Culture and Media

Here you will find articles discussing the various ways culture and media can affect both the development of an eating disorder and eating disorder recovery.

Links to various articles in the news and other websites and blogs representing cultural voices will be posted here along with commentary.

Details: Category: Culture and Media

Westside Los Angeles Treasure and Co-Therapist

The Westside of Los Angeles, where I live and have my psychotherapy private practice, holds a treasure trove of resources that can be helpful in the eating disorder recovery of my clients. I consider many of these places to be "co-therapists" in our work.

Women I work with are often surprised, reluctant, wary and then eager and happily surprised to when they explore and discover what will nourish their bodies, hearts, minds and souls out in our nearby world.

UCLA

For example, UCLA is a gift that keeps on giving.

Details: Category: Culture and Media

*pix Marilyn Monroe

Sex, Understanding, Confusion, False Messages and Eating Disorders

If you have an eating disorder, you most likely know that human sexuality is flagrantly advertised and photographed, exploited and both demonized and idealized in our culture. Yet your actual experience is rarely reflected back to you in ways that help you feel understood or understand yourself. Worse, the bomardment of sexual behavior and sexual etiquette definitions may overwhelm you before you can develop your own appreciation for what's important to you.

Here's an example of the pressure on you to fit into a predetermined and callous sexually desireable straightjacket.

Details: Category: Culture and Media

If you are watching your calories and nutritional intake, be careful in restaurants. Be sure to use your common sense as you evaluate the information on the menu next to your favorite foods. Tufts University researchers are helping us keep track of what's right and what's not.

Details: Category: Culture and Media

Trying to Lose Weight?

Please be aware of risks, scams and dangerous profiteering liars.

I just learned, in the Minot Daily News, about the existence of the Healthy Weight Network's Slim Chance Awards for 2009. It's not so great to win this award, but it's a real eye opener and maybe a life saver for people who have been using diet programs and drugs that don't work or could be harmful.