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

“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!

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:

• Confide in a friend or family member about your struggles  

• Attend a local support group for individuals with eating disorders or find an online support group

• Obtain information about local treatment providers and your insurance policy’s coverage of those services

• Schedule an evaluation with a treatment professional who has experience working with eating disorders. (The Center for Eating Disorders will offer free screenings for individuals throughout NEDAWeek.)

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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 31^st2010, 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

“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