“Trends like “legging legs” are part of a long history of harmful body image content that has proliferated online since the early days of the internet. “The minute they ban one hashtag, another one will pop up,” said Amanda Raffoul, an instructor at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital who studies eating disorders. But…
“Black individuals tend to experience anorexia at younger ages than white individuals and may endure the disorder for longer periods of time before recovering; Black teenagers are 50% more likely to have symptoms associated with bulimia compared to white teenagers; Hispanic individuals are more likely to experience bulimia nervosa than non-Hispanic individuals. Despite the need…
“Fueled by escalating public concerns over young people’s mental health, lawmakers and regulators across the United States are mounting bipartisan efforts to rein in popular social media platforms by enacting a wave of laws, even as tech industry groups work to overturn them. A first-of-its-kind law passed last spring in Utah would require social media…
“Ten years ago, Clare Gerada, FRCGP, an advocate for physician well-being and today President of the UK’s Royal College of General Practitioners, made a prediction to the audience at the International Conference on Physician Health. “We have seen a massive increase in eating disorders [among doctors],” she said. “I’m not sure anybody is quite aware…
Read about EDRC’s latest events and initiatives in the Winter 2024 edition of our Family and Friends Newsletter! This quarter features spotlights of our volunteers, involvement in 2023 Silicon Valley NAMIWalks, and a speech from support group leader Bruce Brugler on his family’s personal experience with eating disorders. View the full Winter 2024 newsletter. Subscribe…
“The doctors told Naomi that she could not leave the hospital. She was lying in a narrow bed at Denver Health Medical Center. Someone said something about a judge and a court order. Someone used the phrase “gravely disabled.” Naomi did not think she was gravely disabled. Still, she decided not to fight it. She…
“Another barrier to care is the lack of facilities and staff trained to treat eating disorders in the United States, Dr. Bulik adds. “Many regions are eating disorders treatment deserts, [with] no specialist treatment facilities in the area,” she says. Despite these barriers to care, there’s still hope for people with eating disorders to receive…
One of our strongest supporters and group leaders, Bruce Brugler, took the opportunity at his 30-year class reunion at Stanford Graduate School of Business to raise awareness about eating disorders and the disastrous impact they have on families, including his own. One of the difficult aspects of eating disorders is that they are often suffered…
“Bradycardia is the most common medical complication in patients with anorexia nervosa, potentially affecting up to 95% of patients. Bradycardia is an abnormally low heart rate, including any heartbeat under 60 beats per minute (bpm). A normal heart rate ranges from 60-100 bpm. Bradycardia typically occurs alongside substantial weight loss. While bradycardia is most common…
“Many patients take laxatives to induce diarrhea to feel thinner, lighter or “empty.” Patients may also use laxatives to prevent the absorption of unwanted calories to lose weight or to avoid weight gain after binge eating. However, the effect on nutrient absorption is minimal, with only about a 12% reduction with use of laxatives. Patients…