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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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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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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
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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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Time for BODY POLICY in the UK?

   ”Media images that depict ultra-thin, digitally altered women models are linked to body dissatisfaction and unhealthy eating in girls and women, and there is also recent evidence of the detrimental effects of unrealistically sized dolls and toys which present role models to children… as well as the impact of muscular media models on boys and men.”   - excerpted from, The Impact of Media Images on Body Image and Behaviours: A Summary of the Scientific Evidence

While research has repeatedly shown the negative impact of media images on the perception of our own bodies, to date, little has been done to counteract these falsified images. In a move that is the first of its kind, the United Kingdom’s Liberal Democrat party is attempting to regulate these harmful marketing tactics with newly proposed public policies.  Recently, they requested a compilation of scientific research to indicate whether or not people were really negatively impacted by looking at airbrushed-to-perfection pictures in the media. In response to the request, scholars and researchers from around the world came together and created a consensus on how idealized images in the media impact the way individuals feel about their bodies and how those feelings translate into behaviors.

The international group of scientists and researchers provided an overwhelming amount of data supporting the relationship between exposure to idealized images and increased body image dissatisfaction. Their final report, The Impact of Media Images on Body Image and Behaviours: A Summary of the Scientific Evidence, discusses the effects of media images and outlines five proposed policies that could help to empower and protect individuals from the cultural obsession with thinness and perfection.  The research clearly shows that looking at images which have been unrealistically and excessively airbrushed can lead to poor personal body image and low self-esteem, both of which can lead to many physical and mental health problems.  Most notably, these problems include disordered eating and eating disorders, anxiety and depression, and even sexual dissatisfaction.  Using data from over 100 studies, researchers linked idealized media images to the increasing numbers of people with negative or distorted body image. In their paper, they concluded that, while these images do not have a universal impact, they do have a negative effect on the majority of those who see them.

The effects of media exposure begin very early in life and have been documented in girls as young as five and a half years old.  Furthermore, the images were found to have the greatest impact on some of the most vulnerable populations, including 1) adolescents, 2) those who are of a different body weight or shape than the ones being depicted, and 3) those who have internalized the cultural body ideals presented for men and women. The research goes on to suggest that the images have an “immediate and cumulative impact”, meaning that a negative self-evaluation occurs immediately following the viewing of such images, and with continued and repeated exposure, self-evaluation continues to decline and/or be distorted.  The paper points out that, although most people are aware that images they see have been retouched, many do NOT know just how extensive the airbrushing and “revisions” actually are.   

The collection of this information led the research team to the question, what will be effective in changing these negative outcomes? While media literacy education has been shown to have a beneficial impact, the real long-term solution is the changing of the images themselves. The researchers recommend that, instead of using distorted, caricatured versions of people, that real people and real images be used. In addition, they developed these five policies to target the areas in most desperate need of change.  

  • Policy 1. No digitally altered models in advertising aimed at under 16s
  • Policy 2. Clear labeling of digitally altered models in all other advertising.
  • Policy 3. Models used in Fashion Weeks to have a health certificate from an eating disorder specialist, in order to protect their health and well-being.
  • Policy 4. Encouragement for use of diverse and healthy body sizes in all media models.
  • Policy 5. Media literary programmes about ‘perfected’ models as part of school curricula to encourage critical awareness and resilience in children and adolescents.

The hope is, that by including pictures of real people and identifying when digital retouching is used, everyone can become more informed, and therefore, more realistic in their assessment of  media images. While there is much debate about whether or not these policies will actually have an impact on body image and eating behavior, it is important to note that the relationship between policy and individual change is cyclical.  As more individuals become aware of a problem, there is a greater push for policy change, and as more policies are implemented, they impact even more people, leading to greater awareness and more effective, long-term change.  If approved in the United Kingdom, these changes could positively impact an entire generation of girls, boys, men and women and, perhaps, the United States will consider following suit.  

On the home front, Darryl Roberts, Director of the documentary “America The Beautiful”, is spearheading a drive to challenge advertisers and media in a different way.  He is currently leading a campaign to boycott Ralph Lauren until the company apologizes for it’s photoshopped ads and makes a personal commitment, (without being mandated by law), to stop using such drastic levels of photo manipulation to sell products.  If you support this idea, you can join the campaign by becoming a fan of the  ATB Action Network on Facebook.   

photo courtesy of  www.photos.igougo.com

Published by Kate Clemmer
December 11th, 2009 in Body Image, Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks, In the News
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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
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Don’t Weigh In On This Technology!

On the heels of the Smartphone controversy, another piece of technology is further enabling people to obsess and lament over their weight.  The difference this time is that, instead of a private obsession with the number on the scale, this piece of modern equipment broadcasts a person’s weight for all to see over their twitter page. 

The technology in this case, happens to be a bathroom scale with a wireless connection to the internet.  The company behind this gimmick, contends that by automatically programming your bathroom scale to share results of each weigh-in with your entire social network via a twitter page or website, you will be more motivated to lose weight.  This technology gives unwarranted and unhealthy power to the number on the scale.  Even the LA Times Online article addressing the issue, touches on the questionable utility of this product but goes on to imply that one’s weight, as told by the scale, may be equally, or even more, relevant and revealing than how much debt a person owes or whether one has achieved their life dreams.  We, at The Center for Eating Disorders strongly disagree.  Weight is not a good indicator of health, beauty, or self-worth and should not be a determinant of success in a personal OR public forum. 

The weight-tweeting bathroom scale gets a big thumbs down from us.  Read the article and tell us what you think on our CED facebook page or CED twitter page.  We’d much rather hear from YOU than your bathroom scale! 

photo courtesy of whitezine.com

Published by Kate Clemmer
November 13th, 2009 in Body Image, Editor's Picks, In the News, Nutrition
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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
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Application Awareness

Dr. Harry Brandt, Director at the Center for Eating Disorders, was recently quoted in a blog entry on ChicagoTribune.com.  The article discussed the negative impact that some smart phone applications can have on those individuals who are suffering from or are at-risk for developing an eating disorder. In light of this article, we’re re-posting an earlier entry we wrote on the subject in an attempt to generate awareness about this potentially dangerous trend.

     

They can navigate you safely to your destination, identify a song playing in the background, and keep you busy with endless games while riding the bus to work or school, but some Smart Phone applications are not so helpful and could become harmful to their users.  Eating disorder experts have observed that new handheld applications, designed to aid users in reaching weight loss goals, can easily perpetuate a serious eating disorder (ED) or become the catalyst for the development of an ED in those who are at-risk.  

One of these weight monitoring applications boasts in an advertisement that it is, “a tool for people who are serious about tracking their weight…you can’t control your weight unless you are aware of how it is changing.”  This ability to track minute details of nutritional intake 24 hours a day from the palm of your hand, and the desire to establish, the always elusive, ”control” over one’s eating and weight could be easily abused by anyone with disordered eating patterns.  In fact, many of the application’s features promote or even mimic actual signs and symptoms of a serious ED.  Frequent weighing, micromanaging food intake, and excessive monitoring of calories spent during exercise are all signs that someone may have an ED.  These potentially dangerous actions are encouraged by the applications which assign technical names to the disordered eating patterns such as the setting of a “daily caloric budget” and the use of a “nutritional database”.        

What may be most dangerous about these applications is the illusion they create that this level of excessive monitoring of food, weight, and exercise represents a normal, healthy lifestyle.  At the Center for Eating Disorders, we strive to help people develop healthy relationships with food and an appreciation for their bodies, regardless of weight or size.  Unfortunately, applications such as the ones described above, seem to be doing the exact opposite.

Tools like this may be benign, although time-consuming and unnecessary, in the hands of people who are not vulnerable to EDs.  However, the thoughts and behaviors they encourage could be life threatening to someone with an ED or to someone who is at-risk for developing one.  It is increasingly important that we, as a community and as individuals, are aware of the risks associated with our ever-expanding world of technology and the effects it may be having on the people in our lives. 

If you are concerned about a friend or loved one who is struggling with disordered eating or you would like more information about eating disorders, please call us at (410) 938-5252 and explore our website at www.eatingdisorder.org .

Published by Kate Clemmer
October 26th, 2009 in Celebrity Topical News, Editor's Picks, Glossary Definitions, In the News, Nutrition
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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
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