Bruised Body Image??

I came across this picture today and wanted to share it- although unfortunately, I'm having trouble formatting the image so that you can see the entire quote (by Marcia Hutchinson)! Until I can fix it, it says "If you talked to your friends the way you talk to your body, you'd have no friends left." I think it speaks for itself, and I think it speaks volumes. If this quote impacts you, I would encourage you to consider how you might start thinking about your body in a way that might be more kind! Margarita Tartakovsky writes a blog on body image and eating disorders, and she wrote a great post on 'bruised' body image that I want to share with you. While I have posted the majority of it below, I would encourage you to check it out in full here. Not only does she help you to identify if you may be struggling with 'bruised' (or poor) body image, but she also provides some helpful tips for thinking more positively about your body.

Here’s a list of indicators that your image may be suffering more than usual (and ways to fix it below that):

1. You notice only negative things in the mirror, car windows, storefront windows, etc. Instead of seeing your positive physical traits, you’re more likely to be found bashing your body, and nitpicking at every nook and cranny.
2. You have a tough time taking compliments. It isn’t that you’re too polite to take a compliment; it’s that you truly believe you don’t deserve them.
3. You rarely think you look good. Even wearing a favorite outfit doesn’t help you to feel good in your skin. You rarely feel beautiful or even pretty.
4. You compare yourself to everyone. For many of us, comparisons are as natural as breathing. But, while you’re comparing your appearance to everyone else’s, you rarely have anything good to say about yourself. It’s always, “her thighs are so much slimmer than mine.” “Her waist is much smaller.” “I wish I had her body.”
5. It takes you forever to pick out an outfit — more often than not. Do you have a moment — more like many moments — where you’ve been cooped up in your room, trying on tons of clothes? You can’t see your floor, partially because it’s overflowing with clothing and mainly because your face is filled with tears. There’s nothing wrong with your clothes–it’s just that everything is wrong with your body.
6. You skip events because you don’t think you look good enough. How often have you declined an invite to a dinner date, party or other engagement because you felt too fat to leave the house?
7. You criticize your body regularly. “My stomach is gross.” “My thighs are enormous!” Do these phrases resemble your daily mantras?

And the following is a list of some pointers that she gives:

1. Think of the awesome things you can do thanks to your body,whether it’s lifting weights, walking several miles, playing with your child, playing an instrument, riding a bike, helping mom carry groceries, dancing with your significant other, achieving a tough yoga pose or simply wrapping your arms around a loved one.

2. What do you like about yourself, beyond your body? Create a list of your positive qualities and achievements, and if you need extra reminding, put the list on a note card and stash it in your purse.

3. Hang out with positive people, who appreciate and support you, who see beyond appearances to who you really are.

4. View exercise as fulfilling, not punishing. Instead of working out to eliminate calories or fit into some bikini (all things that, unfortunately, many magazines and some so-called experts recommend), choose ways to stay active that you enjoy and that make you feel strong and good about your body. There are tons of options for leading an active lifestyle: walking, hiking, biking, workout DVDs, gym membership, yoga, Pilates, dancing, tennis. There’s nothing wrong with you if you don’t like the latest workout craze. Pick something that resonates with you.

5. Worrying about your weight and body is exhausting and strips you of valuable time. Consider all the good things you miss out on because you’re too busy criticizing yourself. You overlook other opportunities, whether it’s the opportunity to self-reflect (instead of nit-picking at your thighs or waist, focus on being kinder to yourself and others), spend time with loved ones or read a good book.

Happy Monday to everyone and hope you all have a great week!! Think good thoughts about your body and what it can do for you. Be kind to yourselves!

If there was a contest that awarded a prize to the person with the most junk mail in their inbox, I might have a good shot at winning. I have no idea how I ended up on so many random listservs. I get emails announcing sales at stores that I have never heard of, announcements about travel deals (which if I'm honest, I kind of like!), stationary sales, opportunities to participate in paid surveys, home improvement tips from Home Depot and Lowe's... you name it, it's probably in my e-trash. As I was deleting all the useless emails in my junk mail account (hotmail, cough cough), I came across an email from Victoria's Secret. The subject read "New! I Love My Body Bras." I sort of laughed and wondered if perhaps Victoria's Secret was working to promote positive body image. I clicked on the email and there were three models in their bras and underwear looking a little hungry. My next move- I googled 'Victoria's Secret Love My Body' and this is what I found. Follow the link to read the article on their 'campaign.'

I don't mean to make fun of it or anything- promise! If you read my blog, you know that I am all about promoting positive body image and people loving their bodies. And for this, I think it's great that Victoria's Secret is trying to help women love their bodies. I just find it funny/ironic/unfortunate that their campaign slogan is "Body for Everybody, Love Your Body" and the picture attached to the campaign shows 7 women who all look the same. A more appropriate slogan might be "Body for Seven, Love Your Body." :) I think if the goal is to promote the idea that all bodies are beautiful, then showing women of all sizes and shapes might be more effective in communicating this message. I dislike being critical for the sake of being critical, but I think it's important to be critical about the media/images that we view and how we interpret them, as they have a significant impact on how we view ourselves and our bodies (whether we are aware of it or not). I think observing and thinking critically is important, and it's also important and okay to act and react appropriately to such things.

I don't often tell stories, but I've been thinking a lot lately (especially in honor of last week's National Eating Disorders Awareness Week) about doing 'just one thing'- and how doing one thing here or there can really make a difference. Well, when I was putting away some groceries I bought the other day, I noticed that as I was putting a particular item into my refrigerator, there was a picture of a girl's face (a cartoon) along with a website address on the outside of this item. In addition, this particular item had been 'approved' by this cartoon girl. I'm a curious person by nature and wanted to know who this girl was and why she was on my food, so I checked out her website. I refuse to share the alias of this cartoon girl or her website because when I went online to see what she was all about, all that I could found were tips on cutting calories, dieting tips, what to eat at certain restaurants, etc. This website also provides the option for people to sign up to receive daily emails sharing dieting tips, how to cut calories, and specific products to buy that help promote weight loss. I'm really not sure who created this site, but the girl behind the alias says that she is obsessed with food, counting calories, finding great diet tips.... and to me, that is one giant red flag!! If you are obsessed with numbers, weight, counting calories, dieting, etc.. it may be a good idea to talk to someone about this, especially if it is interfering with your ability to think rationally, maintain health and be yourself.

While I wouldn't necessarily call this person's site a pro-anorexia site, it is certainly not a healthy site. The information presented is likely triggering for anyone who has struggled with an eating disorder, food issues, body image struggles, etc. It made me upset to think that someone could do something as simple as buy something at the grocery store and be confronted with this little cartoon girl and her website. My reaction was so strong that I felt like I needed to take an action step. So, I sent this cartoon girl a little message on the 'contact me' section of her site. My message was not rude or judgmental, but I shared my thoughts and concerns with her. I haven't heard back from her, and I don't expect to. I didn't write to her expecting a response or even needing one. The simple act of putting that feedback out there was empowering and I think we need to be doing this kind of thing more often, myself included. It's not even about trying to change someone else, or to show someone that they are wrong about something- of course, it is helpful for people to be educated and knowledgeable and to have correct information. But I think when we take action steps, it actually frees us and empowers us in ways that help us to move one step closer to health and acceptance of ourselves. In doing that, we may actually end up facilitating change after all! Every little action helps, whether it helps us or helps others, or both! As we interact with people and media (print, TV, etc) this week, let's consider how we might take small action steps to promote positive body image in ourselves and in those around us.

The Body Image Project!

This week has been a really busy one, and it is not over yet- which means that National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is still going strong! I received an email from Tiffany, who is the woman behind the Body Image Project- a really cool website and organization that I have written about before (click here to read my post and here to check out the Body Image Project). The mission of her site is to help people reframe and reshape the way they feel and think about their bodies. I want to quote her because I think she said it best- We want to hit the message home that if you do one thing this week, participate. Share your story. Help spread the word. Encourage positive body image and take control of your own advocacy …your right to be happy, healthy and thrive in your own skin. I love the attitude behind this statement. It starts with each one of us as individuals!

What can you do? Be intentional about reminding yourself what you value and like about your body and yourself each day. I read an interview that Jenni Schaefer gave recently and she said that she encourages people (including herself!) to think about what your body can do for you- instead of focusing on your individual body parts and criticizing them, consider what purpose these body parts serve for you and how lucky we are to have functioning bodies. She also said the following (so great!)-"Realize that your body is just a vehicle for life. I've heard people say it's like an earth suit. It's what you get to wear to walk around and experience the world." I think that is a cute, unique and helpful way to think about our bodies. To read the most recent blog post written by Tiffany at the Body Image Project, follow this link to read her thoughts on National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. And remember, do just one thing this week!! No matter how big or small, you can make a difference by doing one thing.

It's Time to Talk About It!

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAw) is in full swing. In my last post, I shared about the mission and goals of NEDAw, so if you missed it, take a look! This year's theme is "It's Time to Talk About It" and the hope is for everyone to do just one thing! If we all do one thing, no matter how small, think about the attention we can bring to highlight a major psychiatric illness in our society that is often very misunderstood! One suggestion for doing one thing (compliments of NEDA- National Eating Disorders Association) is to use your social networking sites (think facebook, twitter, etc...) to post some kind of link or information about eating disorders that may serve to initiate conversations or educate people about eating disorders. Margarita Tartakovsky wrote a blog post on some myths and facts about eating disorders that might be of interest (you might learn something yourself too- this is a great list)! Below is the list that she made with the help of some eating disorder professionals (access it in full here). I would encourage you to read it, but also to pass them on to someone this week in order to raise awareness about the facts behind eating disorders!

Eating Disorder Myths

In honor of NEDA’s theme, let’s talk about eating disorder myths and facts. There are many misconceptions surrounding eating disorders. I’ve asked several clinicians to share a few myths and facts.

Myth: Media is the primary cause for the development of most eating disorders. (Julie Holland, MHS, CEDS, Eating Recovery Center)

Fact: Although recent surveys have confirmed that adolescent girls get much of their health information from the media, media messages themselves are not a primary cause of eating disorders. Messages that promote an unrealistic thin ideal can set unrealistic standards regarding body size and shape. The fact is, media messages have the ability to positively or negatively affect one’s body image and/or self-image based on the message and how it is presented. It is important that we teach individuals critical thinking when looking at media images.

Myth: Eating disorders are triggered by a desire to be thin.(Emmett R. Bishop, Jr., MD, CEDS, Eating Recovery Center)

Fact: Eating disorder behaviors do not develop merely because an individual has a longing to be thin. For instance, an individual who does not know that he or she has wheat or lactose intolerance may develop a fear of food due to the discomfort or pain it causes. Someone in chemotherapy or with a gastrointestinal disorder may stop eating to avoid nausea.

Myth: Eating disorders are a choice. (Julie Holland)

Fact: Although individuals may choose to start a diet or engage in certain behaviors, eating disorders themselves are not a choice. People do not choose to have anorexia or bulimia. These disorders develop over a period of time and require various levels of treatment to address complex symptoms including medical, psychiatric and other underlying issues.

Myth: You can tell if someone has an eating disorder just by looking at them. (Marla Scanzello, MS, RD, Eating Recovery Center)

Fact: Many people with eating disorders are of normal weight, or even overweight. Weight is not a tell-all sign of an eating disorder. Furthermore, eating disorder patients can become quite skilled at hiding their disordered eating behaviors.

Myth: People with eating disorders will eat normally / recover when they choose to do so. (Dr. Ravin)

Fact: This myth implies that EDs are willful behavior and that a patient can simply make a choice to recover. Thus, it blames people with EDs for having an illness that is not their fault. Most people with EDs are not able to eat normally on their own; they require significant outside support (nutritionist, parental support in refeeding, residential tx, etc.) in order to normalize their eating habits.

Myth: Developing a positive body image is not that important in the overall recovery from an eating disorder and should be worked on towards the end of the recovery process. (Carolyn Jones)

Fact: A continued negative body image is one of the main contributing factors to a relapse in the eating recovery process. Improving a person’s body image is one of the hardest and most time-consuming things to change in the healing process and should be undertaken early during treatment.

Myth: Eating disorders are not deadly. (Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, CEDS, Eating Recovery Center)

Fact: In all actuality, it is quite the opposite. Eating disorders are the deadliest mental illness. A woman with anorexia nervosa is 5.6 times more likely to die than another woman of her same age. The most frequent causes of death from eating disorders are suicide (32 percent), complications associated with anorexia (19 percent), and cancer (11 percent). The average age of death for an individual with anorexia is only 34 years.

Myth: You can never fully recover from an eating disorder. (Julie Holland & Sarah Ravin)

Fact: According to Holland, “Recovery takes commitment, dedication, hard work and time. However, full recovery is absolutely possible through finding the appropriate treatment professionals and program.”

According to Dr. Ravin, “The people who believe this are probably those who did not receive treatment, received inadequate or low-quality treatment, lacked the necessary social support, or were never pushed to reach and maintain an ideal body weight and stay there long enough for brain healing to occur.The underlying biological predisposition will always be there, but people can and do recover fully from EDs. I’ve seen it happen many times.”

Of course you are not limited to posting this information on your social networking sites! There is a lot of great information on NEDA's website (follow this link to access their information/resources page) as well as on many other sites. Maybe you can re-post a blog, an article, or the name of a book that you have read and enjoyed about body image, eating disorders, etc... Anything that you can do to help raise awareness is meaningful. We often hear so much in the news about schizophrenia and Alzheimer's (which are both worthy of our attention), but would you be surprised to learn that eating disorders impact five times as many people as schizophrenia? And eating disorders affect double the number of people with Alzheimer's? (These statistics were taken from John Grohol, PsyD, of PsychCentral). This information does not serve to take anything away from either of these illnesses, but rather the purpose is to illustrate the prevalence of eating disorders as psychiatric illness. If you have learned anything new from this blog post (or even if you haven't!), I would encourage you in honor of this week to share something new with your families, friends and loved ones because it's time to talk about it.

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAw)

About a month ago, I mentioned National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, along with one or two ways that you might begin to consider or think about getting involved (click here to read!). Well, now that the time is upon us, and it officially begins tomorrow (Sunday, February 21), I will be posting different suggestions and tips all week related to you being able to do just one thing to participate. The theme of this year's National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is "It's Time to Talk About It." Below is a Q and A that I have copied from NEDA's website to give you more information about the mission, etc. behind the week!

So, what is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week?

NEDAwareness Week is a collective effort of primarily volunteers, eating disorder professionals, health care providers, educators, social workers, and individuals committed to raising awareness of the dangers surrounding eating disorders and the need for early intervention and treatment.

***What is The Mission of NEDAwareness Week?

Our aim of NEDAwareness Week is to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses — not choices — and it’s important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder.

How does NEDAwareness Week Work?

This year, NEDA is calling for everyone to do just one thing to help raise awareness and provide accurate information about eating disorders. NEDAwareness Week participants can choose from a huge range of ways to contribute: Distribute info pamphlets and put up posters, write one letter for Media Watchdogs, register as a Volunteer Speaker or host a Volunteer Speaker, coordinate a NEDA Walk, or arrange interactive and educational activities such as panel discussions, fashion shows, body fairs, movie screenings, art exhibits and more. As an official NEDAwareness Week participant you can be involved in any way that works with your schedule, resources, community, and interests. These events and activities attract public media attention - on local, national and international levels.

To lead NEDAwareness Week off, I would encourage all of you to think about one way that you might be able to get involved this week. Whether it is focusing on curbing fat talk, researching information about eating disorders and sharing that information with others, encouraging your friends, family and loved ones to love their bodies (and loving your own!), or anything else you would like to do, think of one thing that feels authentic for you and do it! As I said, I will be providing suggestions and examples this week, and encourage you to try as many or few of them as you want.

Tomorrow, a nutritionist colleague and friend, Ellen Morrison, MS, RD, LDN will be on the radio at various times and stations to discuss NEDAw and ways that you can participate. She will specifically be sharing about ways to affirm and encourage yourselves and each other to love yourself and your body. To find out more about Ellen and her work, follow this link. She will be on at 7am (a little early, ha ha- so if you miss it, I will hopefully be able to post the podcast at some point as soon as it is made available). Here is a schedule of when she will be on: 7am on 2/21 (Sunday, tomorrow) on G105, The River (100.7) and KISS (93.9). Her segment will also air at 6pm on The Rush (106.1).