Today Kicks Off Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Posted on February 23, 2014August 31, 2014 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

February 23rd through March 1st, 2014 is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The National Association of Eating Disorders (NEDA) sponsors a week long event to raise awareness of eating disorders.

This year’s theme is “I Had No Idea”. Key points, taken directly from NEDA’s website, of this year’s awareness week include:

Eating disorders are serious illnesses, not lifestyle choices.

Eating disorders are complex illnesses that arise from a combination of long-standing behavioral, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, biological and social factors. As our natural body size and shape is largely determined by genetics, fighting our natural size and shape can lead to unhealthy dieting practices, poor body image and decreased self-esteem. Body dissatisfaction and thin ideal internalization are both significant risk factors for the development of eating disorder behaviors like restricting and binge eating. While eating disorders may begin with preoccupations with food and weight, they are about much more than food. Recent research has shown that genetic factors create vulnerabilities that place individuals at risk for acting on cultural pressures and using food to feel in control or manage overwhelming emotions.

In the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED).

Education, early intervention, and access to care are critical.

Early diagnosis and intervention significantly enhance recovery. If not identified or treated in their early stages, eating disorders can become chronic, debilitating, and even life-threatening conditions. A review of nearly fifty years of research confirms that anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder . As a culture, it is time for all communities to talk about eating disorders, address their contributing factors, advocate for access to treatment and take action for early intervention. You can make a difference: do just one thing to initiate awareness, education and discussion about eating disorders in your community. If we all do something, we’ll have a tremendous impact!

Help is available, and recovery is possible.

While eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening illnesses, help is available and recovery is possible. It is important for those affected, and their loved ones, to remember that they are not alone in their struggle. Others have recovered and are now living healthy fulfilling lives. Let the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) be a part of your network of support. NEDA has information and resources available via our website and helpline: www.NationalEatingDisorders.org, NEDA Helpline: 800-931-2237.

Part 2: How an Eating Disorder (May Have) Saved Your Life

Posted on February 21, 2014February 21, 2014 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

“Your eating disorder kept you a float when drowning,” Dr. Anita Johnston, author of Eating in the Light of the Moon.

In my last post I discussed that eating disorders can often be understood as a coping skill. That is, the eating disorder may help one deal with the ups and downs of life. Of course the problem with having an eating disorder as a coping skills is that it reeks havoc on ones health, personal life, occupation, etc. I am not proposing that if you have an eating disorder that recovery should not be a goal. However, I believe that seeing an eating disorder as a coping skill can help provide a framework to more effectively move through recovery. How does your eating problems help you cope with life?

In Dr. Anita Johnston’s video “The Log” offers viewers a metaphor for the eating disorder that offers this perspective.

How an Eating Disorder (May Have) Saved Your Life

Posted on February 7, 2014February 6, 2014 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

I am being dramatic in saying that your eating problems saved your life, but my point is that your eating disorder or eating problem may have helped you in some way despite all of the pain it has caused you and your loved ones. Please don’t misunderstand me I am not suggesting that you stay in your eating disorder if you are currently struggling with one.

Eating disorders do have many negative consequences, some that are life threatening. And most likely your eating disorder in some way has helped you cope with life, hurt, family issues, trauma or other types of pain or discomfort.

In the world of psychotherapy we talk about coping skills, tools to use when life gets uncomfortable. Coping skills that are encouraged are ones that help us through life’s challenges and that have few or no negative consequences. Examples include hobbies, talking to friends, meditation, exercise, journal writing, etc. Conversely coping skills that are discouraged, because they usually are associated with negative side effects, include things like excessive spending or drinking, avoidance, withdrawing, substance abuse, over or under eating, purging, over exercising etc. What I am suggesting is that your eating problems or eating disorder may be helping you cope with life in someways.

Most of us are familiar with the negative consequences of say binge eating or purging, but don’t realize that these behaviors may also provide a short-term relief from anxiety or stress.

Seeing eating problems or eating disorders as a coping skill offers perspective and can help reduce feelings of shame and guilt often associated with eating disorders. I am not proposing that those who suffer from an eating disorder should continue with their eating disorder, I am simply saying it can help to see the disorder for what it is and can be a powerful step in healing from eating problems.

It can be empowering to say “Yes,I have an eating disorder and it helped me in a lot of ways, but now I want to learn new ways to cope with life”.

In my next post I will share a wonderful video clip of Dr. Anita Johnston who uses a metaphor to further illustrate this idea.

Females Needed for Paid Body Image Study

Posted on February 6, 2014February 6, 2014 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Just wanted to pass this along…UT Austin is seeking females over the age of 17 to participate in a paid body image study. To find out more go to: http://www.bodyprojectuta.com/

Disclosure: I am not associated with study and do not know any details about the study.

Eight Ways to Reduce Food and Weight Obsession

Posted on January 31, 2014February 3, 2014 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

In my post “Food on Your Mind Much (Always)?” I defined the term food preoccupation or obsession as excessively worrying about food, calories, grams of carbohydrate or fat, etc. Thinking about food on a daily basis is normal, but worrying or obsessing about food much of the time is not. For more details about food preoccupation please read my post “Food on Your Mind Much (Always)?”.

People with eating disorders or who chronically diet tend to have food preoccupation. Part of the recovery process from an eating disorder and other eating problems whether it is anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating or compulsive overeating is working to reduce food preoccupation.

Here are some tips to reduce food preoccupation:

1. The first step is to notice when and how often you worry about food, calories, weight, etc. Notice thoughts rather than CRITICIZE thoughts about food. If we beat ourselves up about stuff it just keeps us stuck, but we are able to problem solve and move forward if we accept ourselves .

2. Ask yourself some of the following questions:

What purpose does excessively thinking about food/weight serve me?

Am I really in more control (of my life or my weight) by thinking about food/weight so much?

What things am I avoiding by spending so much time worrying about food? Often times people will focus on food rather than think about painful situations or feelings, to soothe anxiety or stress, to relieve boredom or procrastination, etc.

What am I missing out on (For example friends, family, hobbies, occupation, school, etc.) by spending so much time thinking about food?

What am I afraid is going to happen if I stop obsessing about food?

Learning more about your particular circumstances around food preoccupation may help you challenge some of your worry about food and weight.

3. When you notice yourself obsessing or worrying about food, dieting or your body:

Simply say “stop” or “halt” to those thoughts and think about something else.

Write out a pros/cons list of worrying about food.

Offer yourself reassurance that decreasing your thoughts about food is OK after all it really hasn’t helped with eating problems, most likely it is making your food problems worse.

4. Make sure you are eating enough food regularly throughout the day. Regularly skipping meals and snack or chronic under eating can contribute to increased food preoccupation.

5. Schedule time to worry about food. For example, promise yourself that between 9am-9:30am daily you can worry about food and stick to it.

6. Reduce time reading about dieting, food and exercise. You may subscribe to magazines or newsletters or spend a large amounts of time on the internet reading about food, weight, etc. which may only exacerbate the food worry.

7. Reduce the amount of time talking about food, weight/shape and dieting.

8. Consulting a counselor often helps reduce food preoccupation. A counselor can help work to reduce the underlying causes of your food/weight worry.

New Year’s Resolution: Giving Up Dieting for Good

Posted on January 9, 2014January 9, 2014 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Yep, that is right I am suggesting giving up dieting as a New Year’s Resolution.

Here is why:
1. Dieting doesn’t work. Research shows that often dieting can lead to weight loss for a short period of time, but doesn’t help maintain a lower body weight for long periods of time. In other words, lost weight often is regained.

2. Diets increase the risk of developing eating disorders.

3. Diets can increase feelings of shame and failure, because they leave us feeling like WE have failed. But, really the diet is failing, not the person following the diet. (See #1).

4. Studies show that exercise and quality of food consumed rather than weight can improve health.

5. Food restriction (AKA dieting) often leads to overeating.

6. Food restriction can lead to increased food preoccupation, feelings of depression and/or anxiety and poor concentration.

7. Dieting can be socially isolating. In other words, often dieters will opt out of social engagements because the foods being served aren’t on their diet.

Curious about getting off the diet roller coaster and improving your relationship with food permanently?

Books that discuss the potential harm of dieting and offer a more realistic and helpful approach to eating, health and body image include:

Intuitive Eating: Creating a Healthy Relationship with Food, Mind & Body. By Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.

Overcoming Overeating: How to Break the Diet/Binge Cycle. By Jane Hirschmann and Carol Munter.

Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. By Linda Bacon.

Contact me for a free phone consultation to learn how I can help you change your relationship with food, improve your body image and help free yourself from dieting for good.