Product Description
Eating disorders at times leave practitioners feeling as emotionally challenged and out of control as the patients they treat. This is the first book of its kind to provide support, direction, clarity, and optimism to clinicians treating these disorders. In describing what to do and how to do what works, reader-friendly strategies and holistic guidelines bring together science and human personality, protocols and art, skill and instinct, evidence-based research and practicable clinical applications to provide a fully integrative approach to eating disorders care.

In Doing What Works, Ms. Natenshon fills the gaps that currently exist in professional education and practice and in the general understanding of what sets eating disorder diagnosis and treatment apart from other disorders. The author, a psychotherapist with 40 years of experience treating eating disorders in patients of all ages with a specialty in working with children and families, speaks to health professionals and parents as pivotal advocates for the child in treatment and recovery.

NASW Press

NASW Press, a division of National Association of Social Workers (NASW), is a leading scholarly press in the social sciences. We serve faculty, practitioners, agencies, libraries, clinicians, and researchers throughout the United States and abroad.

Known for attracting expert authors, the NASW Press delivers professional information to hundreds of thousands of readers through its scholarly journals, books, and reference works.

Some of the areas we publish in include:

-Social work in the field of aging
-Models of social work
-Social work with children and adolescents
-Ethics in social work
-Community organization
-Professional development ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Doing What Works Really Works
As a nutritionist working in the field of eating disorders, I applaud this greatly needed resource.Eating disorders is a separate and challenging specialty in the field of nutrition.Often puzzling, frustrating and ultimately so very rewarding, this is a field that hasn't been thoroughly explored in such a manner...until now.
The eating disorder nutritionist is more than an educator of scientific and nutritional facts.The emotional component of these complicated disorders requires a thorough understanding of the underlying issues as well as an ability to handle them as they impact the individual's recovery process.As a significant member of the eating disorder team, the nutritionist collaborates with other team members, facilitating the exchange of information to provide the most comprehensive standard of care.
Treating eating disorders requires unique education, training and interpersonal skills which are often not adequately taught in college or graduate school. Therefore, the nutritionist is often left to search for manuals, methods, and mentors to hopefully fill the gaps in education.The search is over.This book has it all and more. Doing What Works is filled with critical information presented in a clear, empathetic manner while also covering all aspects of the integrative system for the treatment of eating disorders.It's a must read for any nutritionist working in the field of eating disorders because it finally is what really works.
Highly, Highly Recommended

Excellent Resource for the Treatment of Eating Disorders
Abigail Natenshon's Doing What Works: An Integrative System for the Treatment of Eating Disorders from Diagnosis to Recovery is an excellent, comprehensive guide for eating disorder treatment.

Abigail Natenshon, MA, LCSW is a psychotherapist who has over forty years experience specializing in the treatment of eating disorders with individuals and their families.Ms. Natenshon has been featured on television and other print media. She is also the author of When Your Child Has An Eating Disorder: A Step-by-Step Workbook for Parents and Other Caregivers (Jossey Bass, 1999).

For professionals, treating an individual with an eating disorder can be meaningful, but it also can be challenging. Ms. Natenshon's new book, as the title states, takes the therapist through the steps of diagnosis and treatment all the way to solutions for recovery.This book bridges evidence-based approaches and research with practical clinical approaches.It begins with current treatments in the field and emphasizes a substantial roadblock to many: the misunderstood role of food in the treatment process.Ms. Natenshon writes, "eating and weight issues can sometimes distract and deter practioners from the need for constant vigilance of the deeper issues and co morbidity that underlie and drive these disorders."

Abigail's sense of energy and delight from years of working within the eating disorder community shows on every page.She provides a compelling explanation of how the therapist's sense of self is integrated into his or her treatment and gives useful strategies for the therapist to be self-aware and begin with where the client is.The power of the therapeutic relationship is apparent throughout her book.She interjects many useful tips and recommendations for all therapists who treat individuals with eating disorders. Applying Prochaska and DeClemente's stages of change model to eating disorders, Ms. Natenshon explains that many clients come to treatment in the pre-contemplation stage."Never fight with an eating disorder, as there will be no way to win," she says confidently, and instead urges the use of the change model to facilitate different approaches depending on where the client is in the process of change.Resistance is seen as a normal process instead of willful opposition. This book also details different treatment approaches and methods with specific case examples, and shows how different methods can be uniquely tailored to the client to achieve healthy recovery.

Ms. Natenshon ends the book on the recovery process and its uniqueness.She emphasizes that recovery is not a number on the scale but an overall sense of well-being and capacity to eat healthfully and without fears or obsessional thinking about food.Recovery is defined as self- acceptance, sound judgment and appropriate response to feelings and needs.

For all members of the multi-discipline clinical team who work with clients struggling with an eating disorder, this integrative approach is a must read.This book provides an integrative, comprehensive, and practical tool for clinicians who are just beginning to see clients with eating disorders or for the experienced clinician to refer back to year after year. Parents who already have a thorough understanding of eating disorders may also find this book an important reference as it explains many models of treatment along a continuum.

Laura Discipio, LCSW
Executive Director of the National Association of Anorexia Nerovsa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)
[...].

Very helpful book
I am just getting into the field of eating disorders and this book has been a perfect introduction for me. It has also gone further, going into great deal about the various treatment options that have proven effective with this population. I think this book will prevent a lot of reinventing the wheel for clinicians working with eating disorders. I would definitely recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Up-to-date coverage on the assessment and treatment of eating disorders and obesity

Featuring contributions from an international group of experts, the Handbook of Eating Disorders and Obesity is a broad-based resource that explores the major classifications of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. This groundbreaking reference also offers a thorough review of the area of obesity, along with a specialized focus on body image disturbances, including body dysmorphic disorder.

This comprehensive handbook presents the latest information in multiple areas of research and practice, highlighting risk factors, assessment, treatment, and prevention of eating disorders and obesity. Practical guidelines for implementing treatment strategies are supplemented with insightful clinical case studies and helpful explanations illustrating real-world applications of treatment components.

Special coverage in this volume addresses such timely topics as:

• Cosmetic surgery and cosmetic medical treatments
• How the media influences eating disorders
• Weight and shape concerns of boys and men
• Cross-cultural aspects of eating disorders
• Child sexual abuse and eating disorders
• A feminist approach to eating disorders

The Handbook of Eating Disorders and Obesity offers mental health and medical professionals, as well as students, the most current information available on every aspect of this troubling and pervasive societal problem.

"This remarkably comprehensive and current resource will be an indispensable addition to the libraries of clinicians and scholars alike. The chapters represent a rich synthesis of the wide-ranging psychosocial and biological investigations of obesity and eating disorders, and the equally diverse approaches to their clinical management."
–Michael Strober, PhD, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Editor in Chief, International Journal of Eating Disorders

"This impressive handbook offers, in one volume, a fine distillation of contemporary knowledge and best practice in the complex and interrelated areas of body image disturbance, eating disorders, and obesity. The explicit integration of current research with current clinical practice makes this volume stand out and will ensure its place as an indispensable resource for both those wishing to get up to speed and for established researchers and clinicians alike."
–Marika Tiggemann, PhD, Flinders University, Australia
Associate Editor, Body Image: An International Journal of Research ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Well Worth the Money
Never mind that this book (as of the writing of this review, 2008) is 4 years old.This is an impressive and clearly organized handbook on the topic.

The "Treatment" section of the book is particularly well executed: included are CBT, IPT, Feminist Therapy, Family-Based treatments, Pharmacological Therapy, and, of contemporary interest, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for eating disorders.The chapter on Internet-Based Treatment strategies for eating disorder population - for 2004 (the year of publication) - was clearly cutting edge; and for 2008 - still very much topical.

After reading and reviewing a few other handbooks on eating disorders, I have found it to be particularly noteworthy that each treatment is a whole chapter, not just a self-evident (for the professional reader) truism, with a total of 170 pages - approximately a fourth of the entire book!

The "Special Topics" section of the book goes beyond the "miscellaneous" cliche sample of sub-populations and sociological topics.Whereas you'd typically find an overemphasis on, say, eating disorders among athletes and a chapter on cultural aspects of eating disorders, this particular handbook sheds light on a more diverse spectrum of topics - for example, cosmetic surgery and eating disorders, child abuse and eating disorders; and offers a greater depth in covering the usual special section suspects - for example, it offers a chapter that juxtaposes eating disorders among children and adolescents, and a similarly in-depth coverage of the differences in presentation of eating disorders between boys and men.

The list of the contributors is impressive as well: a good deal of academic, clinical and clinical research heavy-hitters.

Worth the money and time. The book on eating disorders successfully meets the ambition of its PDR-like mandate as a reference book on the literature.

Pavel Somov, Ph.D., Author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (Nov., New Harbinger)


... Read more

Product Description
This practical handbook is divided into five sections. Topics include defining binge eating, its potential harm, and its biological and societal causes; how to assess and alter binge patterns; how to change the thoughts that fuel those patterns; the role of medication; and advice on when to consider therapy or other professional help. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Newbie needing info
Having worked through some issues in therapy, only to hear that I have some slight Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorder traits, I set out to find a good book to teach me about what I've grown up thinking was "normal."This book gave GREAT insights into my brain and how I work.It has some great tips/tricks on how to break those vicious cycles that we all get into when trying to break a habit or addiction.

I've managed to either underline something on every page or put post-it reminders on various pages to remember to do something.If you're struggling with "why can't I just find 'that thing' that makes me finally get with the program!?", I'd recommend finding an online survey to see if you have a little OCPD...and then get this book.

We all know that there's no magic diet pill or magic potion that will instantly dissolve those unwanted pounds....so do something to change your 'mind' instead of buying that next supplement in hopes that it will finally do the trick.

Still unsure?Do what I did:Read the first couple of pages of this book and if that doesn't convince you - move on.

This is a must read for anyone with an eating disorder
This book if full of concrete information anyone with an eating disorder needs to know. The exercises give you insight into the way you relate to food and your body. Anyone who eats will relate to this book and anyone who is obsessed by food in any way will be greatly helped by it.

A great guide for the moderate stress eater
I found this book a tremendous resource, and still do. It's written from a technical perspective, quoting studies and providing case studies on disordered eating. Its message is that if you understand why you binge (ie, lose control) you can stop it. It's all related to stress eating, but for me, the message was that I absolutely had to have a beginning and an end to my meals...I'm a grazer. It made all the difference. I lost 40 lbs and I'm now "normal" weight.

A very helpful perspective
I thought this book was very helpful with its ABC approach at helping to stop the behavior that leads to the binge.Its model of a chain helps one figure out the path that lead to the binge right from the begining of the day and learn how to prevent it.I would suggest this book to anyone that is looking for a little bit different approach on overcoming binge eating.

Lots of info but no practical help
This is the second self help book I have invested in.The book tends to go a bit over the top on statistics but does manage to give advice and information on bulimia, anorexia and BED all at the same time.The author is obviously well read in such matters and the book is full of useful information.Useful if you don't already know why you or a relative have disordered eating. Sadly as with the last book I knew all the information already, the book added nothing and certainly hasn't guided me in overcoming my eating disorder.The author does acknowledge that sometimes a person will need some kind of one to one therapy to overcome the problem.Perhaps those with minor disorders will find a solution here and I'm sure it will help others understand why someone has an eating disorder and how they can help. Unfortunately the book has convinced me that self help books like this are not the answer and that professional help is required.Coping with an eating disorder, let alone trying to overcome it is difficult enough on your own, I don't recommend this book as the answer it professes, a little help maybe but thats about it. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent presentation of complex topics
As an internist, I am a little closer to the obesity side of things but I found the entire book informative and very easy to comprehend. The chapters are purposefully short to facilitate the episodic reading that is often the only reading possible in a busy practice. I particularly like Dr. Brownell's public health and environmental approach to the problem of obesity. This textbook is a great way for the uninitiated to "catch up" on the current concepts of obesity and eating disorders. ... Read more

Product Description
Binge eating, eating more food than feels comfortable, is a problem for more than half of all overweight Americans. Binge eating is not bulimia, and while many do it -- over the sink, late at night, or in front of the refrigerator -- yo-yo dieters are especially susceptible. Renowned diet expert Dr. Peter M. Miller reveals the proven six-step program that has already helped thousands of dieters conquer binge eating and lose weight permanently. Readers will discover:
-- The psychological and biological reasons for binging
-- Ways to eliminate the "all-or-nothing" syndrome
-- How to eat "forbidden" foods in moderation
-- Breakthrough techniques of "mindfulness" -- the key to overcoming binge eating permanently
-- Behavior strategies, eating plans, and a moderate exercise program ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

binge breaker stop out of control eating and lose weight
i can not review because i have not received this book yet

anita rizzardo

Gives you hope
This book alone will not solve your binge eating problem, so don't expect that.But it is a must-read for any person who feels uncontrollable when it comes to food.It definitely makes you wake up to realize what might be behind your binge-eating, as in the emotions behind it.It is an easy-read and you will do a lot of self-assessment.He truly gives you hope that you can get through this so you can focus on losing all the weight you want to.The key part is that he recognizes that normal diets don't work if you are a binge eater because they do not address bingeing.A+!

The one book that helped me.
I have read several books on the subject, searching for a way to break free of this. The problem is that many books adopt one of two approaches: either one designed for bulimics, which I am not, or a view that food is an addiction and certain foods must be avoided for life.
This book takes a sensible and, most importantly, very doable approach - it doesn't ask you to monitor in written form, which can be quite a chore, but rather works on making you aware of your eating style and then overhauling it. Gradually, eating is normalized and the former binge foods are introduced - without leading to binges for me!! - so that your relationship with food slowly gravitates towards being "normal".
All in all, a great read, the one book that changed my life!

Good but hard to follow
This book was interesting and I was very enlightened. I realized that I do have a binge eating disorder and all of the advice in the book was great. However, I found that it was hard to follow and to keep on top of. Very easy to revert back to prior binge eating ways. There is still hope:

My recommendation is The Hunger Within: A Twelve-Week Self-Guided Journey from Compulsive Eating to Recovery -- by Marilyn Migliore, Philip Ross See my review of this book...

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Not only did this book describe me & my behavior to a t, it also gave me specific steps to overcome my binging problem.I highly recommend this book if you have a binging problem. ... Read more

Product Description
This practical resource guide for students and parents dispels the myths surrounding eating disorders. Chapters on anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, compulsive overeating, and other disorders use case studies and current research to describe and explain symptoms, dangers, and more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Lots of information
This book is so full of information.I learned about bulimia and anorexia and what they do to your body.I might use this for a research paper for school. ... Read more

Product Description
"This is a book that could save your child's life." (Craig Johnson, Ph.D., Director of the Eating Disorders Program at Laureate Psychiatric Hospital)

At a time when 81 percent of ten-year-old girls say they are afraid of being fat, early dieting is clearly a widespread problem. However, the difference between being "just a little too thin" and having a full-blown eating disorder can be hard for even the most involved parent to distinguish.

Dr. Michael Strober and Meg Schneider's Just a Little Too Thin shows parents how to approach this problem proactively. First, it helps parents determine the severity of a child's weight issues by outlining the three stages of this slippery slope and the behavioral signs associated with each. The book then gives expert guidance on talking about weight and eating in ways that help a daughter cope with the emotional issues that feed her obsession. No matter where a girl rests on the continuum of eating behaviors, Just a Little Too Thin is an invaluable aid for parents intent on keeping their children emotionally and physically healthy in a world of unprecedented pressures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Offering compassionate, no-nonsense advice on how to talk to one's children about weight issues
Eating disorder authority Michael Strober, Ph.D. and therapist Meg Schneider MA, LMSW combine their expertise in Just A Little Too Thin: How To Pull Your Child Back From The Brink Of An Eating Disorder, a straightforward guide to recognizing the dangerous signs of when one's daughter (or more rarely, one's son) shifts from becoming an "innocent" to "exhilarated" to "preoccupied dieter" - when dieting has less to do with weight and health and more to do with emotional issues that could prove fatal. Offering compassionate, no-nonsense advice on how to talk to one's children about weight issues, and guide him or her away from the slippery slope that can lead to anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders, Just A Little Too Thin is a valuable, jargon-free guide. Additional chapters also offer insight concerning when professional help or medical intervention are necessary, and if so, how to go about it. Highly recommended.

Offering compassionate, no-nonsense advice on how to talk to one's children about weight issues
Eating disorder authority Michael Strober, Ph.D. and therapist Meg Schneider MA, LMSW combine their expertise in Just A Little Too Thin: How To Pull Your Child Back From The Brink Of An Eating Disorder, a straightforward guide to recognizing the dangerous signs of when one's daughter (or more rarely, one's son) shifts from becoming an "innocent" to "exhilarated" to "preoccupied dieter" - when dieting has less to do with weight and health and more to do with emotional issues that could prove fatal. Offering compassionate, no-nonsense advice on how to talk to one's children about weight issues, and guide him or her away from the slippery slope that can lead to anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders, Just A Little Too Thin is a valuable, jargon-free guide. Additional chapters also offer insight concerning when professional help or medical intervention are necessary, and if so, how to go about it. Highly recommended.

"Understand your history... the inherent emotional experiences related to your body image."
Eating disorders are ever more prevalent in an image-obsessed society, the phenomenon affecting young girls at an alarming rate. Faced with this concern, parents are often understandably overwhelmed, at a loss for information. This book is designed to help parents define their daughter's behavior, whether there are signs of a passing phase or more serious symptoms, making specific suggestions to interpret eating behavior. The focus of this volume is pre-disorder, appropriate information for parents before their daughter has slipped into pathology, offering insights for using this information proactively, concentrating on a developing girl before she falls victim to peer pressure and media saturation. The authors outline three stages of eating behavior: the innocent (but rigid) dieter, the exhilarated dieter and the distressed and preoccupied dieter. The evolution of these stages is subtle, the obsessive dieter ever more skilled in exercising aberrantbehavior, offeringlogical excuses for a temporary problem that may, in fact, be accelerating, a condition that "weakens her emotionally, cognitively and physically."

Puberty is a critical factor in the onset of eating disorder or preoccupation with weight, the body's natural changes occurring with social expectations and hormonal acceleration, all of which may distort a girl's perception of her body, her food obsession and lack of nutrition gaining in significance. Other triggers include: intense participation in athletics, genetic predisposition to weight gain and the messages of family, society and peer pressure. Certainly the media sends a strong and consistent drumbeat of impossible perfection, television, the movies and the music industry major contributing factors. Add in an adolescent's need for control and the potential for an eating disorder deserves serious attention. One chapter offers detailed suggestions for counteracting the pervasiveness of a thin-oriented culture, changing the dialog before the damage is done, speaking positively about physical image, avoiding injurious remarks about overweight people, developing inner resources and natural talents and articulating feelings. Specific case studies offer insights into pre-adolescent thinking, some misperceptions that can be corrected as a girl views her identity and body in relation to the world at large.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are disorders that require immediate intervention, a clearly defined diagnosis of specific behaviors and a fear of fat that is not relieved by weight loss. In contrast, Just a Little Too Thin addresses the diet obsession, adolescents and pre-adolescents tailoring their eating habits to control weight gain, a still viable situation where parents can effectively work with their daughters to prevent more serious issues. The most effective treatment is preventive, focusing on teaching girls how to develop healthy self-perception, a valuable asset aimed at dealing with body image before it becomes a problem. Luan Gaines/ 2005.

Should be read with STICK FIGURE by Lori Gottlieb
Dr. Michael Strober provides excellent insight for parents of girls suffering from eating disorders.His combination of academic research and clinical experience makes his advice both practical and effective.There is no other guide like this out there.

Another excellent resource for parents is STICK FIGURE: A DIARY OF MY FORMER SELF by Lori Gottlieb.I heard a reading from both books tonight, and having both the doctor's and patient's points of views was invaluable.As a parent of a teen girl, I highly recommend reading both books together.

David Feinberg, MD
Dr. Michael Strober has taken his life's work, synthesized it, and encapsulated in a very well written, accessible text. Dr. Strober is known internationally in academic psychiatry and psychology as a "triple threat". This means he has the highest respect as a clinician, teacher and researcher. When it comes to eating disorders you want Dr. Strober to care for you; you want him to teach you and you want to follow his research findings. Now all of these arenas are covered in one place: Just a Little Too Thin: How to Pull Your Child Back from the Brink of an Eating Disorder. I consider this a must read for any patient or family dealing with anorexia as well as all students and clinicians interested in eating disorder. ... Read more

Product Description

Increasingly boys and men are suffering with eating disorders and related body image problems. Some have full-blown conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating, compulsive exercising or bigorexia. Others are distressed by slightly lesser degrees of disordered eating or over-exercise and seek ways of overcoming their problems.

The Invisible Man applies the latest research to produce a practical, problem-focused self-help manual for men with eating disorders and body image problems. Divided into four sections, this evidence-based survival kit covers:

• the wider cultural context of male body image problems
• features unique to men
• science fact and science fiction
• a 7 stage approach to treatment.

By combining the science of cognitive behaviour therapy with motivational enhancement and problem-solving therapies, The Invisible Man will provide help to all men with body image disorders, as well as families and professionals involved in their care.

Product Description
HOPE, HELP, AND A REAL EXPLANATION FOR THE DISEASE OF FOOD ADDICTION

If you have struggled with compulsive eating, dieting, and the guilt and conflict they bring, your life will be changed by this important, life-affirming, and astonishingly wise book.

Anne Katherine, a Certified Eating Disorders Therapist and former compulsive eater, explains the chemical reactions in the brain that work in conjunction with lifelong emotional conflicts to make food—particularly sugar and refined carbohydrates—such a comfort that it's almost like a drug.

Once you realize that your binge eating is a physical disease that can be treated, you can use the book's self-tests, exercises, examination of family issues, and complete recovery program for newfound understanding and confidence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

somewhat disappointing
Very interesting about the chemical workings, especially in the brain, however, never gave a clear understanding of which foods fall in the non-abstinence arena.Most books advising on diet do's and dont's give at least a few days example of menus to follow.Somewhat disappointing.

Great help for recovering anorexics and bulimics too
As a recovering anorexic and bulimic, this book was the most helpful thing I found.Like any book, there are certain areas that I think are too extreme, e.g. obsessing over minuscule traces of sugar in restaurant food, but I think anyone with an eating disorder can greatly benefit from this book.I definitely altered the advice to suit my own needs, but it worked for me.After working through this book I used Dr. Mercola's No-Grain Diet to help me determine how much sugar I'm able to eat before I start to slip into binge-mode.As a result I'm much healthier and am able to select foods that will fill my hunger without triggering a surge of overeating.I highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with their eating.

Complicated boring self help
Too complicated and boring for someone suffering from an eating disorder to comprehend. Keep it simple. If you identify compulsive eating behaviors and stop them, your life gets simple. Eat less exercise more.

Mark C. Frye
I read the entire book.I did learn some things to think about when it comes to food.The book seems to focus a lot on sugar addiction and possibly being abused as a child as contributing factor to food addiction. I would recommend the book, but I found myself wanting to know more - ultimately, I don't think the book was for me, but I'm sure it would be for others.

The answer finally on my long long journey.
I have suffered with food addiction for most of my life. I have aggressively tackled it for the past 3. I have read more than 20 books on the subject ranging from addiction models to everything else out there that has been said. I have been exhausted and confused and failure after failure left me actually suicidal in my misery. Quite by accident I picked up this book and half bored began reading expecting to find the same unattainable prescription for my problem so many books had left me with. Kay Sheppard's book was one I had read and reread many times early in my quest. I have been an intense member of OA, FAA, and every other AA you can imagine for over 15 years.

Then somewhere in chapter 2 my ears perked up and I began reading on the edge of my seat. OMG, this is me. I couldn't put it down. I had never seen anything so eye opening by the chapter called The Minimum I was in tears. I had to put the book down and go eat something 3 times I was so triggered and excited at the same time. I stayed up all night finishing it and got started on the very first abstinence I have ever maintained for more than 3 days in 20 years! I went through the 10 day sugar detox Thanksgiving week and I cooked the whole family dinner!!!!

The first and second abstinence has been the key for me. I detoxed from sugar and it was brutal but I made it and my family hung in there just as she said to and I was excused from major decisions and anything else important for 2 weeks. They loved me and wanted to help save my life so much that they got on board the plan. The second book about food triggers written for the family is a must read if you follow this program.

I will go on to the second abstinence of refined carbs as soon as I am stable on my sugar abstinence. I finally believe I can do this. I have hope and confidence that I didn't have before. I understand soooo much more than I ever did with all those "listen to your body" books or the new age stuff about "go have a bubble bath with aromatherapy candles when you feel like eating". Sure, thats fine since I just took my bag of cookies to the bath with me!

The physical methods of abstinence along with the understanding of what I need and how to ask for it or provide it for myself literally saved my life. The fervor in which a previous reviewer trashed this book which saved my life prompted me to write this and beg others with real, life long and heartbreaking struggles to read this book. Its the only thing that helped this 53 year old burned out on diets/12step/motivational books etc heartbroken and depressed mother of 4 and grandmother of 3 to finally find a path out of the insanity. I am sugar free but not carb free yet. I already see a much calmer, clearer head and a willing heart in me to go on to step 2. I am so very grateful for this book I can hardly put it into words. Worth the money? It was worth my life. ... Read more

Product Description
(Whurr Publishers) Univ. of Ulster, UK. Provides a comprehensive resource for students and practitioners interested in eating disorders and the social and cultural contexts of food and eating. Also provides a guide to the treatment of those suffering with an eating disorder. Softcover ... Read more

Product Description
In straightforward, clear, and pragmatic language, McFarland presents a model that focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses, on solutions rather than problems, and on hope rather than despair. Her book should be on the shelf of every clinician who works with clients who have eating problems.
--Scott D. Miller, Brief Therapy Network

Drawing from her own clinical experience, Barbara McFarland demonstrates how solution-focused brief therapy is one of the more efficient approaches in treating eating disorders. Her practical, hands on strategies and interventions guides you through each step of the treatment process.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Professionally written and practical
This is a very well written and professionally informative book.The drawback to most professional works dealing with counselling practice is the way the information is presented--often much incisive information but presented without what I term the practical thread of application.This book is written intelligently and is immensely practical, a genuine pleasure to read.The author explains why she uses solution based short therapy and then reviews other methods of counselling, discusses each area of the process with case histories of anorexics,bulimics and so on plus their family interactions.My practice involves a general medicine practice ,with large chunks of family counselling interspesed, and this book is so useful both for initial assessment and management of eating disorders and many other aspects of life for teens and adults.It cannot sort out all patient issues and there are of course, referrals onwards,but it has worked very well for many of my patients.The astounding thing for many doctors is that so many of our patients have eating issues and we can offer so much by some of the simple steps in this book, which does not assign blame to any one, but instead actually makes patients sit back in wonder and lead "alternate lives" as the book puts it.We are often so guilty of ignoring the tentative feelers put out by patients as to "other concerns" of theirs,extending beyond medication, and this book offers the best first steps and often all the steps that are required.It will not tie up hours of your time,and yet leaves you with a sense of having helped your patient beyond medication,and referring them onwards at the appropriate time if need be. I cannot recommend it highly enough. ... Read more

Product Description
Avoid and overcome the female athlete triad. World expert Dr. Carol L. Otis provides practical guidelines based on sports medicine and athletes’ inspiring experiences. Composed of disordered eating, amenorrhea (lack of monthly menstrual cycles), and osteoporosis (thin bones), the triad can be treated and prevented so women can train, compete, and stay healthy all at the same time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

An enlightening life saver
I bought this book after I learned that I have all the signs of the triad and was struggling to understand both how I developed my health problems and how I can recover. This book answered all of my questions. It also helped me realize that I am definitely not alone.

The book is written in an engaging and easy-to-read style, which makes the medical information easy to comprehend. The book also includes profiles of various female athletes and athletic women. It seems likely that every reader will identify with at least one of the profiles. In addition, Dr. Otis uses great phrases that one can recall when she needs to remind herself of the goals. My favorites are "too fit to quit" and "too thin to win."

Whether you're an athletic woman or someone who cares for an athletic woman, I highly recommend this book. It will be a steep climb to health, but this book leaves me confident that I can be fit and healthy again.

Coaches! Let women be women
I am a male coach of female soccer players.I would go so far as to say that the depth of knowledge contained in this book is beyond that which many coaches of team sports would search for. However, coaches who are interested in getting the best from their athletes, rather than having athletes fit their own personal coaching agendas, will find in these pages essential truths that will illuminate their coaching.There has been a strong social tendency for women's understanding of ability and success to be measured by male standards (the sense of athletic body image in connection with performance, which is dealt with in detail, is only one of them driven by this perspective), and this book is thankfully one which reminds us that women are not only entitled to be judged as women, but need and deserve to be so.As coaches, and certainly as male coaches, we cannot help our female athletes realise their potential until we understand them better and give them credit for being who they are, and encourage them to be who they are.This book helps us do just that.

A Must for All Female Athletes
Books which honestly deal with the pressures and concerns of female athletes are rare, and this one should be required reading for every active woman from twelve to sixty. There is lots of information out there on how to be thin but far less on how to be fit. Otis and Goldingay are among the very few to acknowledge that they are not one and the same. This is not a book about eating disorders - though they are intelligently discussed. Nor is it a book about how to get in shape. It's much more. The authors honestly address medical issues such as amenorrhea and osteoporosis, provide information on nutrition, injuries and maintaining optimal energy for performance. Most important of all, they are medical professionals finally urging athletic women to be as strong as they can be. For anyone who's ever struggled between the twin camps of thin and fit, this book MUST go to the top of the pile.

Covers a gamut of issues concerning women athletes
The Athletic Woman's Survival Guide covers a gamut of issues concerning women athletes including eating disorders, amenorrhea, osteoporosis, body image. One of the most important chapters is on getting and giving help, forming a support team, getting referrals, the journey to recovery while continuing training, and communicating effectively with family, friends, teammates, and coaches. The Athletic Woman's Survival Guide concludes with an excellent chapter on "Peak Performance: Preventing the Triad" and sites specifically what the woman athlete can do, what her friends can do, what her family can do, what schools and organizations can do, what their men can do, and what coaches and athletic departments can do to assist the woman athlete to thrive, prosper, and perform in the competitive world of athletic competition. Highly recommended for personal, professional, and athletic department reference libraries, The Athletic Woman's Survival Guide is enhanced with references, resource lists, and a comprehensive index.

The Athletic Woman's Survival Guide
This book is a must for all active women. This book has everything! I especially enjoyed the comprehensive case studies of accomplished women athletes and how they took control of their health issues. This book covers, in depth, eating disorders and how to overcome them. It also covers all women's health issues from menstruation to injuries to everyday aches and pains. Extremely valuable information and sound and compassionate medical expertise are key elements of this book. I highly recommend this book for ALL women, young or old. It is a valuable resource. ... Read more

Product Description
“My eating disorder kept me safe. If I was just thin enough, pretty enough, maybe no one would look behind and see what a shameful, bad person I really was. The mask got heavier and heavier until I nearly collapsed under the strain of maintaining the lie. Once in treatment for my eating disorder, I discovered that dieting, food and weight were not the issue. I was trying to fill a void that food could not possibly touch -- a soul hunger”. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent!
An excellent account of one person's struggle with an eating disorder.I highly recommend it if you would like to understand what it is to struggle with such.
Carol

LIKE LOOKING IN A MIRROR
Very insightful.I saw so many similarities between what Sandy and her family experienced to others who have faced this same situation.Bulimia is a complex disease that impacts more than just your relationship with food.

Inspirational
I met Sandy and she gave me a copy of her book. It gave me the courage to confront my bulimia. Later it prodded me to write my own book. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume offers a realistic discussion of the complexity of the treatment of traumatic and dissociative experiences in eating disorders. The authors investigate critical issues concerning contraindications and the pitfalls of treatment while reflecting on the longterm outcomes of treatment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

New Insights
Book cites new studies or otherwise offers freshinsights. I've been looking for myself in these books esp. this past year because I don't know what happened to me, and/or what happened to me as a result of what happened to me. This book makes some points that were new to me - that IGNORING a report of child sexual abuse is more likely to lead to borderline personality disorder. I already knew of the link between abuse & BPD - ignoring report being linked is a whole nuther level. Also, just a little statement in the book linking nightmares to anxiety - duh! But so much more helpful than all my googling of (adult) nightmares which netted me nothing except "that's whatchyer thinkin' 'bout" - yeah, thanks, so helpful. Again, this takes it to another level - even if you can't solve all the things you're having nightmares about, maybe you can better deal with the anxiety, but do be careful of your meds.The part about family's negative reaction to therapy and effect for client was so CLEAR and sosupportive, I made abreakthrough (on a LONG-standing issue with nary a clue, in therapy for 30 years - when do I get my gold watch?!) just reading it. ... Read more

Product Description
The care of patients with eating disorders involves a comprehensive array of approaches. These guidelines contain the clinical factors that need to be considered when treating a patient with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. ... Read more

Product Description
The eating disorders - anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and obesity - affect many thousands of people each year, particularly young women. Eating disorders are a subject which parents today cannot study enough; it is believed that over 1 million people in the UK alone have a significant problem with an eating disorder and that up to 90,000 of those are receiving treatment.

Eating Disorders: The Facts is a guide to the three major eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, and obesity. This comprehensive guide considers why eating disorders occur, and then looks at each in turn, describing the eating behaviours, diagnosis, and treatments available. The opening chapters tackle adolescent eating behaviours and the sexual maturation process, and further chapters look at the problems that the family or friends of someone with an eating disorder may face, providing advice on how they can cope and provide support and help for the sufferer. This sixth edition contains numerous case history outlines, which provide surprising insights into the mind of the eating disorder sufferer, making it easier for patients and their families to read and dip into as needed. Sympathetically and clearly written, the book provides an authoritative resource on eating disorders, one that will prove valuable for sufferers and their families. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This isn't the best book on eating disorders.
This was one of the most frustrating books to read on the subject of eating disorders because the emphasis seemed to be on the wrong things.When we think of eating disorders we must realize how much we still need tolearn.There were so many references to "ideal" weights anddieting that it would be counterproductive for a patient with an eatingdisorder to read this book. Some interesting facts about eating disordersand pregnancy were mentioned in this book, and these seemed to be more inthe authors' area of expertise. There are many other books written ontreating eating disorders and the key seems to be treating the patient withcompassion. There was confusion in the book in defining the differenteating disorders because there aren't any international standards.In theU.S. we typicallyuse the DSM-IV for diagnosis guidelines, but theguidelines used in other countries are somewhat different making this moredifficult to understand.

Required reading for people with young daughters.
This is a thorough book. The basics of the three major eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia and obesity, are examined both individually and as a group, with opening chapters on adolescent eating behaviors and the sexual maturation process. Numerous case history outlines provide surprising insights into the mind of the eating disorder victim. You will not find what you might expect. Any parent with a daughter in sports should get this book. Eating disorders are a subject which parents today cannot study enough ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of inspiring interviews with renowned writers, models, actors, athletes, and other celebrities who have overcome eating disorders and who courageously share their personal struggles and triumphs.The headlines are filled with the names of people in the limelight who are beginning to speak openly about their tragic relationship with food and dieting in hopes of helping others afflicted with eating disorders. Actors, models, and athletes are particularly hard hit with this dis-ease, primarily because a stunning appearance or performance is part of the job description. Feeding the Fame captures the stories of approximately 20 celebrities who have suffered eating disorders. These original personal accounts reveal the most intimate fears and disappointments, as well as the unconventional, fascinating, and effective paths back to a normal healthy body image and eating patterns. ... Read more