Perfection Does Not Exist

So many people, eating disordered or not, are just so engrossed with the topic of perfection and imperfection. It can really become an obsession, whether it’s body image related, beauty related, achievement related, or beyond. There are so many things you can find to become obsessed about where flaws are concerned… but it takes away [...]

Does my child have an eating disorder? What role does denial play in accepting the fact?

Eating Disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Yet, regularly those of us working to bring health and hope to families impacted by these deadly illnesses hear statements like these from parents and doctors: “She/he is at a ‘normal’ weight so we don’t need to pull her/him out of college.” “He/she HAS [...]

The Power of Role Models: A Young Woman’s Lifelong Bond With One of America’s Most Influential Political Figures

When Joslyn Smith told me about her lifelong correspondence with one of America’s most influential political figures … and the resulting chain of events that ensued … I had to film her experience. For so many young people, they believe that there is no way out of their situation — regardless of what it is. [...]

Cheering on Your Own Greatness

So many people hate themselves. So many people spend hours picking at themselves, looking for things that aren’t up to par, things that are “wrong” or “bad.” It’s a sad way to live, but what’s sadder is that it’s so common. You’ve probably heard the saying “You are your own worst critic” before, but let [...]

Progression of Positive Affirmations

Today, I’d like to tell you a story. It’s about why I believe wholeheartedly in the power of positive affirmations. About 8 years ago, University of Delaware, my undergraduate alma mater, held a Love Your Body week. I know many of you are familiar with this. One of the items that was being handed out [...]

Eating Disorder Parity: What people don’t get about Binge Eating Disorder and the “war on obesity”

With the 2013 revision of the DSM right around the corner there will be a need to rethink, both at the professional and public level, how we conceive of the “war on obesity” and the way in which both health care providers and lay people talk about food and weight. As some of you may [...]

Spring Break Diets??

Bikinis & Bathing Suits, Toning Up, Beaches, Dieting, Friends, Losing Weight, Vacation, Fun, & Watching What You Eat = Spring Break 2012! —- Wait a minute –something about that doesn’t sound right! That’s because it’s not. Spring Break is supposed to be about taking time off from school to refresh your mind, body and spirit. [...]

My Journey Home

As my introductory post for WATRD, I thought I’d share a little about myself and what brings me to this point in life, so that going forward those reading my words might have a better idea of what influences the perspectives I share. I am a thirty-something year old woman who two years ago left [...]

Disordered Eating vs. Eating Disorders

Ours is a culture of disordered behaviors.  It is so common to see college kids engaging in binge drinking or strange dieting practices that we often overlook their seriousness.  I live near New York University and continuously see kids almost falling-down-drunk in the streets on the weekends.  The #1 most commonly asked question we receive [...]

Genetic Risk Factors in Eating Disorders

In this article, I want to lay out what has been learned about the genetic predisposition for eating disorders and how this can help identify who may be at risk for developing an eating disorder.  The first part of the article explains the background and basic science behind our current understanding of the genetic tendencies [...]

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