Anorexia Nervosa: Recognizing and Combating It In Your Child
Anorexia Nervosa is a terribly serious disease. It is an eating disorder that can lead people – especially adolescent girls – to literally starve themselves, exercise excessively, and lose significant amounts of weight. But what you may not realize is, anorexia nervosa is deadly. Experts say that it kills more than 10% of the people who are diagnosed with it. Most sufferers of anorexia nervosa develop the disorder when they’re teenagers (though rare, there have been cases of kids as young as 5 exhibiting some of the symptoms), so it’s critically important for parents to be able to recognize the symptoms of anorexia and seek professional help for their child and family right away. Learn how to do that on this episode of Keeping Kids Healthy. It could save your child’s life.
Guests:
Experts:
Timothy Walsh, MD - Director of the Eating Disorders Research Unit at New York State Psychiatric Institute; W&J Ruane Professor of Pediatric Psychopharmacology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Medical Center; Dr. Walsh has served as the President of the Academy for Eating Disorders and on advisory and review committees of the National Institutes of Health and of the American Psychiatric Association. He was a member of the Task Force responsible for writing DSM-IV, and chaired the Eating Disorders Workgroup for DSM-IV. Publications include: "Eating Disorders," Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine (15th edition), 2001; "Fluoxetine in bulimia nervosa following poor response to psychotherapy" American Journal of Psychiatry 2000
Katherine Loeb, PhD - Director, The Eating and Weight Disorders Program, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Expert in the Maudsley Method; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Dr. Loeb's current research interests include the early identification and treatment of eating disorders; the Maudsley method, an innovative family-based intervention for adolescents with eating and weight disorders; depression and suicidality in anorexia nervosa; and preventing weight regain in patients in the aftermath of bariatric surgery. She has co-authored many publications and presentations on anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and obesity, and has served as Co-Chair of the Eating Disorders Workgroup for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR).
Rene Zweig, PhD - Director of the Eating Disorders and Weight Management Program at The American Institute for Cognitive Therapy; Specialist in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Certified Cognitive Therapist with specialized training in the treatment of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body image, relationship difficulties, and substance abuse; She developed the Keep It Off! weight management group incorporating cognitive, behavioral, acceptance, and emotion regulation techniques;
Katherine Loeb, PhD - Director, The Eating and Weight Disorders Program, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Expert in the Maudsley Method; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Dr. Loeb's current research interests include the early identification and treatment of eating disorders; the Maudsley method, an innovative family-based intervention for adolescents with eating and weight disorders; depression and suicidality in anorexia nervosa; and preventing weight regain in patients in the aftermath of bariatric surgery. She has co-authored many publications and presentations on anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and obesity, and has served as Co-Chair of the Eating Disorders Workgroup for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR).
Rene Zweig, PhD - Director of the Eating Disorders and Weight Management Program at The American Institute for Cognitive Therapy; Specialist in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Certified Cognitive Therapist with specialized training in the treatment of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body image, relationship difficulties, and substance abuse; She developed the Keep It Off! weight management group incorporating cognitive, behavioral, acceptance, and emotion regulation techniques;
Opening and Closing Story:
Stephanie Howard – Age 17 – Former anorexia sufferer who recovered through a
combination of methods
Cathy Howard – Stephanie’s Mother
Buddy Howard – Stephanie’s father
Tricia Howard – Stephanie’s sister
combination of methods
Cathy Howard – Stephanie’s Mother
Buddy Howard – Stephanie’s father
Tricia Howard – Stephanie’s sister
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Story:
Leslie Lipton - Age 20, former anorexia sufferer who recovered through use of
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Author, Unwell – a novel about a young girl led astray by the allure of thinness and beauty
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Author, Unwell – a novel about a young girl led astray by the allure of thinness and beauty
Maudsley Method Story:
Madeleine Ouellette – Age 16, former anorexia sufferer who recovered through use of the Maudsley Method
Joyce Heaton, Madeleine’s Mother
Steve Ouellette, Madeleine’s Father
Izzy Ouellette, Madeleine’s Sister
Joyce Heaton, Madeleine’s Mother
Steve Ouellette, Madeleine’s Father
Izzy Ouellette, Madeleine’s Sister
Tips:
Anorexia is not just an issue of vanity – its an illness whose roots go much deeper than that. Anorexia is a treatable disease, but it should be treated quickly, and by a specialist.
Causes:
The causes of anorexia are extremely complex, and no one knows all the answers. However, experts do believe that the attitudes that children are exposed to as they grow up can influence their susceptibility to anorexia. Adopting a healthy attitude towards nutrition and health around children can help prevent them from developing any kind of eating disorder.
Warning signs of Anorexia:
Extreme weight-loss
Relentless and rigid dieting
Increase in exercise
Avoidance of meals
Personality change
Treatment:
Experts often recommend that you look for a treatment center that is affiliated with an academic institution. The Resource List below – as well as the information offered in this episode of Keeping Kids Healthy – can serve as a basis for learning about the treatment options available.
Causes:
The causes of anorexia are extremely complex, and no one knows all the answers. However, experts do believe that the attitudes that children are exposed to as they grow up can influence their susceptibility to anorexia. Adopting a healthy attitude towards nutrition and health around children can help prevent them from developing any kind of eating disorder.
Warning signs of Anorexia:
Extreme weight-loss
Relentless and rigid dieting
Increase in exercise
Avoidance of meals
Personality change
Treatment:
Experts often recommend that you look for a treatment center that is affiliated with an academic institution. The Resource List below – as well as the information offered in this episode of Keeping Kids Healthy – can serve as a basis for learning about the treatment options available.
Resources:
General information on eating disorders and treatment options:
National Eating Disorders Association
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
National Helpline 1-800-931-2237
The Academy for Eating Disorders
www.aedweb.org
1 847 498 4274
National Institute of Mental Health: Eating Disorders
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/eatingdisorders.cfm
Medline Plus: Eating Disorders
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eatingdisorders.html
Eating Disorders Coalition
http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/
Eating with Your Anorexic
http://www.eatingwithyouranorexic.com/
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
National Helpline 1-800-931-2237
The Academy for Eating Disorders
www.aedweb.org
1 847 498 4274
National Institute of Mental Health: Eating Disorders
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/eatingdisorders.cfm
Medline Plus: Eating Disorders
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eatingdisorders.html
Eating Disorders Coalition
http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/
Eating with Your Anorexic
http://www.eatingwithyouranorexic.com/
Treatment Resources:
Look for a treatment center that is affiliated with an academic institution involved in research. The following organizations and institutions, which all contributed to this program, can serve as a starting point for your research:
Free treatment is available for research participants at
The Eating Disorders Research Clinic at the New York State Psychiatric Institute
Columbia University Medical Center
www.eatingdisordersclinic.org
Maudsley Method
http://www.maudsleyparents.org
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Free treatment is available for research participants at
The Eating Disorders Research Clinic at the New York State Psychiatric Institute
Columbia University Medical Center
www.eatingdisordersclinic.org
Maudsley Method
http://www.maudsleyparents.org
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
The American Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy
http://www.cognitivetherapynyc.com/
http://www.cognitivetherapynyc.com/
Books:
Treatment Manual for Anorexia Nervosa, by James Lock, Daniel Le Grange, W. Stewart Agras, Christopher Dare
Eating With Your Anorexic, by Laura Collins
Unwell, by Leslie Lipton
A novel about a young girl led astray by the allure of thinness and beauty
www.leslielipton.com
Eating With Your Anorexic, by Laura Collins
Unwell, by Leslie Lipton
A novel about a young girl led astray by the allure of thinness and beauty
www.leslielipton.com
