Eating Disorders Today

Recent Flurry of Blog Posts Regarding Family Dinner Research

Love is left out of the eating disorder prevention equation yet again.

       Eating disorder prevention does not mean following a check list of correct
behaviors at the dinner table.  It means behaving reasonably  and practically with
a powerful undertone of love, respect, a glad willingness to listen, honesty
confidence to passionately disagree and deep certainty that right or
wrong everyone in the family loves and will stand by everyone else.

       When that is brought to daily life in a family, including family
dinners, eating disorders don't have a chance to develop.

       Researchers have a tough time factoring love in their studies. I can
appreciate the difficulty.  I also am dismayed by research results
that do not consider the presence or absence of genuine love and
respect.

  Researchers say..."what happens at that table has an impact on teens
as well. Juggling schedules to make time for eating together,
creating healthy, nutritious dishes, and having positive interactions
at the table are all components of healthy family meals."
http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/01/14/family-meals-help-girls-avoid-eating-disorders/

       Yes, these are components. Please include love and respect, spacious
time, generous listening, appreciations of differences, honesty and room for laughter
and shared passions.

       Now we're talking about family meals that help prevent eating disorders.

Joanna Poppink, MFT, psychotherapist eating disorder specialist, Los Angeles, CA bulimia, anorexia, compulsive overeating recovery, www.poppink.com

Helpful Quiz, Ability to Conceive, Osteoporosis

      

       Breaking the Mirror posted answers  http://www.breakingthemirror.com/  Quiz Answers!January 11, 2008 to a to a ten point eating disorder quiz posted on a teen fashion site. 

       Posting this quiz is a wonderful idea. It helps provide clear information that can combat prevalent and false ideas about eating disorders.

       I would add that while birth control is always a good practice when someone is sexually active and not prepared to conceive a child, it is also true that severe anorexia can seriously
limit a woman’s ability to conceive.

      Another point missing from the quiz relates to bone strength. Many young women with eating disorders develop osteoporosis. It doesn’t hurt, and it doesn’t show. Some anorexic women who are
only 17 years old have lace bones comperable to a very old and fragile woman.

       That said, stating health risks will not scare a person into recovery. But they might scare a person into treatment!

       I hope so. I’ve recovered from bulimia and have been a psychotherapist dedicated to eating disorder recovery for many years. It seems that girls and women need to notice that the eating
disorder eventually causes more pain than they can bear before they are willing to risk giving it up.

       This requires a desperate kind of courage because they genuinely face the unknown in the therapy work. It can be almost impossible to imagine a life without the eating disorder. Yet, a
glimmer of the freedom that might be possible if they were genuinely free of the behavior, the thoughts, the anxiety, the planning and strategizing, the need for the cover up lies
can keep a person on the recovery road.

       I'm glad to know that in the sea of high drama, repetition and hype on the internet relating to eating disorders, some realistic information is being offered that can be truly
helpful to people looking for solid recovery.

Joanna Poppink, MFT, psychotherapist eating disorder specialist, Los Angeles, CA bulimia, anorexia, compulsive overeating recovery, www.poppink.com