Unofficial Guide to Managing Eating Disorders

More than seven million women and one million men in the United States are affected with an eating disorder, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating, and compulsive exercise. Forty percent of third grade girls said that they were dieting to lose weight; among fifth graders, that figure climbs to an alarming 75%. Eating disorders also affect one in four college-age women, and 10% of adult women. The Unofficial Guide to Managing Eating Disorders covers the medical and the psychological angles, and readers learn here how to be proactive in identifying the problem and in finding out the methods that work for overcoming eating disorders in their families. Such information revealed includes:

• The different kinds of eating disorders illuminated and explained
• How to find and select a good treatment team: internist, nutritionist, and psychotherapist
• The lowdown on programs, therapies, and treatments
• The current antidepressants used to treat anorexia and bulimia analyzed
• How joining team sports can boost a girl's self-esteem and help combat eating disorders
• How not to substitute food for attention and how to balance nutrition and weight with a healthy body image
• How interaction, support, and encouragement from families and friends can play an important role in the success of the treatment program

About the Authors Sara Dulaney Gilbert is the author of 25 self-help and useful-service books including, Fat Free and You are What you Eat. She has become a specialist in helping readers of all ages find their way through personal and physical changes and major life events. She has worked extensively in the field of higher education and holds a Master's degree from the Graduate School of Education at New York University. She resides in Cold Spring, New York. Mary C. Commerford, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, is the coordinator of the Eating Disorders Treatment Program at New York University. Prior to that, she was on the faculty at Cornell University Medical College, where she was involved with both treatment and research in eating disorders. She is the author of articles published in academic journals such as The International Journal of Eating Disorders and Eating Disorders: Treatment and Prevention. In addition, Dr. Commerford maintains a private practice in Manhattan.