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Families Face Challenges
Of Eating Disorders
As many as 11 million people in the U.S. have an eating
disorder such as anorexia or bulimia, and about 25 million
more are struggling with binge eating disorder, according to
the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
These medical conditions not only affect the people who have
them, they take an emotional toll on their families and
friends - many of whom experience their own personal pain
from watching an eating disorder slowly destroy their loved
one and may feel powerless in trying to help.
"Most people who have not had their lives touched by an
eating disorder dismiss them as not worth worrying about,"
said one parent of a daughter with an eating disorder. "It
is like trying to dismiss a tornado tearing through your
home and your heart, tossing everything in its path around
as if it were weightless and worthless. I have been through
both. I would choose the physical tornado any time."
Eating disorders are serious illnesses with a biological
basis that are influenced by emotional and cultural factors.
Researchers are discovering that certain genes appear to
increase susceptibility to an eating disorder, much like
with alcoholism or depression.
While eating disorders cause physical devastation to the
individual, they also wreak emotional and financial ruin on
the entire family. Marriages are strained. Siblings feel
pushed aside. And because insurance rarely covers treatment,
some families are forced to deplete savings accounts or take
out second and third mortgages to provide their loved ones
with the care they need.
Compounding the problem, according to NEDA, is the stigma
associated with eating disorders, which keeps some
individuals suffering in silence. Due to a lack of education
and the "behind-closed-doors" nature of the conditions, some
family members, friends and health care professionals fail
to recognize the signs of an eating disorder or the full
extent of the risks
involved.
"Eating disorders treatment cannot be successful if it
starts with an aspirin and a Band-Aid," said Kathy Benn,
whose 19-year-old daughter Shelby Starner died as a result
of an eating disorder. Starner had been treated for eating
disorders for 26 months and was turned away from in-patient
care because she was "not sick enough."
"We must address symptoms with aggressive, life-threatening
seriousness," Benn said. "Forcing sufferers to fail their
way up to intensive treatment is wrong-headed behavior that
gives the illness an advantage and serves to waste valuable
time and life."
NEDA provides support for families affected by eating
disorders through its Parent and Family Network, which
serves as a clearinghouse for up-to-date information about
treatment, resources and advocacy.
"Building an informed and involved community helps families
know they are not isolated, their problems are not as unique
as they once thought, and that there is hope," said Lynn
Grefe, chief executive officer of NEDA.
To learn more, log on to
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org or call (800)
931-2237.
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