Martha Tenney ‘09 writes:

We are starting a group for students with eating disorders or disordered eating, and their friends and allies. We hope to create a supportive and welcoming environment for anyone struggling with these issues at Wesleyan, which can sometimes be an alienating and hostile environment. We are in no way affiliated with OBHS, and we promise a safe and confidential space to discuss issues. If you have questions, or would like to come but can’t because the time is inconvenient, email mtenney@wes.

Date: Monday, Nov. 3
Time: 9:00 PM
Place: Usdan 108

In part, the article states:

The bill, approved by the lower house of Parliament, faces a Senate vote. If passed, it would take aim at any means of mass communication — including magazines and Web sites — that promote eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia with punishments of up to three years in prison and more than $70,000 in fines.

The legislation was sponsored by Valérie Boyer, a conservative lawmaker from the Bouches-du-Rhône region in the south of France, and was also backed by the government’s health minister, Roselyne Bachelot. It is one of the strongest measures proposed since the 2006 death of a Brazilian model, Ana Carolina Reston, from anorexia.

“We have noticed,” Ms. Boyer said in an interview with The Associated Press, “that the sociocultural and media environment seems to favor the emergence of troubled nutritional behavior, and that is why I think it necessary to act.” read full article…

Discussion Question: Can these influences be legislated away? What other methods could affect change? 

Visit the WesWELL website for additional information on eating disorders.

MANOREXIA. Orthorexia. Diabulimia. Binge Eating Disorder.

All are dangerous variations on the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia, and have become buzzwords that are popping up on Web sites and blogs, on television and in newspaper articles. As celebrity magazines chronicle the glamorous and the suffering, therapists and a growing number of researchers are trying to treat and understand the conditions.

The latest entry in the lexicon of food-related ills is drunkorexia, shorthand for a disturbing blend of behaviors: self-imposed starvation or bingeing and purging, combined with alcohol abuse.

Drunkorexia is not an official medical term. But it hints at a troubling phenomenon in addiction and eating disorders. Among those who are described as drunkorexics are college-age binge drinkers, typically women, who starve all day to offset the calories in the alcohol they consume. The term is also associated with serious eating disorders, particularly bulimia, which often involve behavior like bingeing on food — and alcohol — and then purging.

From Her Active Life…

Trying to eat healthy – whole grains, fresh veggies, flax oil – is one important element of an energetic, athletic, robust lifestyle. Filling your body with natural, whole foods is the best way, without a doubt, to fuel yourself and prevent illness. Much as nutrition ought to be a top priority for women, regardless of their athletic goals or lifestyle choices, new light has been shed on a dangerous obsession that medical experts are calling a major problem for many: orthorexia.

Although research on the condition is still preliminary, orthorexia has been classified as an eating disorder much like anorexia and bulimia nervosa, with its own set of characteristics, warning signs, and health risks. Put plainly, orthorexia is the obsessive focus on nutritious eating. For example, a woman might eat nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables, refusing to chow down on other important parts of a healthy diet, like fatty foods or proteins. The reasoning? Most who suffer with orthorexia have an irrational fear of weight gain or changes in body composition – the idea that fat in your food becomes fat on your body.

read full article…