Avalon Hills Blog

Athletes that need eating disorder help is something that we are hearing about more and more in the eating disorder treatment field.  Athletes with eating disorders are often hard to diagnose due to the lifestyle that athletes have. The benefits of exercise make it hard to challenge someone (an athlete) that may be involved in a high level of activity. However, athletes with eating disorders are common and coaches and family members are encouraged to watch for obsessive behaviors and to understand over exercising so that they can help those that may need eating disorder help.

Athletes that develop an eating disorder may have started this as they were trying to meet a specific requirement or goal.  There are some sports that actually have a desired weight, such as ballet or wrestling.  This is an easy example because many ballerinas have been known to struggling with eating disorders and have needed anorexia treatment or bulimia treatment. It shouldn’t be taken lightly when someone begins to pursue a specific body type in order to become “better” at their sport.  All too often, men and women are so driven that they start to restrict intake to their bodies to lose weight to get what they consider the ideal body type.

Not all athletes that develop an eating disorder participate in stereotypically female sports. As mentioned before, wrestlers often develop eating disorder behaviors as a result of the weight restrictions on the sport.  Wrestlers have an enormous amount of pressure due to the weight classes they need to fit in so that they are not disqualified.

Athletes often go to extremes to shed pounds or control weight.  This is commonly done by athletes restricting their intake.  They may eat very little or not at all the day before the match.  Some wrestlers focus more on shedding water weight by exercise or sweating a lot.    Sometimes a wrestler will actually need to gain weight to stay in their class. Often athletes such as wrestlers will actually binge eat to gain weight quickly.  Both the behaviors to lose weight and gain weight put these athletes at risk for eating behaviors that could lead to the need for eating disorder treatment.

Most importantly, going to these extremes can seriously harm the body.  Drastic weight changes can damage the metabolism, which will affect a person’s ability to maintain a healthy weight later in life.  If any sort of purging is involved for losing weight it can create an imbalance in the body.  Repeating any of the behaviors can quickly cause an eating disorder because it becomes part of the person’s life when they are dependent on the behaviors.

Avalon Hills is a great eating disorder treatment program that believes in a healthy lifestyle, to include exercise that is done in a noncompulsive way.

Here is a helpful link for athletes, coaches or family members looking for tips to share with athletes or those involved in exercise.

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/Athletes.pdf

A recent study that was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found results that discussed the idea of various the methods of therapy for eating disorders.  It found that people who have different eating disorders may exhibit different brain activity patterns.

These different patterns actually related to aspects of a person’s eating disorder behaviors.  A person seeking anorexia treatment showed that the person often shows anxious and inhibited behaviors.  On the other hand, a person needing bulimia help was often determined to be more risk-seeing and impulsive.  This also matches up with the compulsion nature of bingeing.

This study contained a sample of subjects with differing eating disorder diagnosis or no eating disorder diagnosis.  The sample had 30 people with either anorexia or bulimia. This specific study didn’t test any people with other types of eating disorders.  Then 16 people that didn’t need eating disorder help acted as a control group.

The actual study involved subjects pressing a button every time they saw a letter, except for the letter “x.”  This required the subjects to show restraint by not pressing the button.  While the subjects did this the researchers scanned their brain with an fMRI.  They found that subjects with bulimia had to use more brain power in order to not press the button when they saw the letter “x.”

These findings lead the researchers to believe that eating disorder treatment methods should be changed.  Since a person with anorexia proved to have more anxiety it may be beneficial to focus more on the anxiety during treatment.  Then, for a person with bulimia it would be good to treat their impulsive tendencies to help them overcome the eating disorder.  It’s a way of personalizing the treatment to help the person overcome an eating disorder.

The difficulty with changing anorexia or bulimia treatment based on a new study is the results aren’t enough.  One study isn’t enough to completely change the approach of an eating disorder treatment program.  Another study that studied brain activity showed some different results.  However, the amount of subjects and the ages of the subjects were very different from the first study.

Avalon Hills supports all of the ongoing research in the field. The Academy of Eating Disorders and the National Eating Disorder Association are great resources for those that may have questions regarding eating disorder treatment and how research is developing in the field.

This month a study emerged that connects eating disorders with social networking websites.  The study was conducted by a doctoral student at the University of Haifa.  She asked adolescent girls about their habits.  There were a wide range of activities she asked about.  For example, she asked how much a girl watched TV.

The student discovered some disturbing information after doing the study.  Girls who spent a lot of time online looking at Facebook displayed more habits associated with eating disorders.  Anorexia and bulimia symptoms were the most common.  Many of these girls had also developed a negative body image.

The girls who participated were of different ages with the median age being 14.8 years old.  Young adolescent girls are not the only ones at risk.  Older girls can also be affected.  However, it seems the younger girls are more susceptible.

Another correlation was also discovered.  Girls who frequently read fashion magazines or visited a lot of fashion websites displayed similar symptoms.  It is believed that this is caused by the display of the “ideal” woman.  This correlation was much weaker than the social network correlation.

While the study discovered something important it did not give an explanation for why these girls developed the habits.  It is possible that the reason is similar to that of the fashion magazine reading.  These girls may be seeing pictures of their friends or just other women who they consider to have the “ideal” body type.

It’s important to say that the study found a correlation, which does not mean it is grounds for causation.  This means the two are connected, but it cannot be said for sure that Facebook is causing the eating disorder habits.

The study noted that there are ways to help the problem.  Parents are very influential with this problem.  In the study, girls who had some form of parental involvement were less likely to develop the eating disorder habits and seek eating disorder treatment.  This involvement could include knowing what their daughter is doing online or having conversations about what she looked at online.  It is a way of supervising her web browsing without looking over her shoulder at all times.

However, if a girl is struggling with an eating disorder it is important for her to get help.  An eating disorder should never be ignored.  One of the best ways to get help for an eating disorder is to go to an eating disorder clinic.  Avalon Hills has a separate program that specializes in helping adolescent girls.  Their unique approach to eating disorder help works to improve a girl’s outlook of herself while also treating the physical symptoms.

One of the most common and well known eating disorders that is very troubling is anorexia.  Anorexia is often misunderstood and hard to diagnose because most people fixate on the idea that it’s an eating disorder.  The tendency is to think that it’s all about food.  This of course isn’t true.  Like all eating disorders, anorexia has a deeper cause and deeper effects.

Anorexia is known to be about control among other things.  It’s used as a way to meet a need in a person’s life.  This is sometimes an emotional need.  Depression, anxiety or insecurity can often trigger eating disorder behaviors.  Eating disorders often develops through everyday activities.  A person may start to experience a lot of anxiety at work, school, or home.  While this person is unable to control the stress, they often find comfort and peace in controlling their eating habits.  This is one of the most common coping mechanisms seen with eating disorders.

Since it is difficult to diagnose the real cause of the eating disorder, people often focus on what is easy to see, which is the behaviors.  A person who is suffering from anorexia may have a severe fear of gaining weight.  They may be underweight and refuse to eat enough to maintain a healthy body weight.  Also, a distorted body image is a very common symptom and body dismorphic disorder may be diagnosed.  This is one of the reasons anorexia becomes particularly dangerous. A person may begin to become medically compromised as this happens.

Anorexia may present in different ways.  Restricting anorexia is where a person suffering may use dieting and restriction to lose weight.  They will often count calories and make sure to eat well under the amount required for daily body functions.  Using excessive exercising may also be used to burn off any calories the person takes in during the day.

Anorexia- purge type, although easily confused with bulimia is where a person may use laxatives or diuretics to rid the body of the food that the person took in.  The person may also induce vomiting or overexercise. Symptoms of this may include low body weight and bouts of restriction of food intake.

Physical anorexia symptoms may include drastic weight loss.  While the person is thin they will continue to diet and restrict intake.  A person may be obsessed and fixated on calories and body image.  Also, a person may be noticed playing with their food as a way of pretending or avoiding to eat.  These are just a few of the many possible symptoms of anorexia.

All eating disorders and their behaviors are serious, and anorexia should not be taken lightly.  It can be fatal if it goes untreated.  Even if it’s not very far along it can still seriously harm the body.  This is why it’s so important to get some form of anorexia help as soon as possible.  Avalon Hills cares about the recovery of those suffering from eating disorders and stresses the need for help. Those dealing with eating disorders are urged to seek professional help by an outpatient team or by an anorexia treatment center.

Eating disorders are often misunderstood because they are so difficult to diagnose.  Bulimia and anorexia are the most commonly known eating disorders, and people still misunderstand them.  An eating disorder is so much more than abnormal or unhealthy eating habits.  They go beyond the physical manifestations of the disorder.

Bulimia can be a little confusing because two opposites are present.  Someone with bulimia may have an obsessive fear of gaining weight, but they also feel a strong desire to overeat.  This desire often becomes a compulsive behavior.  Those struggling generally do not want to overeat, because they know afterward they may feel miserable.

Often, after a person binges they may feel panicked and be ashamed. This can lead to thoughts of poor body image and gaining weight. This is one of the reasons purging is so common with bulimia.  It is also important to understand that not all people with bulimia induce vomiting to purge.  Some will use laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or excessive exercise to purge the additional food.  Others may start to fast to burn off the calories.

Anyone in need of bulimia help may experience the bingeing and purging cycle regardless of how they attempt to eliminate the extra food.  The cycle will usually start with a strict diet.  This diet will start to cause tension when the body gets hungry.  Soon the person will be unable to fight the need for food and they’ll eat something.  This will often lead to binge eating because the diet often gets abandoned once it has been broken.  During a binge eating session a person can take in between 3,000 and 5,000 calories in an hour.

After the session the person will start to feel down.  Most people feel ashamed, guilty or depressed.  Not long after this the panic may start to set in.  They will then purge in whatever way they prefer.  After that, the cycle often repeats itself.  The cycle becomes incredibly difficult to break.

There are many different symptoms of bulimia because different people do different things.  However, there are a few common symptoms.  The person is unable to control the amount of food they eat.  They may not eat regular meals, and instead they eat a lot and then don’t eat for a while.  They may eat a lot of food without gaining weight, or they may have fluctuating weight.  Most people suffering from bulimia may have a normal weight or be a little overweight.  They may also exercise excessively.  Frequent and long bathroom visits after meals is a common behavior.  They may also have physical symptoms such as; discolored teeth and puffy cheeks.

When someone discovers that a loved one has bulimia it’s important to seek professional help.  Visiting an outpatient team or eating disorder clinic such as Avalon Hills are among the best options for treatment.  Avalon Hills urges anyone dealing with bulimia to seek help from a professional.

At Avalon Hills the youngest that we will take a patient is 11 years old. Sadly, we have seen an increase in calls for those looking for treatment options for children that are much younger. There definitely has been an increase over the last few years of children, who are being diagnosed with bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. This article (http://j.mp/cgnycb) that appeared in a British Publication shows how epidemic eating disorders are in young children in more than just the United States.

One thing of importance is how often medical practitioners are recognizing the condition during the early stages. These disorders are serious mental health issues and although well publicized over the past 20 years, the incidence of eating disorders continues to rise. As discussed in the article, young women and children are endangering their health by doing things such as eliminating protein sources which can quickly result in iron deficiencies that can lead to anemia and then further complications.

One of the most disconcerting aspects of eating disorders is the very young ages at which they are occurring. Currently, the number of eating disorders developing prior to age 16 is on the rise. Without treatment, many of those with serious eating disorders will die. That number greatly diminishes with treatment from a facility specializing in the treatment of eating disorders.

Since most patients may need many months of inpatient or residential treatment which can often come at a very high cost, many of those with bulimia and anorexia go untreated. Those in the field are making the case that there must be a greater awareness within the medical profession that those who are significantly underweight must be assessed as stringently as those who are overweight.

Please contact Avalon Hills for more information about eating disorders and treatment.

A past article (http://j.mp/aqeV94) that appeared on KMBC.com tells the disheartening story of the parents of 21-year old Piper Wilcher’s battle against Blue Cross and Blue Shield for coverage. In her case, the insurance companies would not authorize for the recommended appropriate treatment (in her case-inpatient treatment), even though it seems to be the best avenue to a successful recovery. What was offered was some outpatient services, which have proven to be of limited value when not given at the appropriate time.

No matter how many times these stories are told, there is still a general reluctance within not only the insurance industry, but also the public in general to acknowledge that bulimia and anorexia nervosa are life-threatening illnesses. The National Institute of Mental Health has said that “Eating disorders, which include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, are complex and often life-threatening illnesses.” (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/new-grants-will-further-understanding-of-the-biology-genetics-and-treatment-of-eating-disorders.shtml)

The Parity Act became effective on October 3, 2009, and for most calendar-year plans began January 1, 2010. The Mental Health Parity health care bill will hopefully provide the adequate and necessary options that will allow someone like Piper to access the care that they need. Basically “Parity” means that as of January 1, 2010 insurance companies must provide mental health benefits equal to other medical and surgical benefits. They must provide the same coverage for diseases like anorexia and bulimia as they do for physical ailments.

Some of the provisions of the new laws will not be phased in until 2014. And, as always when health insurance issues occur in the U.S. there are extenuating circumstances with regard to insurance parity. Avalon Hills is very passionate about not only treating eating disorders but also working with our patients and their families to access insurance benefits to provide funding for necessary treatment.

www.mentalhealthparitywatch.org is a great resource that has a lot of information about parity coverage. Additionally, you can contact Avalon Hills directly if you have questions on the applicability of these new laws to your situation or that of a friend or loved one.

Avalon Hills hosts a family retreat at different times during the year that includes nearly all the families of our current patients.  Although our last retreat was a few months ago I wanted to talk about it and how successful it was.

Our professional staff learned immensely from the clients and their families and the evaluations and feedback we received indicated that it was a highly meaningful experience for all who attended.  The week-long events included many classes on topics such as family dynamics, communication skills, and medical complications of eating disorders, intuitive eating, & how to facilitate funding for treatment.  Many raved about the opening presentation by Doris Smeltzer, a mom who lost her 19 year old daughter to bulimia nervosa.  Her story is tragic, moving, eye opening, and life altering to all who allow themselves to feel the weight of her message-eating disorders are deadly, our culture needs a wake up call to realize this, & advocacy/awareness are required on every level from individual families to public policy to prevent additional deaths.  Additionally, the founder of Avalon Hills, Benita Quakenbush-Roberts, presented pieces of her own long-term recovery story and took questions from the patients and their families.  The week was rounded out by multi-family work characterized by the patients and families truly getting honest with each other in an effort to heal and move forward as a cohesive unit against the eating disorder.  Those professional staff that facilitated the sessions were ever amazed by the strength, grace, and hope presented in the openness of ”our” patients and their families.  Recognizing the impact of the family retreat, we are planning on doing a retreat such as this at least twice per year.  For current families we will keep you posted as the next date draws near.

If you are interested in additional info on the advocacy efforts of Doris Smeltzer, please visit the following site:  http://www.andreasvoice.org/

If you have questions surrounding the family retreat you can contact Carrie Bostrom at (435) 755-0434 or carrie@avalonhills.org.

Avalon Hills recently co-sponsored the annual Utah State University Counseling Center Conference.  It was a particularly thrilling experience because the speaker was Steven Hayes, the co-founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).  Our research advisor, Mike Twohig, Ph.D. is a former student of Doctor Hayes.  Consequently, he was able to arrange for Steve Hayes to stay on following the one day conference and do an experiential weekend workshop.  Both the Counseling Center conference and the weekend workshop were very well attended- even including clinicians from as far away as Florida and Minnesota.  All members of the Avalon Hills treatment team were involved and found it to be meaningful in informing our work with those who suffer with eating disorders.  The 2 main tenants of ACT include 1) facilitating acceptance of the fact that life is difficult at times and avoiding certain aspects of life or emotions only creates a bigger problem & 2) committing to a life that is of value-outside of being overly concerned about outward appearance.  Consequently, ACT is a great fit in working with issues related to disordered eating. 

The photo shows all of those in attendance for the weekend workshop, where many new friends and connections were made!

Chocolate Festival – 2009

This past February marked the third year of Avalon Hills’ participation in the Cache Valley Chocolate Festival. The Chocolate Festival is a yearly event held to raise funds for Planned Parenthood.  Tickets are purchased at the door allowing the buyer to sample several chocolate desserts and vote for their favorite. 50+ desserts are entered into the festival and then judged by a panel of culinary experts from around the valley. Awards are given in each category, along with a people’s choice award for the Amateur and Professional divisions and a grand prize award for the best of the competition. At the end of the evening, winning desserts are auctioned off and the proceeds given to Planned Parenthood. Both the adolescent and adult unit participated in choosing, preparing, and entering a chocolate dessert into the festival.

The adolescents decided that they wanted to make chocolate “bowls” and fill them with homemade chocolate candies.  So they made the bowls by dipping small balloons in melted white and milk chocolate, then popping the balloons, so that all that remained was a chocolate shell.  The girls then made home-made chocolate dipped caramels, chocolate dipped maraschino cherries, and an assortment of truffles.  They filled their chocolate shells with the homemade chocolates, and named their creation “love-a-bowl.”  They ended up winning first place in the teenage category.  Everyone had so much fun.  It is so important and fulfilling for us when we can provide positive experiences with food for our clients.

The adult clients entered a Flourless Chocolate Cake filled with Pomegranate Jelly. Several cooking classes were spent baking sheets of cake, making pomegranate jelly, and meticulously piping out little chocolate shapes to decorate the top of each sample. The dessert consisted of a layer of flourless chocolate cake, pomegranate jelly, dark chocolate ganache, chocolate mousse rosettes, and a chocolate shape.  600 samples were made over all and, we are happy to say, were gone by the end of the evening. The adults were able to attend, sampling the desserts and voting on their favorites. They were able to stay for the awards ceremony where they were able to stand up and accept their awards. The adult dessert took home the People’s choice award for the Amateur division, and also the contest-wide grand prize! They were so proud of their accomplishments and involvement. There was such a positive attitude surrounding such a difficult and anxiety provoking task.

What do you know, food CAN be fun!