Obesity is a national concern. Far too many Americans are struggling with being overweight today. For some, the problem may be a serious one and yet fall short of the definition of a mental health disorder. Binge eating is not currently a formal disorder, but it is expected that it will be listed as a […]
Discerning the Difference Between Binge Eating Disorder and Overeating Read More »
In the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), binge eating will, for the first time ever, be listed as a disorder. This designation shows improvement in how eating disorders are being taken more seriously than in the past. Research shows that the brain acts similarly in all addictions, whether
For those who are overcoming years of disordered eating, the holidays can be a real trial. Food is front and center at almost every celebration or tradition during these months. Those confronted with a barrage of calorie-rich foods and lots of extra tensions, many struggle against retreating into former patterns of restriction, purging and extreme
Eating disorders are a serious problem. When a parent battles this type of illness it will touch each person in the household. Since eating disorders often go undetected and/or untreated for many years, this is a condition which may have pervasive influences in the lives of family members. Today, there are many older men and
Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses there are. Because secrecy plays such a part in these disorders, they are often difficult to detect. Since the disorder has gone undetected for so long, its mechanisms are often firmly entrenched by the time the person seeks help, making it very tough to overcome.
The fight against eating disorders is no longer limited to addressing the battlefield in one’s mind but also enabling websites that help perpetuate the disease for so many. The Proud2Bme Summit held October 13 in Tampa at the University of South Florida sought to help spread the news that a positive alternative exists at Proud2Bme.org.
Bombardment with images of super-thin models and celebrities is everywhere. Magazines, television, billboards and catalogues are filled with pictures of women who exemplify beauty and style and they are all rail-thin. The cumulative effect of this is that women accept the media-projected standard of beauty and too often see themselves as something less. The repeated
Can the Media Help Reverse Women’s Unhealthy Body Image Read More »
When the brain tells us that what we are putting into our mouth is a poor, maybe even an unhealthy choice, why do we go ahead and bite? Some suggest that eating is not as much about what we know as it is about how we feel. The brain is sending one message and the
So many disorders hinge upon a person’s maladaptive strategies for handling unpleasant emotions. Now a recent college undergraduate experiment points to emotional stress as a driver behind the development of eating disorders. A significant body of research currently exists to show how eating disorders are linked to perfectionistic attitudes toward weight and body size. But
Eating Disorders May Serve as A Way to Focus Emotional Stress Read More »
Most women spend more time asking, “What does the perfect body look like, and how do I get it?” than actually enjoying their lives. We go on diets to lose weight, force ourselves into a gym and harangue ourselves if we don’t achieve our weight-loss goals. Isn’t there a better way to coexist with –
