Author: frivvy89
Adolescents and young adults with anorexia nervosa whose weight is in the healthy, overweight or obese ranges face similar cardiovascular and other health complications as their counterparts with low body mass index (BMI), according to a new study led by researchers at UCSF. The study, led by Andrea Garber, PhD, RD, chief nutritionist for the UCSF Eating Disorders Program, compared weight loss and illness severity among two groups of patients aged 12 to 24 who had been enrolled in a clinical trial upon admission to the hospital for treatment: 66 with anorexia nervosa, which excluded those who were severely underweight,…
What frightens you the most, Em? The thought of taking that final, terrifying leap into the depths of the unknown? Or is it the thought of remaining stuck…in this insipid place they call half recovery..forever? What frightens you more? The leap; or the prison? Just over a year ago I composed a short little post entitled the Beginning After the Halfway. Within it, I spoke of how in recovery one may encounter two beginnings : the first, most obvious one being the beginning of the recovery journey itself: the action “phase”, so I have heard it called. Initially I thought…
We investigated whether four inbred strains of female mice showed differences with respect to the ingestion of chow or HCD under constant or intermittent access conditions, with the intermittent exposure paradigm diagramed in Fig. 1. Food intake for each individual strain during this paradigm is presented in Fig. 1I–L, with each intermittent HCD exposure period demarked by arrows, on days 3 and 10. Data from the second intermittent exposure period, at day 10, were used for analysis. While the S1, NOD and B6 strains all showed similar levels of chow and HCD consumption, A/J female mice showed an elevation in intake relative…
We have known for years that excessive smartphone use is correlated with depression. However, until recently, the direction of causality was not known. Does excessive smartphone use cause people to become depressed? Or do people who are already depressed use their smartphones more often, leading to unhealthy dependence? A recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health lends support to the former hypothesis. This study, which followed adolescents between the ages of 17-20, found that dependence on smartphones at the start of the study predicted depression and loneliness three months later. Although the mechanism of action here is not…
When researchers from UCLA and the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa, Oklahoma, wanted to test an app they created to measure body image perception, they went to the body image experts — fashion models. Sixty-five female models signed to professional modeling agencies in London were asked to step off the runway and into a laboratory to help researchers study Somatomap, a mobile and desktop app designed to research body image and ultimately to help doctors treat patients with eating and body dysmorphic disorders. For the study, published in the journal JMIR Mental Health, researchers also recruited 38 women…
Time for me to Write, again. Time for me to again find my Voice. Not really sure where to begin, with this. As I anticipated, the things that have worked to inhibit me from blogging in the first place – namely doubt, lack of confidence, and that all too familiar fear of being judged – are taking their places in that audience in my head right now, ready and eager to start their boos and heckling. As I sit here my eyes are scanning over the words I just wrote, seeking out flaws, feeding the hungry inner critics that reside…
Does yo-yo dieting drive compulsive eating? There may be a connection. According to Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers the chronic cyclic pattern of overeating followed by undereating, reduces the brain’s ability to feel reward and may drive compulsive eating. This finding suggests that future research into treatment of compulsive eating behavior should focus on rebalancing the mesolimbic dopamine system — the part of the brain responsible for feeling reward or pleasure. An estimated 15 million people compulsively eat in the U.S. It is a common feature of obesity and eating disorders, most notably, binge eating disorder. People often…
Supplemental material accompanies this paperSubjectsMale Wistar rats (n = 134; Charles River, Wilmington, MA) were single-housed in a 12-h reverse light cycle (lights off at 11:00 a.m.) in an AAALAC-approved humidity-controlled and temperature-controlled vivarium. Rats had access to corn-based chow (Harlan Teklad LM-485 Diet 7012; 44% kcal carbohydrate, 5.8% fat, 19% protein, metabolizable energy 310 cal/100 g; Harlan, Indianapolis, IN) and free access to water at all times with the exception of certain experimental test procedures. Procedures used in this study adhered to the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and were approved by Boston University Medical…
Image Español Cannabis and Cannabis-derived products have become increasingly available in recent years, with new and different types of products appearing all the time. These products raise questions and concerns for many consumers. And if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you might have even more questions about whether these products are safe for you. FDA strongly advises against the use of cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and marijuana in any form during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. What are cannabis, marijuana, hemp, THC and CBD? Cannabis is a plant of the Cannabaceae family and contains more than eighty biologically active chemical compounds.…
I know that I am long over due for an update on my life and how I am going post recovery, but I have been waiting until it was safe for me to share my exciting news with you all. I am currently 13 weeks and 4 days pregnant, which means my dream of becoming a mum is finally coming true. I found out I was pregnant on the 16th of August, two months ago now, after trying to conceive for 12 months. I was starting to worry that I wasn’t going to be able to fall pregnant naturally and…