treatment

Holiday Reminder

During the holiday season we are often busy shopping for loved ones, gathering gifts together to show our love and appreciation. Most of us realize that it is the feeling behind the gift that is most important—the gift is our way of showing our love for those closest to us, even if it’s just a token reminder. Yet, the process of gift giving is an excellent example of how a human feeling can be transformed into a material object for others to see. Our Christmas gifts or Hanukkah gifts are, in essence, our…Read more

Summer Time- by Samantha Spiwak

t’s summer time!! Time to enjoy the good life. The beautiful sunshine, the clear blue sky, and quality time with good people. Sleeping in late, going to bed at unreasonable hours, and time to catch up on your favorite TV shows and movies. Pull out those sunglasses, turn up the music, and get ready for those pool parties because summer is finally here!! Wait… did you say pool parties? That means bathing suits, shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, and hair up. In today’s media-driven society, where models are only getting skinnier, bikinis getting smaller,…Read more

Stuffing Feelings- by Samantha Spiwak

Sunday night I went to dinner with my family. I realized on the way I wasn’t hungry. I was also thinking about a lot of other things. Feelings that I have yet to really express or feel myself. As I looked out the window little things started to bring me back to the old days with people who aren’t in my life for whatever reason it may be. When we all sat down at dinner I looked over the menu and told my family nothing sounded good and I am simply not hungry.…Read more

I feel the pressure…..to be thin- by Samantha Spiwak

Let’s face it.  Our society is obsessed with being thin.  There is no way you can escape it.   TV, Magazines, Internet, and even on your phone the PRESSURE is there.  The pressure to be thin by society is overwhelming.  It confuses me at times what exactly society wants.  They say “beautiful” women should be 100 lbs, legs for days, and a face you can’t look away from.  We see these types of women on the TV, in magazines, and on the Internet.  What throws me for a loop is this new Carl’s Jr…Read more

Spring Cleaning- by Eliana Katz

As the days of spring give way to summer, I can no longer ignore the glaring, circled, underlined, highlighted item in bold on my to-do list: Spring Cleaning. It’s the time of year that reminds me, however reluctantly, to go through my room, my closet, my drawers, de-clutter, reorganize, and start fresh. Why I tend to procrastinate with this chore year after year, I’m not quite sure. Perhaps it’s the daunting task of coming face to face with all the clothes that don’t fit, the loose pages of the short story I never…Read more
Advice For Loved Ones

Advice For Loved Ones

The claws of an eating disorder often extend further than the individual afflicted with the disease; family members and loved ones find their lives in upheaval as well. When you find out that a loved one is battling an eating disorder, the best way to proceed can be a confusing and murky. How do you communicate? How do you approach issues such as food and self-image? What actions can you take for yourself? To begin with, full honesty must be the foundation of your relationship. Forming a pact or contract can help keep…Read more
Practicing Self-Esteem- by Alice Kofman

Practicing Self-Esteem- by Alice Kofman

Many people with eating-disorders have low self-esteem. An excellent tool to develop higher self-esteem is to practice writing in a journal every day. A journal is like a mirror into one’s soul. It’s a great place to express emotion, creativity and to work through negative emotions. Journaling can be used as a safe outlet to release private thoughts and feelings. By practicing free flowing stream of consciousness writing, one can effectively explore one’s inner world. Many people are far too busy to pay attention to the subtle inner feelings that arise in the…Read more
Extreme Celebrity Diets- by Katie Funk

Extreme Celebrity Diets- by Katie Funk

We see it everyday on TV, in magazines, or on the Internet. Stories of extreme weight loss among celebrities are given major attention in the media. These people are praised and celebrated for their new “healthy” lifestyles and their decreasing dress size, and are presented as role models for our youth. But I can’t help but wonder if these stories are only adding to the unrealistic ideals we hold about weight and body type. Take Jennifer Hudson. She is the spotlight of diet and health in Hollywood right now, and because of her…Read more

A Lifetime of Overeating- By Mitchell Gordon

Growing up fat was very hard for me—kids always pointed and made fun of me. I was born to be to be a loner, and I ate when I was bored and lonely. Sometimes I couldn’t even eat at certain restaurants because the tables couldn’t accommodate me. Growing up fat was a lifestyle—my entire family was fat, even my dogs! During grade school I gained weight very easily. My days consisted of watching TV and I never exercised. When I was 20, I met a girl. We ended up getting married, and she…Read more