Treatment Notes by Sari Fine Shepphird

Mental Health Awareness Month 2009

This week brings to a close the 2009 Mental Health Awareness Month.  I had the opportunity to be a part of some activities that were intended to raise awareness of mental health issues. One of those events was the 2009 Voice Awards, held at Paramount Studios in Hollywood.

Study Finds Bias Toward Obese Patients

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine issued the following news release today that is an eye-opening commentary worthy of our attention:

Physicians Have Less Respect for Obese Patients, Study Suggests

In reading this, I thought of several of my patients who are of a normal or below normal weight who report that their doctors told them they were "fine" because their weight was normal, even though they had reported engaging in unhealthy diet behaviors. Bias occurs both ways, of course, and not just among physicians.

Have you encountered weight bias from a healthcare professional?

Are you a healthcare professional who has a bias about weight?

Important questions to ask ourselves...read on...

Orthorexia Nervosa: When "Good" Eating Goes Bad

Have you heard of Orthorexia Nervosa?

 

Regardless of your answer, you have probably seen and heard it in the patients/clients that you see.

 

Introduced by Steven Bratman, orthorexia nervosa is a term used to describe a fixation with eating foods that are considered “pure” in quality. Literally translated, the term means “fixation on righteous eating.” Although it is not an officially recognized medical condition or eating disorder, it can be a symptom of an eating disorder.

 

Typical orthorexia behaviors include restricting foods to those perceived as “healthy,” eating only organic foods, feeling guilty if “unapproved” foods are consumed, and self-punishing for deviations from these restrictions.

 

Orthorexia can lead to social isolation, can impede healthy relationships, and may lead to physical and mental health problems.

 

In contrast to anorexia nervosa, orthorexia nervosa is not necessarily associated with a desire to be thin or the fear of becoming fat. Thus, while it may be a contributing factor to anorexia or another eating disorder, its symptoms alone do not necessarily meet the criteria for an eating disorder.

 

**Source: Shepphird, S.F. (2009). 100 Questions and Answers about Anorexia Nervosa. Sudbury MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

 

 

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Ending Fat Talk

This is "Fat Talk Free" week.

What's that?  It is the effort of the Tri Delta Sorority to put an end to fat talk - you know, talk that sounds like this...

"I am sooooo fat. I just hate my thighs!"

"If I could only be five pounds thinner..."

"I shouldn't eat these cookies...I will look like a fat cow!"

Fat talk is common all over our culture, and perhaps especially so among young adults. But Tri Delta is attempting to put an end to the trend by launching resources and events around the country.

There will be rallies...at multiple locations...

There is community support...

(Lululemon's Storefront)

There is a Facebook Page...

There is even a pledge that folks can sign, supported by the Academy for Eating Disorders, which reads...

"Today I promise to eliminate Fat Talk from conversations with my friends, my family and myself.

Starting now, I will strive for a healthy ideal, which I know looks different for every woman, and focuses on health, not weight or size.

I will celebrate the things about myself and the women in my life that have nothing to do with how we look.

I decide to end Fat Talk NOW!"

 

There are many ways to get involved...to end fat talk...to support healthy body image...to reduce eating disorders risk...

Will you accept the challenge?!!

The Science and Psychology Debate Continues...

As a follow up to my post earlier in the week...

There has been significant response to the Newsweek article by Sharon Begley. In fact, at least 5 pages of comments have been posted on the Newsweek website and several key psychologists have submitted letters to the Editor.

For your interest and edification, here is a link to those comments...

Comments for "Ignoring the Evidence: Why do psychologists reject science?"

Empirically Supported Treatments in Psychology

You may have seen the new issue of Newsweek, and you may have heard the controversy. In the October 12 issue, journalist Sharon Begley poses a pot-stirring question:"Why do psychologists reject science?"

Begley discusses evidence-based treatments (even mentioning the like with regard to bulimia nervosa) and highlights the long-standing debate within the mental health community over evidence-based versus clinically-informed treatment.