Eating Disorder Art.

Eating disorders -- such as anorexia and bulimia -- are one of the main health issues that young women today face. A few of the most common symptoms of eating disorders include avoiding food (anorexia), vomiting to purge food from the body (bulimia), and compulsive overeating (binge-eating disorder). But did you know that eating disorders are on the rise around the world, not just in the United States? Or that hundreds of thousands of boys (not just girls) have eating disorders?

Many art therapists work with clients who have eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Art therapy is a beneficial form of treatment for working with these individuals.

The most common types of eating disorder are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (usually called simply "anorexia" and "bulimia"). But other food-related disorders, like binge eating disorders, body image disorders, and food phobias,are showing up more frequently than they used to.

An estimated 5 million to 8 million Americans suffer from eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and compulsive eating. As many as 25% of all college-age women are estimated to experience eating disorders while approximately 60% of these women exhibit sub-clinical disordered eating behaviors. Complications from these disorders can lead to serious health consequences and even death.

"Eating Disorders in a Disordered Culture," an art exhibit from the University of California at Davis, is on display at Gregory Gymnasium until Friday. The exhibit depicts the emotional intensity felt by those suffering from eating disorders and provides information about anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating.

Art is one form of therapy that the Center for Eating Disorders uses to help patients with eating disorders such as, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating, express feelings and explore conflicts. This course of treatment helps patients become more aware of the connections between eating disorder symptoms, negative body imagery and impulse control.

Body Image Betrayal and Related Issues - Devoted to speaking out about Eating Disorders and related issues including: therapy abuse, self-injury (cutting), domestic violence, child abuse, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Also includes links to treatment and help through other sites and chat.

Eating disorders often are long-term illnesses that may require long-term treatment. In addition, eating disorders frequently occur with other mental disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders (NIMH, 2002). The earlier these disorders are diagnosed and treated, the better the chances are for full recovery. This fact sheet identifies the common signs, symptoms, and treatment for three of the most common eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder (NIMH, 2002).

This eating disorder is similar to anorexia and bulimia because a person binges regularly on food (more than three times a week). But, unlike the other eating disorders, a person with binge eating disorder does not try to "compensate" by purging the food.

Lots of information on eating disorders, including less well-known ones such as pica and body dysmorphic disorder. Topics covered include warning signs, treatment and recovery, definitions, statistics, background on causes, treatment and recovery, information on eating disorders in certain populations, complications, tips for family and friends, and a forum to share personal stories and writings.

Nutritional disturbances are a hallmark of eating disorders and are related to the severity and duration of dysfunctional dietary habits. Although abnormalities of minerals, vitamins and trace elements can occur, they generally are not clinically recognized (22). Deprivation of energy (calories) and protein on the other hand are especially important to identify because these elements are crucial to growth (23). Moreover, there is evidence that adolescents with eating disorders may be losing critical tissue components, such as muscle mass, body fat and bone mineral (5,21,24), during a phase of growth when dramatic increases in these elements should be occurring. Complete and ongoing assessment of nutritional status is the basis of management of nutritional disturbances in adolescents with eating disorders.

Lasser and Sylva's ongoing project "Eating Disorders in a Disordered Culture" combines art with a public health campaign. The artists aim in augmenting the gallery exhibition with bus shelter posters, billboards, and a Web site, is to build public awareness, understanding, and support for people with eating disorders. Despite statistics showing eating disorders afflict 7 million American women and 1 million men, the issues surrounding eating disorders have been virtually absent from public dialogue. Eating disorders include bulimia (bingeing and purging), anorexia nervosa (starvation) and compulsive overeating. In their multi-media and multi-venue project, Lasser and Sylva have delved behind the statistics to uncover the intense emotions of individuals with eating disorders.

Christi Middlesworth provides a full range of administrative support to the UCSD Eating Disorders Treatment and Research Program. She works closely with the Director, Program Manager and Program Staff and is the primary point person for all patient billing, insurance and records management.

Binge-eating disorder - People with this recently recognized disorder have frequent episodes of compulsive overeating, but unlike those with bulimia, they do not purge their bodies of food (NIMH, 2002). During these food binges, they often eat alone and very quickly, regardless of whether they feel hungry or full. They often feel shame or guilt over their actions. Unlike anorexia and bulimia, binge-eating disorder occurs almost as often in men as in women (National Eating Disorders Association, 2002).

Position: All adolescents with an eating disorder should be evaluated for co-morbid psychiatric illness. Mental health intervention for adolescents with eating disorders should address not only the psychopathology characteristics of eating disorders, but also the accomplishment of the developmental tasks of adolescence and the specific psychosocial issues central to this age group. For most adolescents, family therapy should be considered as an important part of treatment.

The most compelling part of the exhibition is the "Share your story?" wall where people are encouraged to anonymously comment about their own struggles with eating disorders or body image on a piece of paper that can be added to the wall or placed in a box. Many of these accounts and notes may be used in future pieces by Christiansen to further explore eating disorders. Standing and reading people's accounts of their own experiences with body image and eating disorders has a profound effect on the viewer. It allows you to connect with the author of those words on a personal basis. It is frightening when you stop and think that these could be the thoughts and experiences of fellow students right here at UR.

Both in-patient and out-patient treatments need to be available to adolescents with eating disorders (27,28). Factors that would justify in-patient treatment include significant malnutrition, physiological or physical evidence of medical compromise (such as vital sign instability, dehydration or electrolyte disturbances) even in the absence of significant weight loss, arrested growth and development, failure of out-patient treatment, acute food refusal, uncontrollable binging, vomiting or purging, family dysfunction that prevents effective treatment, and acute medical or psychiatric emergencies (28). The goals of treatment are the same in a medical or psychiatric in-patient unit, a day program or out-patient setting: to help the adolescent achieve and maintain both physical and psychological health.

Casa Palmera houses first-class room accommodations typically found in world renowned resorts and luxury hotels. When you receive treatment at Casa Palmera you will have the choice between staying in your own private room and sharing a semi-private room with another resident.

Position: Adolescents with eating disorders require evaluation and treatment focused on biological, psychological and social features of these complex, chronic health conditions. Assessment and ongoing management should be interdisciplinary and is best accomplished by a team consisting of medical, nursing, nutritional and mental health disciplines. Treatment should be provided by health care providers who have expertise in managing adolescent patients with eating disorders and are knowledgeable about normal adolescent physical and psychological development. Hospitalization of an adolescent with an eating disorder is necessary in the presence of malnutrition, clinical evidence of medical or psychiatric decompensation or failure of out-patient treatment. Ongoing treatment should be delivered with appropriate frequency, intensity and duration.

Interdisciplinary treatment of eating disorders can be time-consuming, relatively prolonged and extremely costly. Lack of access to appropriate interdisciplinary teams or insufficient treatment can result in chronicity, social or psychiatric morbidity, and even death. Some provincial plans limit access to private care resources such as nutrition visits or mental health visits. Absent or low reimbursement rates for psychosocial services results in fewer qualified persons being willing to care for teenagers and young adults with eating disorders.