 4th, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News, In the News, Nurture. Blog Series, Nutrition
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Focus on Fertility: What You May Not Know About the Effects of Eating Disorders

A major goal of the Nurture blog series is education in an effort to promote health.  Today’s blog focuses on the complex intersection between how we care for our bodies, and the effects it can have on fertility.  As part of a timely coincidence, the media has also recently covered   several interactions between celebrities who publicly commented on their private lives with regards to infertility, pregnancy, body image and nutrition.  We felt the discussion generated by the media brought to light an important and relevant opportunity for much needed and more accurate education around eating disorders and fertility. 

For most people, the decision to start, or grow, a family can be both emotionally exhilarating and incredibly stressful.  However, individuals with an eating disorder or disordered eating can experience a particularly difficult time with this decision as they struggle to balance maternal desires with an intense fear of the physical changes that will accompany pregnancy, especially weight gain.  The situation is further complicated because harmful or dangerous behaviors such as chronic or severe dieting, restricting, purging, excessive exercise, use of diet pills or laxatives and/or bingeing are common in individuals with eating disorders. While the numerous health consequences associated with these behaviors might seem obvious to some, many people remain unaware of how these behaviors can impact fertility in a negative, and sometimes irreversible, way.  

In February, Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of daytime talk show The View, boldly called out a celebrity guest, suggesting that her excessive exercise and low body weight was a key factor in her inability to get pregnant.  The guest publicly discussed her irregular menstrual cycle and a doctor’s recommendation that she gain weight in order to help increase her chances of becoming pregnant.  An irregular or absent menstrual cycle (amenorrhea) can be a major indicator that a woman has lost too much weight or is underweight – in other words, it can be an alarm signaling us that the body does not have the basic resources (nutrients and energy) it needs to function properly.  Amenorrhea is also a common symptom of anorexia nervosa (AN).  An eating disorder or disordered eating can have significant consequences on all of the body’s organs and systems, including the uterus, hormone levels, menstruation and thus, fertility.  Individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN), eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS), and binge eating disorder (BED) can also experience problems with fertility even if they are not underweight.  Some of the specific fertility problems faced by individuals with eating disorders include:

  • Amenorrhea
  • Irregular menstrual cycles
  • Reduced egg quality
  • Ovarian failure
  • Poor uterine environment
  • Increased risk of miscarriage

Advances in fertility treatments have made it easier to circumvent these barriers, which may be physiological warning signs that the body is in crisis as a result of an eating disorder. In a recent study of participants at one fertility clinic, 58% of the women who had irregular periods or who no longer menstruated met the criteria for a clinical or sub-clinical eating disorder.1  While there are more options and improved technology to help couples overcome infertility regardless of the cause, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and difficulties associated with getting pregnant while struggling with an eating disorder.  Its also important to acknowledge that simply gaining a minimum amount of weight, in order to resume ovulation, while continuing to act on eating disordered behavior is not a safe, or effective, solution to infertility caused by an eating disorder.

Stabilizing weight only to the point of resumed menstruation, or utilizing fertility treatments without addressing the root cause of the infertility, places women and their babies at risk for health problems including malnutrition of the mother and baby, low maternal weight gain, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, labor complications, jaundice, low APGAR scores, low amniotic fluid, placental separation, birth defects, low birth weight, problems in infant feeding, miscarriage, neonatal morbidity and increased risk for postpartum depression.  Despite the risks associated with eating disorders and pregnancy, one study found that less than half of OB-GYNs assess their patients for eating disorder history, body image concerns, weight-loss practices, or current eating disorder symptoms.2  Furthermore, a recent Danish study found that a woman’s chances of having a high-risk pregnancy are still heightened as many as eight years after being successfully treated for an eating disorder. If you are currently struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder, or if you have struggled in the past, be sure to tell your doctor about it (even if they don’t ask you!) so that you can receive the appropriate care and support you need to reduce your risks.

We recognize that recovery from an eating disorder can be a difficult and time-consuming process that takes a lot of hard work and patience, something that can be hard to come by when you are hoping to have a baby soon.  However, the alternative – not addressing the underlying causes of your fertility issues – can lead to serious pre- and post-natal complications. Because of these and other serious risks, it is recommended that the eating disorder be significantly resolved before a pregnancy is attempted and that any pregnancy attempted or achieved receives appropriate medical and psychological support. 

If you or someone you know is struggling and would like to find out more about getting treatment for an eating disorder before, during, or post-pregnancy, please call (410) 938-5252 to speak with an Admissions Coordinator from The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt.  You may also email a request for more information to EatingDisorderInfo@sheppardpratt.org.

References: 

1 Resch, M., Szender, G., & Haasz, P. (2004). Bulimia from a gynecological view: Hormonal changes. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 24(8): 907-910.

2Leddy MA, Jones C, Morgan MA, Schulkin J. (2009). Eating disorders and obstetric-gynecologic care. Journal of Womens Health. 18(9): 1395-1401.

top photo courtesy of webmd.com

Published by Kate Clemmer
May 13th, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News
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Pre-Baby Body Love: Nurturing Your Body Image Foundation

If becoming a mom is something you’re considering, what comes to mind when you think about the possibility of that life-changing experience?  Do you wonder about what your baby would look like, how it might feel to hold him or her?  Do you feel excited about raising a child and anxious at the thought of sleepless nights and parenting decisions?  Or, are you feeling anxious about the changes that will take place with your body?  Do you worry a lot about what you would look like pregnant, how much weight you will gain or how quickly you will lose the weight afterwards?

If you are like a lot of women, when you think about becoming a mom you probably experience a combination of both excitement and worry, some of which might revolve around the potential changes to your body. However, if you find yourself mostly occupied by these thoughts and fears about weight gain or other body changes, its important to address them.  When negative body image thoughts or an overarching fear about weight gain are preventing you from otherwise enjoying  a journey towards motherhood, or if those fears are the primary reason that you are postponing important things in your life, it may be a good time to reflect on and work towards a more positive body image.  If having children is something you are considering or if it is a possibility at any point in the future, developing a foundation of body acceptance before you go through the emotional and physical changes of pregnancy and motherhood is ideal.

Claire Mysko and Magali Amadei, authors of “Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat?”report  that 78% of women they surveyed who don’t have children yet or are not planning to have children, said that they had concerns about how pregnancy and motherhood could change their bodies.  Furthermore, 79% of the ones who expressed these fears said that gaining weight and not being able to lose it after delivery was their number one fear. Clearly, this is not an uncommon thought, especially as media outlets continue to shine a spotlight on pregnant bodies and proceed to publicly judge women based on their rate of return to pre-pregnant form.  This pressure can be a lot to contend with but we want women to know that it is possible to feel good about yourself and your body – it has nothing to do with changing your body and everything to do with changing how you think about and treat your body.  Learning about and working towards a positive body image now, will not only prepare you to accept and appreciate the changes that come during pregnancy but will also help you to be a positive body image role model for others, especially any future children that might come along. 

There are a lot of on-line resources claiming to provide helpful hints for improving body image pre and post-pregnancy.  While perusing these resources, remember that the definition of positive body image is not dependent upon being a specific weight or size, nor does it require any physical deviation from the way your body is right now.  If you ever come across “helpful body image hints” that encourage you to do things for rapid weight loss,  or if they are very focused on fitting you into your pre-pregnancy jeans as soon as possible, it’s probably not a helpful resource for body image or for your health. 

If you are thinking about or planning a pregnancy, or if you are currently pregnant or parenting, these are some strategies that can help you resist negative cultural messages about women’s bodies and move towards acceptance and appreciation for the body that you have!

  • Focus on your health, not your weight.  Healthy can come in any size and shape and the same goes for unhealthy.  Attempt to stop judging your health status (and other people’s health) based on weight or outward appearance.  In fact, research shows that focusing on health – without regard to weight – consistently leads to better physical health outcomes.
  • Throwing out (or donating) your bathroom scale can make it a lot easier to focus on incorporating healthy behaviors for health’s sake as opposed to perpetually being tempted to strive for an unrealistic or unhealthy number on the scale.  Leave the weigh-ins for the doctor’s office.
  • Evaluate your reading material.  After just 3 minutes of looking at a women’s fashion magazine, 70% of women feel significantly worse about themselves. Remember that pregnancy and parenting magazines are not immune from our retouched and photoshopped culture – many of the pregnant bellies and even the babies (yikes!) in these magazine photos have been significantly altered to appear “flawless”.  Do some self-check-ins occasionally to make sure you aren’t comparing your own real body to those that have been digitally created.
  • On a daily basis, attempt to consider and appreciate the utility of your body instead of simply placing value on how it looks.  Instead of labeling wrinkles an unfortunate byproduct of aging, consider them proof of all the smiling you have done and wear them proudly.  This will be an incredibly important mindset to adopt prior to, during and following pregnancy when women’s bodies go through natural and amazing changes in order to support a baby.  Widening hips during pregnancy are often the focus of much discontent among pregnant women who no longer fit into their jeans.  But if you take the time learn about how and why your hips are widening, you will be better able to develop an attitude of understanding and gratitude for your body and move away from the loathing and self-criticism that has, unfortunately become so normalized among new moms.
  • Close your eyes and picture five to ten women who have been the most influential in your life.  Perhaps you look up to them for their strong morals and values, their attributes as a parent or as a professional, or because they inspire you to reach your own goals.  They might be relatives or friends, famous or not famous, younger or older than you.  As you visualize these women ask yourself a few questions…Do they all look the same?  Are they shaped the same? Do they all wear the same size or have the same skin color?  Are they all exactly the same height?  In most cases, the answer to all of these questions is going to be no.  No, because beautiful people come in all shapes and sizes, including you. 

If you continually struggle with negative thoughts about your body, have persistent or intense fears about gaining weight (related or unrelated to a pregnancy),  or experience significant distress as a result of a preoccupation with your weight or size, you may want to consider seeking professional support.  If you have any questions about therapy to help improve body image, please visit www.eatingdisorder.org or call The Center for Eating Disorders at (410) 939-5252.

 

Published by Kate Clemmer
April 20th, 2010 in Body Image, Celebrity Topical News, Glossary Definitions, Nurture. Blog Series
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Upcoming Lobby Day on Capitol Hill: Advocate for Eating Disorder Prevention, Education, Treatment & Research

If you have ever been personally affected by an eating disorder or care about someone who has, you know just how long and difficult the road to recovery can be as a result of the complex medical and psychological symptoms that are involved.  The intensity of the struggles and the fact that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, can often leave individuals and families wondering what more could have been done in terms of prevention and access to treatment.  The Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC) is leading efforts to try to help our federal government answer these questions so families don’t have to ask them anymore.

 On April 26th and 27th, 2010, EDC will lead a group of advocates to Capitol Hill to help inform Congress about the pressing need to include mental health coverage, with a specific focus on eating disorders, in our health care reform.  This month’s advocacy efforts will not only support improved access to care but, ultimately, will encourage federal implementation of prevention efforts and heightened research on effective treatments. 

 We’ve posted the mission, priorities and goals of EDC below.  If you agree and want to help work towards these goals, please join EDC on April 26th and 27th for their first LOBBY DAY of 2010.  For a small participation fee, registered advocates can enroll in a basic advocacy training, a message training and a Lobby Day Reception and Meet & Greet. Ready to take action? Register for Lobby Day HERE.  ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER!

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EDC Mission:  To advance the federal recognition of eating disorders as a public health priority

EDC Policy Priorities: 

  • Increase resources for research, education, prevention, and improved training
  • Promote federal support for improved access to care
  • Promote the national awareness of eating disorders as a public health problem
  • Promote initiatives that support the healthy development of children

EDC Goals: 

  • Raise awareness among policy makers and the public at large about the serious health risk posed by eating disorders
  • Promote federal support for improved access to care
  • Increase resources for research, education, prevention, and improved training
  • Increase funding and support for scientific research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of eating disorder
  • Promote initiatives that support the healthy development of children
  • Mobilize concerned citizens to advocate on behalf of people with eating disorders, their families, and professionals working with these populations

Visit the EDC website for more information about their ongoing projects and printable resources regarding eating disorder legislation.

Published by Kate Clemmer
April 15th, 2010 in Celebrity Topical News
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