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Interesting Articles Our current society norms at times can be a little over whelming" It is considered normal to discuss food as good and bad; it is considered normal to restrict food intake. It is common that people evaluate their self worth based on their weight shape and appearance. It can be difficult to stay true to ourselves and build our own self confidence when we are often confronted with unrealistic images, ideals and pressure to fulfill them from ourselves and or others. Now don't get me wrong - I am not condemning the fashion and beauty industries. As my family, friends and probably clients can tell you - I LOVE my Fashion and I LOVE my clothes. I just like to celebrate when there is positive progress in these areas! There are many people chipping away at this on many fronts and any interesting titbit's I will be posting here - as well as my own rants from time to time! Jx
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By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS |
In their new book, What I Eat, photographer Peter Menzel and writer Faith D'Aluisio present thought-provoking portraits of individuals around the globe and the food that fuels them over the course of a single day. By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS By Linda Bacon By Therese J. Borchard
Associate Editor from Adios Barbie Engaging family in eating disorder therapy is key to success. From Everyday Health From the globe and mail Guided Mindful Eating Audios by Michelle May, M.D. From Psyche Central From ED Bites From ED Bites Cinderella Ate My Daughter explores the destructive culture of pretty pink princesses From Rabble. Tiny Buddah Excellent eating disorder screening resource for primary care GPs From District |
Jet Fuel and a Handful of No Regrets: The subtle reasons why Media Literacy is so important when it comes to messages about food and weight the center for eating disorders at Shepperd Pratt Voice in Recovery Adios Barbie The Scary Reality of a Real-Life Barbie Doll Some people have skeletons in their closet. I have an enormous Barbie in mine. She stands about six feet tall with a 39" bust, 18" waist, and 33" hips. These are the supposed measurements of Barbie if she were a real person. I built her as a part of the first National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDAW) at my high school, later introducing her to Hamilton College during its first NEDAW in 2011... Read the full article We are all guilty of looking at magazines and the beautiful perfect bodies and thinking ? I want to look like that!? Well even they don't look like that! Take a look at this Photoshop video and see how easily a body can be shaped and contoured in just a few clicks of a mouse! Read the full article Much of the writing about anorexia is couched in the terms of mind vs. body. Perhaps it is something of the nature of eating disorders; perhaps it is our conception of what an eating disorder is. As hunger pulls at your gut, you tell yourself "mind over matter," as you crack open yet another can of Diet Coke. Starving, you tell yourself, is an all-out war with your body, and your mind is determined to win.
Recovery, then, seems like capitulation. Surrender. Okay, stupid body, you win. I'm waving the white flag. You couldn't vanquish your body and so you break down and eat......Read The Full Article In the past week there have been two articles that I turned my attention to. Each taking a different side of the "too-skinny" debate. And no, I am not talking about Kate Middleton. She seems just fine to me.
The first was a piece on Franca Sozzani's blog post pointing the finger of blame at Facebook for the rise in anorexia and disassociating it from the pressure of modern models and the image they portray in magazines........And then I read a piece about designer Hervé Léger, who thinks that the girls on the runway these days are "too skinny, too sad" compared to the original super-girls like Cindy, Claudia, Naomi, etc. Looking at runway images from the Max Azria-designed Léger range shown this season, it does rather give him a point.....Read the full article By Valerie Kusler?In America, we no longer fear God, or the communists, but we fear fat,? stated David Kritchevsky, a former professor with Philadelphia's Wistar Institute and long-time advocate of health and nutrition issues. This is just one of many poignant quotations that Dr. Maria Rago and her friend and co-author Greg Archer borrow for their new book, Shut Up, Skinny Bitches! (The Common Sense Guide To Following Your Hunger and Your Heart), first published by NorLightsPress in January 2011. The book - though guilty of sometimes oversimplifying complex body image issues or adopting a forceful tone with its readers - offers important messages about overcoming fear of food, body hatred, and how serving the community can help you ?see your body as an instrument, not an ornament.? Read the full article Thanks to Michelle Obama and many public health advocates, much-needed attention has been directed to the epidemic of childhood obesity in America. Many possible interventions have been raised, including programs for healthier school lunches, more opportunities for play and recess, and less consumption of processed, poor quality foods. There is one simple idea, though, that gets barely any attention. It's something that parents can act on right away, without any special training or government support and its available to them every day! That solution is family dinner. How and where we eat may seem too simple in the face of the enormous problem of childhood obesity. Yet, the ritual of eating meals together as a family, be it one parent at the table or both, has been shown to greatly improve healthy eating habits. ....Read the Full Article By Susan Kleinman, MA, ADTR, NCC Body image is the picture in our mind's eye of how we look to ourselves. It reflects our beliefs about how we think others perceive us and captures how we experience the feeling of ?living? in our bodies.
- Adrienne Ressler, MA, LMSW, CED Everyone has a body image and it develops from the moment of our birth. It continues as we experience life and incorporate the messages of our personal and more global culture. Although we may strive to balance an inner image that is more positive than negative, we are all susceptible to finding fault with ourselves....Read Full Article
Director, Eating Disorder Resource Center Fostering middle ground in a society of overweight and underweight kids is tough -- but necessary Journalist Peggy Orenstein looks at stereotyped ideal in 'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' |
What Would You Do if You Saw a Mother Haranguing Her Daughter About Her Beach Body? By BOB HENAULT Fat Children are to blame for the economy says Michelle Obama, Two Whole Cakes Two Whole Cakes is a blog written by Lesley Kinzel(late of fatshionista.com), a mouthy fat broad who deals in body politics, social justice activism, and pop culture criticism, all from a feminist-flavored perspective. Edited to add: Comments that attack Michelle Obama or the President on broader political issues are off topic here and will be deleted. This is a discussion specific to Michelle Obama's childhood obesity campaign, not the whole of American politics. Thank you for your compliance on this, my loves. By Dr. Carolyn Ross By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS By Elvira G. Aletta, Ph.D.By Michelle May, M.D. By Charla Krupp Here are some ideas for experiencing true pleasure: This is one of my favorite things to do. You get to travel to another place while in the comfort of your own sheets and covers. Why not pick up a body-positive book at a bookshop or library?Curl up under the covers and read a great book. Apply your favorite lotion to your skin. This is such a great way to slow down, relax and reconnect with our bodies. It's something that in the hustle and bustle of life, we forget to do or don't think our bodies deserve it. Take a warm bath. With yummy-smelling candles, luxurious-feeling soaps and your favorite music. Or do the same with a hot shower (I loovveee hot showers.) Walk and notice everything! From the divine outdoors to how your body moves and feels. Smell the air, breathe it in slowly and deeply. Feel your muscles as they move. Hear the birds chirping (or the sirens and screaming voices, depending on where you live!). Celebrate the details. Give yourself a massage. When I've been typing for hours, I'll massage each hand along with my neck. It's a small thing but it's a body and pleasure boost. Put on one of your favorite outfits, prance around, dance or do anything else that makes you happy. How often do we just bask in the moments? Just feel free and relaxed and silly. Write a poem about your body. Find a quiet spot and really have fun with this one. Draw yourself. It doesn't matter whether you're an artist or not. Forget perfect lines, dimensions or shapes. Just get out some crayons, colored pencils or a pen, and doodle or sketch away. Give yourself a manicure or pedicure or go to your favorite spa. For me, pampering my body is taking care of my body. And this is the first thing to go when I get busy. But the simple act of putting polish on my toes or hands makes me feel like I'm thanking my body for its hard work - plus, it looks super cute!  I'm finishing up an e-course from , and we've taken several photos of ourselves to help us unravel our layers and discover the real me. You could do the same!Take photos of yourself. Susannah Conway Read The Full Article Needing a 'Recovery GPS' Although I did see Dr. H this afternoon--Keurig time!!--and she did share a wonderful metaphor with me, I can't remember exactly what she said. One of my friends I chatted with online the other night did, however, have a great analogy. We were talking about how recovery could be so painfully obvious at times. I know I need to eat. This isn't a mystery. I know I need to eat regularly, too. But the interesting thing is that recovery isn't as straightforward as "just" eating. I wish I could sit down to my daily three meals and two snacks each day with no chatter in my head and with no internal resistance. It has gotten easier, yes. Recovery remains a fight. Emily said that her therapist told her that the difficulties are a lot like the difference between knowing how to drive and still needing GPS. Knowing how to eat properly, knowing how to follow a meal plan (if that's what you do), knowing you need to eat is one thing. Actually figuring out how to live a healthy life without an eating disorder is something else entirely. I can drive a car. Maybe not with any sort of special talent, but I know how to drive. But if you told me I needed to drive to San Francisco, I would need to use my GPS--or at least a map. The problem isn't that I don't know how to drive there (make sure the car has gas, push firmly on the long skinny pedal, ta da!), the problem is figuring out how to get there. Knowing how to drive doesn't mean you don't need GPS. So it goes with recovery. Knowing what I need to do in order to get better doesn't mean that I don't need directions in how to get there. Telling someone with an eating disorder to eat is like telling someone who is lost to drive. Obviously eating and driving are part of the solution. But there also needs to be more of a how-to involved. Everyone takes their own path, just like some people avoid highways and others avoid bridges and tunnels. Needing a recovery GPS--getting lost, realizing where you want to be but not having a damn clue how to get there--is pretty normal. Most people have a GPS in their car or on their phone. It doesn't replace learning how to drive, but many have found that little bit of extra guidance crucial. I think it is sometimes forgotten that males suffer eating disorders too - Troy a great activist working hard to help. Read the full article by Shannon Cutts at Psyche central New Diet Pepsi Can Causing a Stir The latest Diet Pepsi campaign and new skinny can is causing an uproar in the media - I have posted one of the articles below - there is posts flying on twitter and face book (and prob many other social networking sites) about how unhelpful this campaign is. The difficult thing is that it is a catch 22- we ignore it and don't give it publicity and it perpetuates unhelpful perceptions and expectations - or we talk about it and we give Diet Pepsi the publicity it is after! Struggling with Body Image - Write your body a Letter ...I have come across some examples of one womans activity of writting her body a letter as an activity to help heal her poor body image. A great concept and it may be well worth trying! ......writing this letter has been the single most powerful thing in healing my body image issues. I encourage you to do the same. Maybe you don't feel the need to apologize to your body like I did, but the experience of talking to my body as if it were a person was profound. I realized that if my body were a real person that I cared about, never in a million years would I think about, talk about or treat someone like I have to my body. I haven't filled my body with drugs, smoking or excessive alcohol, but I feel this abuse I have done is terrible. Making peace with your body isn't as easy as just saying you are going to do it, at least not for me. It's taken work and commitment. I never want to pass on body image issues to my children and needed to make a change. This letter forced me to take responsibility for my actions, forgive myself for what I had done, and move on.....Posted by Andrea Owen On Your Kick Ass Life |
From JezabelI always feel for models - the impact the perfect image can have on people looking at magazines etc isn't always good - but imagine comparing that to the expectations these poor women must feel that others may judge them for not looking like their own photos! A Fantastic article from Adios Barbie by Kath at Fat Heffalump My name is Kath and I suffer from an eating disorder. Officially, I have what is known as an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Diagnosed (EDNOS). This means that I do not have Anorexia or Bulimia, but another set of behaviors that do not have a name. An unspecified eating disorder if you please. I am mostly in recovery at this point in my life, but I still have issues with food, and behaviors and thoughts regarding my body. I have an eating disorder and I am fat. Very fat. I am what in medical terms is known as ?morbidly obese.? I personally prefer the term Super Fat. It means I get to wear underpants on the outside. I wasn't fat until I was about 11 or 12, and then it happened very quickly with puberty. However, my parents had told me that I was fat for as long as I could remember. On learning that I am fat, most people assume that my eating disorder is binge eating or overeating because I must have been gorging myself to get this way. Until a few years ago, every single doctor or medical professional I went to diagnosed me with overeating, often without ever asking me what I eat, or if they did and I told them, they didn't believe me. They said I must be cheating, or lying, or not counting some things that I ate. I simply had to be an overeater to have ?let myself get that fat.? However, my disordered behavior was all about starvation. Restriction. Purging. Punishing. I started when I was about 13 or 14. Some bullies (girls) forced me to stick my fingers down my throat and make myself vomit because, ?That's what fat ugly bitches like you should do.? A year or so before this incident I had actually been shown what to do by another slightly older girl. I worked with her at an after-school job, and she thought she was being kind to the fat kid. She did it and it kept her slim, so she showed me how to stick my fingers down my throat and how to disguise that I was doing it. But it really wasn't until the bullies forced me and humiliated me that I attempted to actually do it regularly myself. I got very good at it. Nobody knew. I could vomit almost soundlessly. I could find reasons to disappear to the far corners of our yard to vomit behind trees. I started stealing laxatives from the medicine cabinet. I would take lots of Sudafed (a sinus decongestant that used to contain pseudoephedrine) because it made me manic and I could go through bursts of exercise. I learnt to ?chew and spit? when I was eating in company. Sometimes I would stop for a while, particularly if I had spent time away from home and school where the pressure was always on. However, I stayed fat. In fact, I got fatter. The behavior continued after I left school. I became an obsessive vegetarian for several years as another way to exert control over my eating. I moved out of home at an early age and the independence afforded me a whole new range of opportunities for restriction, purging, and exercise binges. I lost some considerable weight at 18, only to have it come back with a vengeance some later, despite continuing my eating disorder. In hindsight, the weight loss was an indicator of severe illness. I struggled with depression and anxiety all this time. I went to doctor after doctor, with both physical and emotional issues, but was repeatedly put on diets, usually without the doctor doing nothing more than looking at me and deciding I was too fat. If they did ask me to keep food/exercise diaries I would usually lie on them and say I was eating more and exercising less than I usually did. Even then, they didn't believe me. If I told the truth they didn't believe me either. Remember, I was fat. I *must* have been overeating. For 20 years, I kept presenting doctors with the same physical issues: An irregular menstrual cycle that manifested itself as constant bleeding, amenorrhea (absence of menstrual cycle), or dysmenorrhea (pain during menstrual cycle). In my early 30s, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS); I discovered I had been showing symptoms and characteristics of it since I was 12. I was told yet again that the way to ?cure? PCOS is to lose weight. By the time I was 33, I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I had been put on Duramine, an amphetamine-based appetite suppressant, which made me cycle between mania and depression, and stopped me from sleeping or consuming anything, including water for days at a time. I was exercising between six and eight hours per day. I had lost over 50lbs (about 25kg) and dropped five dress sizes. I was desperately unhappy and my physical health was failing. I was not coping at work and it was suggested that I should see the counseling service through the employee assistance program. I saw a few different psychologists?they all focused on my weight. Eventually, out of desperation I begged one of them to help me, told him of my suicidal thoughts and explained my obsession with diet and exercising. His response was to suggest that I add another half hour to the six to eight hours I told him I was already doing, ?To get you over the plateau.? That night, I attempted suicide, only to be halted by a dear friend contacting me because he was worried. On the recommendation of another friend, I went back to a doctor I had liked (even though she had previously suggested weight loss), and told her how I was feeling. Thankfully, she listened and recognized I needed further help. She helped me get the medical support I needed, both physically and mentally. She referred me to a psychologist whom I clicked with almost immediately. Through cognitive behavioral therapy, I began to work on my self-esteem and self-worth. In 2008, I decided I was not going to diet anymore. Soon after I found the Fat Acceptance movement, and discovered that I could be healthy, and that I know my own body if I only take the time to listen to it. My GP, psychologist, and I work together on my physical and mental health. They both accept that I know my own body better than anyone else, and trust that I will tell them if I feel something is not right. I trust them to guide me through any medical issues that arise with the best professional advice. I have an agreement with them that they will not focus on my weight, but instead on my health, and I have introduced them to a Health at Every Sizemethod. It is important to me to talk about having an eating disorder as a fat person. Where thin or normal weight patients often get sympathy and understanding, and even simple recognition of their disorders, fat patients are ignored, considered lying or ?cheating? somehow. So often disordered behavior is sanctioned in fat people simply because there is a belief that fat people must have got that way through inactivity and gluttony. How many people have to suffer, or even die, because of the belief that no matter what the cost, thinner is always healthier? The Evolution of Body Types It's clear that those flocking to gyms this month to keep their New Year's resolutions are striving for a physique that is much different from what their parents, or their grandparents, held as the ideal. ...Next time you're at the gym, ponder this: The look you may be going for wasn't always considered chic. And it might not be tomorrow. The classic body type has evolved throughout the years....Read The Full Article The Power of Positivity ......There are 10 main forms of positivity: Joy, Gratitude, Serenity, Interest, Hope, Pride, Amusement, Inspiration, Awe and Love. Everyone experiences them slightly differently, and different actions/events/items can lead to these emotions, but they are universal.......Read the Ful Article I Hate You, Don't Leave me: Understanding Boarderline Personality Disorder Tips for Parenting with a Mental illness Parenting is a difficult job and a juggling act no matter what. It requires balancing your own needs with those of your child. It involves managing your time, having adequate resources and supporting your child.....Read the Full Article Why " you lost weight" is NOT a compliment .....Why do we do this? Why do we think it's okay to comment on each other's weight (I don't even know what my weight is, so I honestly don't know if I'm losing or gaining, and I like it that way!), as long as it's about loss and not gain? Why is loss of our bodies something to be praised...... From Mindful Vs Mindless eating.......For all our hand-wringing about our bodies and the many conflicting messages we get about weight control, we seem to have tuned out the real expert in what we need to be healthy: our own bodies. If we learn to listen to them, maybe we can tune out the rest. ...Read the Full Article Few Teens with mental disorders receive proper care ..... Specifically, only about 36 percent suffering with a lifetime mental disorder received help; only half of these teens who were significantly impaired by their mental disorder received professional mental health care. Furthermore, 68 percent of the teens who were able to receive professional care visited a provider fewer than six times during their lifetime..... Read the Full Article Own Your Beauty: Decriminalizing Food Signs You Maybe Be Depressed, How It Impacts Pain And Other Ailments From Medical News Today Weight loss: Why sometimes you have to lose more than just weight Creating a Vision Board Eating With Our Minds Turned On Feed your pregnant body wisely The year has been veritably glutted with stories about obesity, ranging all the way from crappy fat-shaming to reasonable health recommendations. Amid all this, have we learned anything at all? 14 Healthy Habits We Can Learn from Our Children This is a guest post by Michelle May, M.D.(on Little Stomacks) , a physician and recovered yoyo dieter, and the founder of Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Program. She is the award-winning author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle. Download the first chapter here. There are many important things that we need to teach children as they grow - but they have many natural behaviors that we shouldn't try to change. In fact, we could learn a few things from kids. Here are some important lessons: 1. Eat when you're hungry 2. Stop eating when you're full. 3. Being hungry makes you grouchy 4. Snacks are good 5. Play with your food. 6. All foods fit 7. Be a picky eater 8. You can learn to like new foods. 9. Follow the leader 10. There is more to a party than cake and ice cream 11. Eating with your family is fun 12. It's boring to just sit around! 13. Sleep is good 14. Live in the moment |
How NOT to Compare in a Competitive World Starvation Mode And Anorexia Nervosa
- What Are The Effects Of Starvation? Starvation mode triggers complex changes in the body and mind. Understanding the effects of starvation, and how the body responds is critical in the diagnosis of anorexia and other eating disorders. Read The Full Article The Person Who First Hurt Your Body Image There are certain moments in life that become burned into our consciousness forever, like our first kiss. Well, what about the time a boy (or man) said something to us that murdered our body image? Whether it last year or back in first grade, every woman recalls with crystal clarity the insult that rocked her to the core..... How to stay optimistic Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views they take of them. --Epictitus (AD 55-AD 135) Athletes, entrepreneurs (especially the serial brand) and other high-performers get dealt the same number of bad hands as the rest of us. What sets them apart is their conviction that they can play those hands better than anyone at the table. What accounts for that perspective?.... Read the full article Fat acceptanceIn Australia we have developed a size complex. We seem to be very focused on bigness. We live on the biggest island continent in the world, we call ourselves a big country, and scattered throughout our wide land are innumerable big icons: the Big Banana, Big Merino, the Big Mower, to name but a few. Here in my own backyard on the Sunshine Coast we have the Big Pineapple, the Big Cow and the lesser known but equally 'interesting' Big Stubby. We like our big country, our big icons, and any big achievements, but there's one big race we are definitely not keen on winning - and that is the race for the biggest bodies. Like many other countries in the world, the average weight of the population is increasing, though not at anywhere near the rising rate of hysteria about it...... Read The Full Article Remaining Stable During Times of Transition 50 Powerful Books on Eating Disorders I haven't read them all so I am not endorsing them as ideal or safe to read - but it is a good place to start when looking for info! Jx Babies on Diets!?! What Fear of Fat is Doing to Some! Dr Robyn Silverman But what if this fear of fat and societal body pressure came out in dieting for tots? Unfortunately, it seems it has....
Eating Disorders: Identifying Warning Signs in Children
Melinda Hutchings, The Huffington Post What a Girl Needs - Helping Teens Establish a Healthy Body Image According to Research: 80% of high school girls reported that they were above the weight of which they would be happiest (Fisher et al., 1991) Early adolescent girls are already aware of the concept of dieting 78% of teenage women (13-19 years old) are dissatisfied with their weight (Eisele et al, 1986) A negative body image is positively correlated with low self-esteem and depression
The following tips can be used to help teens develop an acceptable body image. Or, if you're a teen, consider the following discussion points to gain a better understanding of whether you have a healthy body image. Read the full article What It's Like Living with Anxiety and Anorexia? Every day, I wake up anxious and afraid to face the day. Each morning, my anxiety is so strong, I sometimes feel as if I am crawling out of my skin. I have dealt with anxiety and depressionmost of my life, but it has increased tremendously since I developed anorexia nervosa. It seems as if eating disorders and anxietyare intertwined. Dealing with daily anxiety has been one of the worst side effects of having anorexia. I have often said ?if I could only get rid of the anxiety . . .? read the full article Hospitalization rate surges 119% in pre-teens due to eating disorders Though the popular belief is that eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia and compulsive eating affects only white teenage girls, nothing could be further from the truth..... read full article By Elizabeth Landau, CNN Study finds thin is in at any age A reader of our blog recently asked : How do you know
when you are ready to decide that you want to change and get better? 7 ways to recognise beauty Another inspiring article from Margarita Tartakovsky, MS : But I think in order to recognize the beauty in ourselves, we must recognize it in others. That includes recognizing beauty in every noun: people, places and things..... The Fat Talk! 10 Tips for a Fabulous Fat (Talk) Free Holiday Dinner Dr. Robyn Silverman & Dr. Lynne Kenney intresting article about being aware of the negative Fat Talk that occurs during the holiday season, coming in to summer and when catching up with family - and some strategies to combat it! (1) Declare the Holiday Table a Fat Talk Free Zone (2) Don't forget what Holiday Family Dinners are really all about (3) Remember what Your Mama told you (if you can't say something nice ) (4) Start a new tradition (5) Nip it in the bud.... Are you a jellyfish or a dolphin? Dr. Janet Treasure describes types of eating disorder caregivers A review of Janet Treasure's presentation at the recent ED confrence in NY. Finding the right Psychiatrist A great article by Dr Llyod on The Huffington post You know something is wrong. You want to consult a psychiatrist or a mental health professional to understand what is going on and get help. There comes a time when many a person or family faces this question. I encounter it frequently. Here is what I say. an intresting article from psychology today Another great article from Ed-bites "There is no soul in modeling," she told me in an interview on Friday. And: "I applaud Vogue for having a shape issue, but screw Vogue for not having shapes in every issue." By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS Success, not size 0, makes women want to eat less Get ready for your close-up: Magazine bans models and celebrities in favour of REAL women on its cover "Lets Remove the Freakles Honey - You would be so much cuter " New Zearland Article |
Eating Disorder Recovery Tools ~ Nutrition Eating Disorders Hurt Friends and Relationships Who Says these women aren't Beautiful. . . Between Body Image and Health: Having a Conversation about Fat In the states: The home furnishings market now offers specially designed toilets, bathtubs and all sorts of products to accommodate larger people. The Honda Accord sold in the United States is two inches wider than the similar model that Honda sells in Europe and Japan. (Source: American Public Media). As a generally compassionate person--and someo ne who used to have a significant weight problem--part of me thinks, Good! Finally! Large people should never have to suffer the indignity of feeling too big for cars, for planes, for life, for the world. I sort of equate it with the fabulously cute "plus size" clothing designs at Lane Bryant and Torrid--it's about time larger people had the same comfort and choices that smaller ones do.Another part of me--the recovered binge eater who knows that for some people the reasons behind obesity are often deep, hidden, scary and very emotional--is wary: Wait! We're normalizing obesity! Without these societal and physical cues, will people be less likely to want to investigate the reasons behind their body size, this part of me wonders? Less likely to discover possible eating disorders like the one I had? Less likely to delve into their feelings and do the important work of healing themselves from the inside out? . . . read the full ahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sunny-gold/between-body-image-and-he_b_680863.htmlrticle Pop Cultures Relentless Battle with Body image A great post from Jezebel- I couldnt have put it better myself! - "it's not about the weight" A new weight loss add for Jenny Craig (USA) has a very sad message! Though I doubt they intended it that way! From Spilt Milk: Full fat milk It's no surprise that with the Obesity Pandemic FAT RAMPAGE headlines still dominating any 'health' or 'parenting' media, there are a lot of (often unfounded) fears and prejudices about fat pregnancies, fat births and fat mothering out there . . Read the Full Article From Hope Club: Top 10 Tips for Eating Disorder Recovery from hope club:
1. Work with an eating disorder specialist treatment team if possible, if not, seek out
some of the many wonderful self help programs available to assist you in recovery.
2. Develop self acceptance through practicing compassion toward self.
3. Develop a positive and self nurturing internal dialogue.
4. Get treatment for co-occurring disorders such as anxiety and depression.
5. Practice mindfulness and living in the moment.
6. Listen to and honor your feelings.
7. Eat well and listen to your body's hunger and fullness signs.
8. Accept your genetic makeup and appreciate your body.
9. Have a relapse prevention or correction plan.
10. Develop faith and trust in God and let go of what you cannot control.
***Eating Disorder Treatment is essential to recovery!
Read more about these Top 10 Tips at: http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/article_top_10_tips_for_eating_disorder_recovery_explained Deconstructing Barbie and Bridget Jones I have always being angered by the diet mis-information and appearance focused content of Men's Health Magazine! A female orientated magazine wouldn't get away with such negative messages without a lot of negative publicity! From brittle bones to depression and suicide, the true costs of gastric bands (and - watch out Vanessa Feltz - you may not even lose weight)John Naish Lap Bands are a popular weight loss solution. Unfortunately more of the positive than negative stories are made public! I am not against Lap Bands but - I do think that full assessment is essential before the surgery including mental health, dieting and eating behaviour history and that there needs to be good quality, intensive and ongoing support post surgery. Read thearticle What Lindsay Lohan can teach us about Body Image Problems Writer, Psychotherapist 'Mad Men's Christina Hendricks a body image 'role model' A Uk Official has official Lynne Featherstone singled out Hendricks as a role model for women. "We need more of these role models," she said referring to Hendricks according to the BBC. ?There is such a sensation when there is a curvy role model. It shouldn't be so unusual." Despite all the praise Hendricks gets for her ?real figure,? the actress has made it clear in the past that she wished the media would stop recognizing her for her curves and more for her acting skill. She told New York Magazinein February, "Anytime someone talks about your figure constantly, you get nervous, you get really self-conscious. I was working my butt off on the show, and then all anyone was talking about was my body!" Gisele Bundchen calls for worldwide breastfeeding law There was a media circus yesterday as details of an interview of model Gisele with Harpers Bazaar hit the media. If you haven't heard - Gisele wants mothers to be forced to breastfeed for the first six months of their baby's life. . . and thinks. . . there should be a law preventing mothers from using formula milk. "I think breastfeeding really helped (me keep me figure)," the 30-year-old told Harper's Bazaar magazine "Some people here (in the US) think they don't have to breastfeed, and I think, 'Are you going to give chemical food to your child when they are so little?' "I think there should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months." This from the woman who naturally birthed at home and meditated thru the pain of her eight hour labor! Another example that supermodels are not the best role models- I wasnt aware of her experience in public health, medicine or dietetics to be making such a statement!! Loving the Youth Central Body Image Adds! Check it out: How Branding Is Shaping Teenagers Thinking about how adversting, branding, and marketing messages shape teens. BY: Chris Hudson Once upon a bookshelf is posting Body Image and Self Perception Month Kathy J. Kater, LICSWCheckout out the article from bodyimagehealth.org - very intresting reading as always! More Photo - Shop Madness! Model left looking 'like alien from Avatar' after 'heavy-handed' airbrushing by U.S. department store (but can YOU spot the difference?) Read more |
Dr John Whyte has posted an interesting article which I think is relevant to health professionals, clients and the general public. Too often people are dismissed if their eating disorder does not nicely tick the boxes to get a diagnosis of Bulimia Nervosa or Anorexia Nervosa. Eating Disorders Not other wise specified (EDNOS) is a very real condition that more people suffer from and often has more detrimental impact on quality of life and prognosis and people feel un-validated that this is a real problem and not just 'in their head' or ' attention seeking'. As the current DSM-5 is being reviewed including EDNOS and the diagnosis of binge eating disorder; this is another reminder of the ongoing importance of education of the public and health professionals that eating disorders are not about body and food! That understanding why people feel compelled to engage in these behaviors is more important, and that there are many many options for supporting and treating someone experiencing these behaviors. Imagine that your doctor told you that you suffered from a disorder that was "not otherwise specified." How would you feel about the seriousness of your condition? Would you feel nervous? Or maybe you would dismiss it as unimportant? These are the questions that confront nearly 70 percent of patients with eating disorders. We have all heard of anorexia and bulimia, but what you may not know is that there is a class of eating disorders called Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). EDNOS causes more deaths than either anorexia or bulimia). Currently, patients are diagnosed with EDNOS if they fail to meet all the requirements for anorexia and bulimia. However, the newest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a cornerstone of psychiatry, plans to address this vagueness so that current EDNOS patients will no longer struggle with that uncertainty. . . . . Eating disorders often point to more serious underlying mental illnesses, like body image issues or depression. Disrupted eating patterns are the common sign, but there are other signs that suggest that someone is suffering from an eating disorder. These include never wanting to eat, uncontrollable eating tied to emotional states, repeatedly chewing and spitting out food without swallowing, frequently using laxatives or enemas, and self-evaluation heavily dependent on body image . . . . . The medical community is doing its part to deal with unspecified eating disorders by revising its guidelines, and we each need to do our parts by educating ourselves and intervening when we suspect eating disorders in friends or loved ones. There has being an up roar about Julien Macdonald's comment about plus size (as I always say - normal size!) models. Go Normal sized model Crystal Renn who had a response published in the The Independent! More Comments about the topic: Women and Body Image: A Man's Perspective Willian Leith has an interesting insight in to the Man's perspective . . . . Plenty of guys have told me this story. The guy in question is preparing to go to a party with his girlfriend. She is trying on shoes and dresses. He is telling her how good she looks. She tries on more shoes, more dresses. And then: the sudden, inexplicable meltdown. She crumples on the bed. Something is horribly wrong. Now the party is out of the question . . . Read the Full Article As the art critic John Berger wrote: 'Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only the relations of men to women, but the relation of women to themselves.' It's a tough one, isn't it? Surely guys can understand that, at least. If it happened to us, we'd have a meltdown, too. Read the Full Article I also came across an interesting commentary of the above article. While the article itself wasn't groundbreaking, the dialogue it spawned in comment discussion was very interesting. It was basically a split decision between men and women over appearances, with the occasional gay male perspective thrown in. Because let's face it, gay men suffer just as much as women with a ridiculous obsession with youth and appearancesRead the Full Blog Sarah Wilson Talks Mindful Eating I do love my Sunday mornings, laying in bed and hearing the heavy thud of the newspaper as it is tossed over the front gate- and more time then not lands in front of the door! I relinquish the sport (happily!) and go for Sunday Life. There is two columns I always enjoy - Mia Freedmans and Sarah Wilson. Sarah Wilson always has a wonderful commentary of something new she is trying. This week I was overjoyed to read of her experiences with mindful eating! Mindful eating is something I speak of daily with my clients ( and to my families annoyance at home!). See an exert below where Sarah beautiful captures the experience of eating her lunch - and treat yourself to reading the whole article on her site "After all the misery of portion control, and the grim failure of calorie counting, there's mindfulness. Mindfulness is the Buddhist practice of being aware, moment-to-moment. It's sitting with yourself, instead of reaching for an external stimulus or fix. Mindful eating, then, is eating this Tupperware container of leftover beetroot risotto and being wholly conscious of doing so. It's being aware of every texture (?I am now biting into a slippery beet chunk?) and every flavour burst (?Hello, salty goats cheese topping!?), while not typing this column at the same time. When you're mindful, you don't overeat, you take care to eat good food prepared with care and you're satiated - emotionally and otherwise. You don't have to try, you just be mindful." You are not your muffin top Check out the lovely blog I stumbled upon by Queensland writer Sarah Jansen The Rise of the Real Woman! You would have to have you head in the clouds to miss the increased use of Plus sized (as the media calls them - I still think they are normal!) model in the print media. It may be a sign of a permanent change or it may be the latest fad which will pass like a skirt flutters in the wind. While it is here though I believe it should be encouraged until it become normal - so as I find interesting examples of it I will pop a link below! LIVIN' & LOVIN' By Tetta Matera; Move over, Photoshop, 'au naturel' is back |
Plus size vs Size Zero - Are we missing the point? A fantastic article by Erin Donnelly came upon my email this week. Erin, a regular blogger for style list explores the incredible back lash that America has had to the use of Plus size (normal size if you ask me) models in many campaigns and magazines so far in 2010. The most incredible was the banning of Lane Bryant's plus-size lingerie commercial starring Ashley Graham from television while the Victoria's Secret's The Naked ad campaign has being approved! See images above - and link to U-Tube below! Will the real Brittney please step forward! Photos and article: French Marie Claire- No retouching (except the adds)! Why Muscular Men Don't Appeal To Women How many guys out there have obsessed about six-pack abs? Come on you know who you are. You've read the magazines, spent hours online and entirely too much money on supplements. You've spent so much time at the gym you might as well live there... all for some rippling abs and pulsating pecs . . . . Check out the rest of this article on Diet Blog ( not that I endorse this website at all!) or the published article reference is: Reference:
Diedrichs, P. C., & Lee, C. GI Joe or Average Joe? The impact of average-size and muscular male fashion models on men's and women's body image and advertisement effectiveness. Body Image (2010), doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2010.03.004 Body Shop and Butterfly foundation - Your Beauty and Worth Can not be Measured Campaign  Male Models: You, too, can't have a body like this . . . . In keeping with the below topic - of the pressure on men also to achieve an 'ideal' body -I draw your attention to an interesting article by Peta Bee from Times On line: To get the abs, male models have to starve, binge, booze, suck sweets, slap on fake tan and be Photo shopped Peta Bee explores the unbelievably dangerous lengths that men go to in order to look 'buff' for their magazine shoots! And that this is expected of them. For a long time I have preached (to anyone who will listen) that Men's magazines such as Mens Health print dangerous dieting tips, objectify the human body and that a womans magazine would NEVER get away with the same type of stories. Just like there would be outrage if the truth about how female models prepare for photo shoots! Manorexia Dr. Susan Albers ( Author, 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food and Eating Mindfully) writes an interesting article about the changing shape of Male Mannequins for The Huffington Post Weight Discrimination is rife in our community - but do people even realise they are doing anything wrong? Harriet Brown's Essay from the NY times last week discusses the increasing Anti- Fat prejudice that is taking place in America and I feel we can extrapolate to the rest of the world. This is an interesting piece that will stimulate many dinner table discussions and also blog commentaries. |
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