There is growing concern among those that treat Eating Disorders regarding recent anti-obesity campaigns, particularly one being use by Children’s Health Care of Atlanta (CHOA). The CHOA advertising campaign is shaming and stigmatizing of children who are overweight. It is not encouraging healthy balance, not encouraging healthy eating habits, it simply is public bullying. It speaks to the shaming and stigmatizing nature of our media and culture when it comes to weight. The National Eating Disorders Association as well as the Academy of Eating Disorders have issues statements encouraging CHOA to pull the advertising campaign and re-evaluate their message.
While we support campaigns that encourage healthy eating and balanced living, many of the recent anti-obesity campaigns are not doing this. We are shocked and horrified by CHOA’s initiative which we find shaming. The fear among Eating Disorder advocacy groups is that these types of advertising campaigns only encourage weight prejudice among our children and thus encourage bullying.
At Castlewood we encourage those creating Anti-obesity campaigns to consult the experts and design advertising that promotes health not weight- stigma.
To view the “stop sugarcoating” advertisements go to www.strong4life.com
The Eating Disorder Recovery Support, Inc Annual Eating Disorder Awareness Conference is this week February 2-4, 2012. The EDRS is a non- profit organization dedicated to promoting community awareness of eating disorders, professional education and collaboration, and providing treatment scholarships to California residents that need financial assistance for treatment. The EDRS, Inc’s Mission is to promote recovery and wellness for those impacted by eating disorders by providing support, information, and education to individuals, families, professionals, and the community at large regarding eating disorders and recovery resources.
Castlewood Treatment Center is proud to support EDRS in their efforts by helping sponsor the 6th Annual Conference in Pettaluma, California. Castlewood’s clinical co-director, Lori Galperin will be in attendance. Jake Resch, Anxiety Specialist and Direct Care Supervisor, will attend and market at the Castlewood booth.
For more information about EDRS and their efforts in California please visit their website.
Written by Castlewood Alumni “Kelley” & Erin McGinty, LPC- Primary Therapist and Program Director
From Kelley-
When I entered Castlewood, I thought life would get steadily easier. What I soon realized was I was beginning to embark on a journey towards authentic feeling; not an easy task when I was numbed out from the world for so many years.
Emotionally frozen for some time when I came to Castlewood, I began to slowly, very slowly defrost. I moved further away from engaging in my eating disorder behaviors, and closer to recovery. The layers and walls I built up during the period of time I had my eating disorder were gradually beginning to be broken down. As I thawed out from all the emotional pain and chaos I experienced for years, I soon realized that there was light at the end of the tunnel, and that this light was not a train barreling towards me to run me over. Rather, this light was the hope I had desperately, and eagerly been searching for. Continue reading “The Process of Therapy” »
Jenni Schaefer suffered from an eating disorder for most of her adolescence and early adulthood. She now dedicates herself to speaking internationally about recovery from Eating Disorders and how to really live a life in full recovery. Jenni has changed the face of advocacy for Eating Disorders, as well as redefined the recovery process and for that we at Castlewood, salute her. In her most recent book, Goodbye Ed, Hello Me: Recover from Your Eating Disorder and Fall in Love with Life (McGraw-Hill), Jenni helps illuminate the process of moving from just being in recovery to living a full and balanced life. This book builds on the foundation of her breakthrough best-seller, Life WithoutEd: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too.
Jenni speaks about her former relationship with her eating disorder in an article in the Huffington Post. She shares about recent speaking engagements as well as her singing and songwriting career. In this article she shares a great vision the future of our society. “ What would happen if we stopped being so preoccupied with whether or not our thighs touched at the top and obsessed about life instead? We could spend more quality time with our families. Or we could change careers, go speed dating, and even take trapeze lessons. We could experience more joy.”
Jenni also keeps a beautiful blog dedicated to stories of hope and inspiration for anyone suffering with an Eating Disorder. For more information on Jenni, her speaking engagements, and her writing, please visit her website.
