Author: frivvy89
Weight is a major hot-button issue in our culture, and it can be hard to accept our child’s weight. We have been told that it’s our responsibility to keep our kids healthy, and it is. But the lie is that keeping kids healthy means keeping them thin. Those two things are completely different.Raising a healthy child has nothing to do with weight. Our health is first and foremost genetic and environmental. We have no control over either. We do, however, have control over health behaviors. These are:Good sleep hygiene Meaningful human connection and belonging Adequate nutrition Exercise and movementWe have…
In our modern, faced-paced society in which food is plentiful, many people are used to eating on the go rather than stocking their kitchens and planning meals. Ordering take-out or grabbing fast food from the drive-thru is simply a matter of convenience for many people, but for someone who is recovering from an eating disorder, a more focused and structured approach to meals is necessary. Meal planning is a crucial skill for people recovering from eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED). It’s also necessary for the loved ones,…
Monday, September 28, is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is considered the most important holiday in the Jewish faith and is typically observed by a day of fasting and religious services. Every September, as Yom Kippur approaches, I engage in conversations with my Jewish patients and their families about observing this holiday. Families that are dealing with eating disorders frequently ask me if they, or their child, should fast for Yom Kippur. I believe strongly that anyone who has an eating disorder, is predisposed to developing an eating disorder, or has a history of an eating disorder,…
Bingeing and purging involves eating much larger amounts than normal (bingeing), then attempting to compensate by removing the food consumed from the body (purging). A binge consists of eating larger portions than normal, quickly, in a short period of time, and feeling a loss of control. Warning For people with a history of an eating disorder, reading about bingeing and purging may be a trigger for them. Types of Bingeing People can binge on any type of food, although typically high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods are used, both because of their “forbidden” nature, particularly to those who are concerned about their…
In this story we meet Carol, who says her daughter lied about her bulimia. Carol knows that Jessie is purging frequently, but every time she brings it up, Jessie becomes aggressive, denies it or just ignores her mother.Carol doesn’t know what to do. She’s scared that Jessie will permanently damage her body. But she doesn’t know how to have a conversation that Jessie seems unwilling to enter.She called me to ask how she can address this problem. Although Jessie lives with Carol, she is a young adult. And Carol can’t compel her to seek medical or mental healthcare. Carol feels…
Do you know what it’s like to be told your electrolytes are so critically low that you should be admitted due to the risk of cardiac arrest, and then walk out of the hospital not even an hour later as if that conversation never happened? Rational Becca would never do that. The part of me that wants to live knows I should have listened to the doctors last night, as I now lay in bed still feeling miserable. But that part of me isn’t in control right now. The eating disorder is. The eating disorder says the doctor and nurses…
Charli D’Amelio is opening up about her personal experience with an eating disorder. The TikTok star, 16, revealed her “own struggles with eating disorders” in a lengthy post to her Instagram Stories on Thursday, explaining that she’s “been afraid to share,” but hopes her story helps inspire those who are grappling with body image issues to seek help. “i’ve always tried to use my voice when it comes to issues surrounding body image, but I’ve never talked about my own struggles with eating disorders,” she began. “it’s so uncomfortable to admit to even your closest friend and family, let alone…
Links between obesity and complications of COVID-19 have received increasing attention throughout the ongoing pandemic. But a different aspect of body weight – the social stigma that people face because of their weight – may also have harmful implications for people’s health during the pandemic. New research released today from the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and the University of Minnesota shows that young adults who experienced weight stigma before the pandemic have higher levels of depressive symptoms, stress, eating as a coping strategy, and are more likely to binge-eat during COVID-19 compared to those who haven’t…
A new UCLA study shows partially overlapping patterns of brain function in people with anorexia nervosa and those with body dysmorphic disorder, a related psychiatric condition characterized by misperception that particular physical characteristics are defective. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Brain Imaging and Behavior, found that abnormalities in brain function are related to severity of symptoms in both disorders, and may be useful in developing new treatment methods. The results reinforce the understanding that eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder are more than simply choosing to eat or not eat or not liking how you look. “These are…
I’m excited to be able to start this with a positive. This week Thursday, we were FINALLY allowed to come into our school building to work, and I’ve never been so excited to go. I got to see so many of my amazing coworkers who I haven’t seen in about 6 months, and it was just good for the soul. These past several months have felt particularly lonely, and it was nice to return to a sense of normalcy. In other news, I found out this week that I was officially accepted into the inpatient program and am now on…