Food Cravings/Addictions: The Basics of Mindful Eating

When you see these cupcakes, what happens to you physically, mentally, and emotionally?  Stop and think about it.  What are you feeling, right now, as you look at these cupcakes?   Figuring out what makes you crave foods, what makes you eat foods, and why you eat what you eat (among other questions) is a key component of a concept called Mindful Eating.  I'm not a Mindful Eating pro by any means, but I did use mindful eating strategies to help get me through the time in my life when I had a very poor relationship with food.  I'll get into that in a moment....

I hear it often; "Gina, how do I control my tendencies to overeat"?  Or, "Gina, how do I get over my intense cravings for sugar"?  I've posted some information in the past (see links below)....

Healthier Snacks for Someone with a Sweet Tooth 

Don't Like Healthy Food? You Can Change Your Taste Buds!

How Do I Decrease My Sweet Cravings?!

.....but today I want to talk about mindful eating and how it might help someone who tends to overeat, binge, or even just get insatiable cravings for sugar, salt, or whatever it is. You've probably heard of mindless eating before.  Brian Wansink, PhD is basically the expert on the mindless eating concept.  I wrote a blog about it back in January of 2011, if you'd like a review.  Basically mindless eating is happening to everyone, all throughout the day. We are constantly eating more than we think (and more than we need!), mindlessly, and therefore we now live in a country with a 66% obese/overweight population.  I encourage you to read some of Brian's work, and learn some ways to prevent or reduce mindless eating. 

Source: iStockPhoto
One thing to think about is your plate size.  Start serving your dinner on smaller plates, rather than larger ones, and science indicates that you will eat less.

So what's the difference between mindless eating and mindful eating, aren't they just opposites? Not necessarily.  Read about this study for the perfect example of getting trapped both mindlessly eating, and not eating mindfully.  I'll briefly explain; the researchers surveyed moviegoers before a special showing of a movie and determined the ones who typically ate popcorn at the movie theater.   The researchers then handed out free popcorn to all of the participants.  Some of moviegoers received popcorn in a large container, and some received popcorn in a medium-sized container.  Also, some of the popcorn was stale (14 days old) while some of the popcorn was fresh.  Those who typically ate popcorn at movies consumed 45.3% more popcorn when given to them  in larger containers, compared to those who received the medium containers (this is mindless, the subtle cue of the larger container automatically made theme eat more).  Better yet, the moviegoers who were given stale, 14 day old popcorn ate 33.6% more popcorn when given a larger container, compared to those given a medium bag.  This is not only mindless, but a perfect example of not being mindful (ie: not actually stopping to think about your food, and enjoy the taste of eat delicious, buttery bite).  If they would have been more mindful, they most likely would have stopped eating because it was stale!

Source: iStock Photo
The moviegoers ate more, automatically, when they received popcorn in a larger container (mindless eating)
The moviegoers also ate more when the container was larger and the popcorn was stale (mindless eating, and not eating mindfully)

This research study was a perfect example of people allowing subtle cues (the larger container) to increase their calorie intake (mindless eating) but it also showed that the participants weren't being mindful of the food they were eating, because they still ate a lot even though it was 14 days old (not eating mindfully)!  If they were being mindful they would have savored the food, rather than eating out of habit, and they would have realized it just wasn't good.

Many dietitians and therapists work with people who have binge eating disorder and use mindful eating strategies to help them become more aware of why they eat, and what they are eating.  However, I am fully aware that anyone can benefit from these strategies, as many people may not have documented binge eating disorder, but still find themselves wondering to the kitchen and eating despite not being hungry. And many of us find ourselves getting out of control more often than we'd like.  As someone with a history of anorexia (and bulimia, as that's often the next step when trying to heal from anorexia....) I can appreciate the mindfulness approach.

Source: Today's Dietitian Magazine

  

This article talks about the concept of mindful eating (I highly recommend reading it!).  Let's look at the cycle from the article (pictured above).  These are the questions you might ask yourself as you're trying to become a more mindful eater and gain a better relationship with food.  I will use myself as an example; 

During the time in my life when I was trying to overcome an eating disorder I went through a really bad time of binging and purging (my purge was exercise).  Seven years ago, these would have been my answers;

1) Why did I eat? Emotions, stress, felt out of control

2)  When did I eat?  Typically when no one was around, or whenever I had a spare moment to eat something really fast

3)  What did I eat?  Very specific foods, "good" foods, never "fad" foods. And, if they were "Bad" foods I typically binged.

4)  How did I eat?  Fast, very fast, and not mindfully. I even ate fast around others, because I didn't want them commenting on what I was eating.

5)  How much did I eat? It really depended on if I was alone, or not, and what time it was, and what I was eating.

6)  Where did I eat?  Anywhere but at the table (unless we were out to dinner)

 

Over the past 7 years I have learned to put a pause between my trigger (emotion to want food) and response (eating the food), which is one of the purposes of this mindful eating exercise.  Here are my answers today;

1) Why do I eat? Sometimes it's still emotions that cause me to eat, such as stress, sadness, or most often boredom, but I am much more aware of this now and I am more likely to grab a healthier snack than something like cake or chips  (or multiple spoons of peanut butter, which is what I used to do, over and over again)

2)  When do eat?  Any time I please!  I am trying really hard to eat only when I'm hungry, physically.  Sometimes this happens at different times throughout the day, so it really depends. I let my body lead the way.

3)  What do I eat?  Whatever sounds good.  And I no longer call foods "good" and "bad".  I eat to make my body and brain feel energized.  I'll write a blog post soon about my daily eats....they are very similar each day but always foods I love to eat!  And, if I eat something that isn't so good for me, I don't dwell on it, I enjoy every succulent morsel :)

4)  How do I eat?  I still eat fast sometimes, and I'm continuing to work on this.

5)  How much do I eat? Most of the time I eat just enough to make me feel slightly full.  There are still times when I overeat, and feel uncomfortable, but these times are few and far between.  The best part is that when this does happen, I don't beat myself up.

6)  Where do I eat?  This is something else I'm working on.  I tend not to eat at the table, but instead on the couch.  I don't know why, but I prefer the couch.  If the TV is on, it's on mute, but still..... the good news is that I don't eat while standing up or while in the fridge (something I used to do).

Ok, now you try!  

1)  Think about the above questions, and try to put a pause between your trigger (often the trigger is some type of emotion) and the response (eating a specific food, or binging on specific foods).

2)   Journal your answers if you'd like.  This will help you make more sense of your relationship with food.  Write in your journal daily or weekly (you can read more tips and activities the article).

3)   Remember to stop and savor the texture, smell, and taste of your food.  The more you appreciate each and every bite, and really grasp the deliciousness that it is, the more satisfied you will be, and the less likely you are to continue eating beyond your control.

4)  If binging isn't your issue, but (like me sometimes) you often find yourself eating (whether it's salty or sweet foods, or whatever it is...) despite not being hungry, you can still use these tips.  One thing I do when I find myself staring at food in the fridge, is to stop and ask myself; "Do the healthy foods I love sound good to me right now?" If the answer is "No, I want chocolate, or chips", then I know (most of the time) I'm not really hungry and I'm just acting on a craving, which has been triggered by an emotion (most of the time it's boredom!).  Clearly there are times when I'm not hungry and I really just want to eat some chocolate, and I do..... and that's ok sometimes!

Again, I'm not an Mindful Eating Expert, but I truly believe in the concept.  I encourage anyone who is reading this to check out some of the resources provided by Today's Dietitian Magazine (below) to learn more and start practicing eating more mindfully (and teach these concepts to your clients, if you work with people who might be struggling with their relationship with food).

Source: Today's Dietitian Magazine

***NOTE:  If you truly believe you have an eating disorder, be sure to find a good therapist and dietitian to work with you as you try to create a better relationship with food, and yourself.  These are great resources, but some people truly need more than a book, a journal, and/or a blog post.  And there should be no shame in that.***

I really enjoyed this recent article from the Washington Post, which discussed the "sour side of a sweet tooth", ie: the sugar crash (acute) and long term health problems (chronic). I thought the tips they provided were helpful; add a protein, fat and/or fiber to your sweet treat and it will reduce the glucose and insulin spike, therefore theoretically reduce the crash (and perhaps reduce the urge to continue eating more sugar!).

Tofu Mousse topped with blueberries; lots of fiber, and just enough sugar to keep me satisfied (oh, and chocolate of course)

Fruit and nut bars (homemade); again lots of fiber and very little added sugar.  But, of course enough sugar to satisfy.  I eat these very slowly and enjoy every tiny morsel.  By the time I've finished my "sweet cravings" are typically gone and I can move along.  

QUESTION: Have you ever read about mindful eating?  Have you ever used these strategies to help reduce your urge to binge, or overeat?  When was the last time you really thought about the smell, texture, and taste of your food, and savored every tiny bite?

Thanks for reading.

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

My Weight Journey; From Losing Weight, To Gaining Weight, To Maintaining It

Source: iStock Photo

**** WARNING: This post may not be appropriate for anyone with an eating disorder, or anyone who is sensitive to "weighty" issues (pun intended). ****
Today I wanted to write a personal post about weight management and life after an eating disorder. I figure this is my blog, otherwise known as a "web log", so I might as well write a candid post about life after an eating disorder, and specifically my thoughts and struggles with weight and weight management. After all, I have only written one or two posts about anorexia and my personal experience with anorexia, but never have I talked about life as a women who has healed, and who is in the midst of a weight-conscience and weight-obsessed society (my previous posts are "From Normal, To Anorexic" and "An Insight on Eating Disorders".)


After recently reading the book Gaining I pretty much figured out the meaning behind my anorexia, and how I was the perfect candidate for an eating disorder. I'm a perfectionist in just about every aspect of my life (I'm not perfect, I'm a perfectionist).
When I was recovering from anorexia, over five years ago, I was deathly afraid that I would spiral out of control and put on a ton of weight if I ever got "Better" (this is a classic sign of anorexia). In my mind I thought I had to either eat perfectly, or else I'd become what everyone else had become.....overweight or obese (both were equally scary to me). After all, as I started getting "better", I also started binging and to me that was very scary (not having control over what and how much I ate = scariest thing ever, at that time).

Source: iStock Photo

Now, over five years later, having been fully recovered for maybe three years (I still had some eating issues when I was first dating Nick, but not full blown anorexia. At the time I thought I was recovered, but looking back I was fooling myself), I am at the point in my life where I am no longer trying to put on weight, but instead I am actually having to watch my portions and be careful about how much I eat (something I was once way too good at, in a very bad way).

I'm finally at the point where I no longer feel like it may be disordered thoughts that are telling me to "only eat half the burger" (it has taken me quite a while to come to terms with this fact. For many years I couldn't tell whether my thoughts to eat less or to stop eating when I was full were coming from my eating disorder, or if they were coming from me actually trying to be healthy and eat intuitively.) For so long my goal was to put on weight and now that I have, I have to work hard not to keep on putting it on! Ironic. Right? Just as I imagined five years ago, I am at that point where I was always afraid I'd be. Now that I'm hear, however, it's not so bad. I'm just like every other American who has to work hard to keep weight from slowly creeping up. Is that a bad thing? Nope. It's a good thing because I'm a dietitian and I can practice what I preach, and learn many things along the way (thus I'm better able to teach others how to maintain a healthy weight, in a realistic way, how it should really be done, not by starving myself).


Sometimes I compare myself to someone who has gained a lot of weight, then lost it, and now has to maintain it. In many ways I am similar to that person. Eating too much is an eating disorder just like eating too little, and just like me, people who eat too much and gain a lot of weight have to eventually learn how to eat normally again, and have a better relationship with food. That's exactly what I've done. I've had to train myself to have a better relationship with food, and myself, and to love who I am, not to focus on a number, eat intuitively, and to live in the moment.

So I'm normal. I now have to work at maintaining a healthy weight, for the rest of my life. I no longer want to spiral out of control and lose a bunch of weight, and nor do I want the opposite to happen. I now live in the same world as everyone else. Trying to keep a healthy weight, and still enjoy good food that makes me happy, every step of the way.


Here is a great article I found not too long ago; Keeping Weight Off Is As Much A Challenge As Losing It. In the article they talked about the following ways that seem to keep people successfully maintaining a healthy weight;

•Count calories, carbs or fat grams or use a commercial weight-loss program to track food intake.

•Eat breakfast regularly, often including whole grains and low-fat dairy products.

•Limit dining out to an average of three times a week, and fast food to less than once a week.

•Eat similar foods often and don't splurge much.

•Watch fewer than 10 hours of TV a week.

•Weigh-in at least once a week (** Unless the scale alters your mood. In that case, try once a month. Personally I weigh-in once a month because scales are just not my friend....even still **)

Source: iStock Photo

And I'll add to this list by saying that it's extremely important to keep up with your workout routine. You should try to workout about an hour a day, most days of the week (90 minutes would be even more beneficial). Not into working out? Find a workout buddy to keep you motivated, and do stuff you ENJOY!

Source: iStock Photo

I also recently read this article about mindful eating. In the article they discuss how you can give mindful eating a spin "by incorporating a few chilled-out gestures and rituals into your regular calorie intake".

WHEN YOU EAT, JUST EAT. Unplug the electronics. For now, at least, focus on the food.

CONSIDER SILENCE. Avoiding chatter for 30 minutes might be impossible in some families, especially with young children, but specialists suggest starting your meal with short periods of quiet.

TRY IT WEEKLY. Sometimes there’s no way to avoid wolfing down onion rings in your cubicle. But if you set aside one sit-down meal a week as an experiment in mindfulness, the insights may influence everything else you do.

PLANT A GARDEN, AND COOK. Anything that reconnects you with the process of creating food will magnify your mindfulness.

CHEW PATIENTLY. It’s not easy, but try to slow down, aiming for 25 to 30 chews for each mouthful.

USE FLOWERS AND CANDLES. Put them on the table before dinner. Rituals that create a serene environment help foster what one advocate calls “that moment of gratitude.”

FIND A BUDDHIST CONGREGATION where the members invite people in for a day of mindfulness. For New Yorkers, it’s an easy drive to the Blue Cliff Monastery, about 90 minutes north of the city: bluecliffmonastery.org/ on the Web.

QUESTION: How do you practice mindful eating? Do you have any tips? What's your best tip for maintaining a healthy weight, and/or a healthy relationship with food and your body?

STAY TUNED: Coming up next I will post my thoughts on Dr. Supplements....I mean Dr. Oz. And in the next couple weeks I will also post about the concept of volumetrics (my favorite weight management tool to teach clients!).

From Normal, to Anorexic

I finally finished the book Gaining. It was, for lack of a better word, amazing. Rather than give a review of the book, which is kind of....boring, I thought I'd discuss what I learned from the book and from the stories of others with histories of eating disorders. Before you read this post please take a look at my introductory post about the book, as well as all of your amazing comments in the comment section.


When I started reading Gaining I thought I already knew why I had become anorexic back in high school. I thought it had to do with a combination of my mom always dieting as I was growing up, my domineering and controlling personality, and my eagerness to "be someone" in high school. Simple, right? Not so much. After reading this book I still believe those all played a role, but I no longer believe those were the main reasons for my bout with anorexia. And in fact I want to make it clear to everyone that my mother was, and still is, an amazing women. Sure she talked about weight in front of me, and dieting, but never to the extreme that some of the women in this book described. In fact, I would say her weight talk was pretty typical of how many women talk, and it was interspersed with plenty of "healthy talk", which is actually what inspired me to become a dietitian. So, I wouldn't dare blame my mother for my eating disorder. She has helped build my self-confidence more than I could have ever have imagined. It's just those small comments (usually negative comments, about herself), throughout my life that probably affected me more than she (or I) realized.

Anyway, I digress......the book taught me a lot about the true reasons I developed an eating disorder. A study was discussed in the book that showed there are three distinct temperamental groups into which people with anorexia and/or bulimia tend to fall. Here is a very brief description of the three groups;

1) Overcontrolled; tend to avoid social contact; tightly control their appetites for sex and food; limit their pleasures and withdraw from excitement , sensation and risk

2) Perfectionistic; Worry about the details. Aim to please, excel, and conform.

3) Undercontrolled; intense emotions and impulsive behaviors. They tend to fly into rages rather than expressing their anger passively. They also try to find relationships to soothe themselves.


I fell (and in some ways still fall) into a little bit of each of these groups (which is what the researchers indicated as being normal), but mainly number two. Growing up I didn't really worry much about details, but I always aimed to please, freaked out whenever I'd get in trouble or do something wrong, and always worked so hard in school that my friends would often ask me, "why do you work so hard?!". I always figured it was my ADD that created the "need" to work so hard. It took me twice as long to do things because I would always space out halfway in, but in reality I was so rigidly focused that I took simple assignments and made them twice as difficult. I was never able to finish books on time because it took me twice as long to read them. I'd read one paragraph and then have to re-read it because I'd realize I had been thinking about something else as I read the words, therefore not even paying attention to what the author had written. I was always doing something else in my mind, focusing on anything other than what was in front of me, and mainly that focus was on planning. I was, and still have tendencies to be, an obsessive planner. I may not have been a perfectionist in the sense that I had to make everything look perfect or sound perfect, but when it came to planning assignments, studying for exams, even planning what clothes to wear the next day, I was....perfect.

As I continued to read this book everything was put into perspective for me, and by hearing other people's stories of anorexia and bulimia I really had a more clear understanding of my own. I have concluded that for my whole life I have had Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD).

Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.^[1]

As you can see from the definition below, this is slightly different from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions.

Source: Wikepedia

The author of the book described how she believes she has this disorder herself (OCPD), and studies have shown that many anorexic individuals possess many of the traits that accompany this disorder; mainly perfectionism, rigidity, inflexibility, caution, and need for symmetry. I think about my life as a child and that just about sums it up.

Overall I believe I was an odd case. Unlike many of the people in this book I never actually looked at myself in the mirror and thought I was fat or undeserving. I actually loved myself and my body, for the most part. I was always very happy as a child and adolescent. Sure I had my down times, but doesn't everyone? Now that I know I had/have many traits that mimic OCPD I have figured out the toxic combination of traits and events that produced the perfect storm for my eating disorder. I did a lot of looking back at my life as I was reading this book (mentally looking back and also reading old journal entries) and I can specifically remember one day in high school looking at a picture of myself at my Junior prom, in my prom dress, and noticing the dress was way too tight. I was so angry that no one had told me I looked ridiculous! While I didn't dwell on it a whole lot, I think seeing that picture sparked some serious anxiety about my body that was imbedded deep within me. At the same time I was stressed about the slow decline of a very tight bond with my best friend, and meanwhile my first serious boyfriend had just cheated on me, for the second time. This was in addition to the stress of being at an all girls school where getting into a good college was absolutely critical. The perfect storm had been created. It was too much stress all at once and all of a sudden I felt I had lost control of my life and my "perfectionism". I had never planned for my life to come to this point! To deal with the stress, I literally gave up fat and became obsessed with the control I had over my ability to get smaller, and smaller, and smaller.

Source: iStock Photo

I talked to my dad a few days ago about that time of my life and he said he "remembers that I would come home from the grocery store with all sugar free and fat free foods".

The only thing I remember very clearly is my consistent, repative and controlled breakfast; Kashi cereal mixed with Fiber One, measured in a 3/4th measuring cup with 1 cup of skim milk.


This was so unlike me. I never used to measure my food! But I don't think my parents really thought anything of it at first. After all, this was the 1990's, the decade of the whole fat free craze, so perhaps they thought it was just a faze. I started eliminating fat from my diet and was so good at it that I dropped ten pounds by the time I reached my senior year (that's a lot considering I was already only 110 pounds). Every day I felt the urge to do better at controlling my food, and each time someone told me I was "too skinny" I was pushed even harder to do even better at losing weight and controlling my food intake.

Flash forward to now. I am not going to lie and say that my OCPD traits have completely vanished, because they have not. I am still compulsive about planning/controlling my life, but everyday I get a little better at just living in the moment. I read in the book that, "the ultimate experience of control is achieved, paradoxically, when we are least worried about control". Amen!

I am completely aware of my tendencies to deal with stress by becoming even more obsessed with planning and controlling things. It's crazy how even the simplest stressor will cause me to tense and be compulsive. Stress also effects my eating, just as it does for so many of us. The good thing is that stress makes me eat, and I almost always choose healthy foods to eat because I've learned that's what makes me feel better.

I truly think anyone who has had, or who has dealt with someone with an eating disorder should read this book. In the end I learned a lesson that I will keep with me forever, and that is how to prevent my own children from developing the same poor relationship with food that I did, in such a short period of time. I feel empowered knowing that I have a better understanding of how my personality, behavior, and environment came together, perfectly, to create the life-threatening situation that it did. My parents were completely caught off guard. If my own child shows signs of an eating disorder, I will be ready and eager to help.

I am currently in the middle of writing my autobiography, as I have realized that my story truly is unique. My goal is to have it finished in the next couple years and to really do some more healing throughout that time. Just reading this book has helped me deal with so many issues that I didn't even know I was still subconsciously dealing with. So far, as I write my autobiography, I have continued my journey of healing simply by looking back at my past, reading my journals, and talking to my friends and family.

I've read so many stories of anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders on blogs. One of my favorite bloggers, Sophia of Burp and Slurp, has a weekend series of stores about her own struggles with anorexia. Her stories are personal, touching, and completely candid. I encourage everyone to stop by sometime and read her weekend series (or any of her delicious posts throughout the week).

QUESTION: What are your experiences (personal or otherwise) with an eating disorder? Have you read Gaining?

An Insight on Eating Disorders

As many of you know, I used to have an eating disorder. While I have no one to blame but myself, I do know that my mom's constant weight-talk that went on (and still goes on) my entire life affected me more than I ever knew (this article talks a bit about how mother's attitudes about dieting and body image affect their children). My mom is certainly not the only women who talks about weight in front of their children, but I think among the thousands of things my mom has taught me, one of the most important thing is to never discuss weight and dieting (unless in a positive way) in front of my own children. Clearly there are many other variables that go into creating the perfect candidate for an eating disorder; for me my Type A personality played a large role. I had sort of a hard time during my junior year of high school and I felt the overwhelming need to control something, and controlling my weight was easy. I was damn good at it, but in a very unhealthy and torturous way.

Here are some eating disorder (anorexia and bulimia) statistics from the South Carolina Department of Mental Health

• It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder – seven million women and one million men
• One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia
• Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia
• Nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder (Note: One in five Americans suffers from mental illnesses.)
• An estimated 10 – 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are males

And what about disordered eating? The Journal of the American Dietetic Association recently published a study that concluded "disordered eating behaviors are not just an adolescent problem, but continue to be prevalent among young adults. Findings suggest that early use is likely to set the stage for ongoing use, and there is a serious need for early intervention"

So even those who don't have full blown eating disorders may still be living a life overly focused on food, fat, calories, etc. After I had anorexia I developed disordered eating, where I ate plenty of calories, but was still constantly preoccupied with food and how it would effect my body. I thought about food constantly, whether in a positive or negative way (when I say positive, I mean that I was still depriving myself to the point where I would get overly excited when I allowed myself a bowl of ice cream). This was not normal, this was disordered eating.



Sometimes I get scared to have children of my own because I really believe that these statistics are only going to get worse as our children plant themselves in front of the TV more often and view weight-related commercials or segments on TV. Or even when they are in school checking their Yahoo mail, and this pops up;



I think I'd rather my child watch porn on TV than view this type of add, with unrealistic cartoon images of someone going from obese, to Barbie thin, making them think this is something they should do in order to be accepted. And these ads are just the tip of the iceberg. Go ahead and pick up any type of health or fitness magazine and you'll quickly notice that every single picture is of a skinny and fit girl or guy, because, after all, you can't be 30 pounds overweight and healthy. Nope, you must be thin, thin, thin. And gorgeous, of course. The only overweight pictures in magazines these days are ones of the person "before" their diet, always followed by their new skinny and "healthy" picture.


While my eating disorder has been behind me for several years now, I was absolutely elated to receive a package in the mail at work, which contained a book titled; Gaining.

A friend from my high school, who I saw for the first time in several years at our reunion this year, sent it to me. I was so touched. She told me she reads my blog and had recently read this book and thought I might enjoy it.

I found this review from Publishers Weekly on Amazon.com;

Thirty years after Liu penned Solitaire documenting her teenage experience with anorexia nervosa, she recounts her midlife relapse and recovery. Liu exposes many myths surrounding eating disorders, with a combination of research and in-depth interviews with other former anorexics and bulimics. She interviews men and women of various cultural and economic backgrounds to refute the notion that anorexia and bulimia affect only "modern rich white girls." Liu's interviewees range from Rob, a 50-year-old physician, to Jessica, an Australian 25-year-old aspiring actress. Liu devotes many chapters to the impact of family on the anorexic or bulimic, contradicting the accepted belief that the victim is "the sick one"; rather, she locates the starting point of the disease in genetics, family life, shame and personality. Like other victims, Liu finds a history of mental disorders in her family, ranging from alcoholism to obsessive-compulsive disorder. According to Liu, a manifestation of an eating disorder is a call for help and should be treated as early as possible, and she fleshes out facts and statistics with her personal interviews, making this book poignant even for those who have not suffered from an eating disorder. (Feb. 22)


I plan on writing my own review of this book once I am finished.

Here are some good reads on eating disorders that I have recently found online or in magazines. The last one is a blog post I wrote last year.

When Eating Disorders Strike in Midlife


Insights From Eating Disorder Counseling
(Great tips for any clinician working with people who have eating disorders)


Pro-Anorexia Websites; Kate and Pippa as "Thinspiration"
(This is truly disturbing)

More Young Children Are Alarmingly Thin

(This was in our local paper yesterday. The stats are startling)

Do You Weigh Yourself?

Question: Do you have any personal or non-personal experiences with eating disorders?

Let's not forget, while most information focuses more on anorexia and bulimia, binge eating disorder and orthorexia (the newest "eating disorder") are also serious eating disorders that can destroy lives. If you or a loved one have signs of an eating disorder, I encourage you to seek help before the problem grows deeper.