Educated Family May Mean Higher Eating Disorder Risk

An article published on Reuters recently reported that girls who come from educated families may be at greater risk of developing an eating disorder. This does not mean that girls whose fathers, mothers and grandparents are highly educated are destined to have an eating disorder; however, it reinforces and identifies a group (teenage girls!) who are at risk.

This article was based on a study that followed generations of families in Sweden, specifically families who had girls that were born between 1952 and 1989. While girls whose parents completed college were twice as likely to be treated for an eating disorder than girls whose parents had an elementary school education, the astounding news (to me!) is related to maternal grandmothers' education as predictors of eating disorders. Girls whose maternal grandmothers completed college were six times as likely to be treated for an eating disorder, as compared to girls whose maternal grandmothers only attended elementary school. While it is not clear that greater academic achievement leads to eating disorders, it IS clear that the link exists. The article hypothesizes that expectations may have something to do with it; we have known for awhile that high-achieving girls are at risk for eating disorders, and it is possible that the higher (perceived) expectations that a girl feels (educationally or otherwise), the more at risk a girl is to develop an eating disorder. As mentioned in a previous post about prevention efforts with teenagers, it is important to highlight groups of teenagers that may be at high risk for developing eating disorders, as well as other mental illnesses, to do all that we can to prevent their development.

For the article, follow this link!

Life Without ED

Today's post is dedicated to a book that I think anyone who has ever struggled with an eating disorder (or is currently struggling with one) should read.  Jenni Schaefer, a musician/author/activist, has written this book with the help of Thom Rutledge, a therapist who has counseled her throughout her recovery.

Jenni shares pieces of her personal journey, while also sharing how she has recovered from/learned to manage her eating disorder. She writes about how she has learned to do this with the help of her therapist, who encouraged her to separate herself from her eating disorder, which she affectionately nicknamed ED. 

On her personal website, she has a great page devoted to eating disorder resources/links. Follow this link to check them out. Jenni also has a new book coming out entitled Goodbye Ed, Hello Life.  This book not only focuses on recovery, but the freedom and joy that comes from complete recovery of an eating disorder. She provides hope and encouragement in both books through sharing her experiences and acting as an example that recovery from an eating disorder is possible and that life in recovery can be lived with joy and peace!!

A Great Resource for Eating Disorder Information

The National Eating Disorders Association, commonly referred to as NEDA, is a great resource for information about eating disorders. If you or anyone that you know or love is dealing with an eating disorder, this is a great website that will provide you with resources for treatment as well as education about eating disorders. Here is a link to NEDA's website.

I would also like to highlight a portion of NEDA's website which is devoted to sharing stories of hope. Individuals who have dealt with eating disorders (and recovered) have written testimonials to encourage and give hope to those who are still on the journey to recovery. Follow this link and be encouraged!