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How to Support Loved Ones with Eating Disorders During the Holiday Season 

LFLcoordinator November 29, 2023

The holiday season is typically filled with joyous occasions spent with family, cozy nights indoors, and celebrations with delicious food. For people struggling with eating disorders, however, these winter months can bring about increased inner pain and turmoil as they navigate around meals and foods commonly enjoyed with family and friends. The stress of dealing with binge eating, restrictive eating, and compensatory behavior may be overwhelming for people who have eating disorders, and it is often compounded by the fact that overeating is normalized during the holidays.   An estimated 9% of people living in the U.S. will have an eating

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Intuitive Eating: A Promising Aid for Eating Disorder Treatment and Recovery  

LFLcoordinator October 6, 2023

Eating disorders are harmful mental disorders highly prevalent worldwide, especially in women.1 A systematic literature review in 2018 found that the prevalence of eating disorders has increased from 3.5% in 2000-2006 to 7.8% in 2013-2018.1 The increased prevalence of eating disorders highlights a growing public health concern and a challenge for those providing treatment and recovery. There are many approaches to treating eating disorders; some have included intuitive eating in the treatment program.   Initially developed in 1995 by the registered dietitian nutritionists Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, intuitive eating is a mind-body health approach that aims to help people  appropriately

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Negative Body Image and Eating Disorders

LFLcoordinator September 27, 2023

According to the National Eating Disorder Society, binge eating disorders are more prevalent in all minority groups.6 Negative body image can cause anxiety and shame and contribute to low self-esteem. People with high levels of body dissatisfaction are more likely to develop an eating disorder and feelings of depression and low self-esteem.5 Eating disorders are complex and can be onset by many different aspects of a person’s life. Specifically, binge eating disorder is severe and can be life-threatening.1 Binge eating disorder can be characterized by consuming large amounts of food to the point of discomfort. Feelings of loss of control,

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Taking a Deeper Dive: Bringing Awareness to National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month  

LFLcoordinator July 31, 2023

Every July, National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed in the United States. This month aims to bring awareness to the unique mental health challenges and needs of racial and ethnic minority communities. A person’s mental health can influence how a person feels, thinks, acts, and navigates life’s everyday challenges. Mental health can include emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Still, many factors can impact each of these.1 What are the unique mental health challenges that minority communities face and why is it important to explore and discuss these topics?  One common challenge that can negatively impact the mental health

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