I recently posted something brief about how taking some publicity photos affected my own body image. While I am aware of all the movements in the field of eating disorders whether it be body positivity, body neutrality, fat activism, fat liberation and more, I'm also - like many of you - aware that it's not easy to like your body when it doesn't conform to the "societal norms." As I grow older and experience health issues that impact my body shape and size and just experience the results of working in a very stressful career for many decades, I've had to recommit myself to ignoring outside voi ..read more

Although most medical doctors don’t discuss the need to nourish your spirit for good health and well-being, some very specific benefits are associated with spiritual well-being. Just as toxic childhood experiences are associated with negative changes in your brain, spirituality and religion are associated with positive changes in your brain, which can reduce your risk for depression, for example and also improve your recovery from depression. This benefit can have direct effects on your eating ..read more

If you struggle with food addiction, binge or emotional eating, Virginia’s case above illustrates how recurrent acute and chronic stress can sabotage any efforts you make to resolve your food and body image issues. Managing stress without food requires that you learn a new set of skills to use when you’re feeling overwhelmed, worn out, or stressed to the max. Managing stress also requires learning to tap into your body’s wisdom to identify the early warning signs and symptoms of stress, a key first step toward handling stress differently. Stress management involves a moment-by-moment mindful a ..read more

Physical activity has been co- opted by the diet industry just as food has—in other words, used only in the service of trying to get you to lose weight. No wonder just thinking about exercise may send you into a fit of resistance or may make you feel guilty that you’re not doing enough or not doing the right kind—at least according to all the experts ..read more

If you are dissatisfied with your body, you are not alone. Body dissatisfaction is felt by millions of people in the United States—dissatisfaction directed toward both our own bodies and the less than perfect bodies of others. In one survey, 59% of young girls expressed dissatisfaction with their body shape and 66% expressed the desire to lose weight; disturbingly, older women are also increasingly being diagnosed with eating disorders.In a survey of over 4,000 women by Good Housekeeping, 87% of women reported having been on a diet to change their size or shape. Only 6% said they are "happy wi ..read more

In the last blog, I talked about avoiding the pitfall of going on detox diets, cleanses, fasts or other codes for weight loss diets in the New Year and instead 1) letting your body do the work it knows how to do to take care of you and 2) doing a body RESET for the New Year. Shifting the ways of thinking that reinforce your obsession with food, binging and body dissatisfaction is also an important part of the process of transforming your food addiction, binge eating and emotional eating ..read more

The first goal of therapy should be interrupting any current unwanted behaviors, such as bingeing, overeating, obsessing about food or your body. If you have binge eating, you may have very chaotic eating patterns: eating more, both at meals and during binges, than people who are living in larger bodies but don’t binge eat. You may also engage in weight cycling, or yo-yo dieting - going on and off diets, always chasing the latest fad diet that promises to deliver the perfect "summer body." Another common trait of those with binge eating, food addiction and emotional eating is the loss of contr ..read more

When you find soul satisfaction you will be able to bring it into all areas of your life, including your relationship with food and how you feel about your body ..read more

The New Year often brings a plethora of detoxification diets, smoothies, teas and fasts. Most of the products you see in health food stores and advertised on the internet that say they are "detoxifying" are really code for weight loss. Often individuals with food addiction, binge eating or emotional eating can get roped into to trying one of these products which can trigger them to relapse or to develop an eating disorder ..read more

Body image is the picture you hold in your mind of your body. When you hold a negative picture or are dissatisfied with your body, it can be a significant predictor of compulsive overeating, binge eating, emotional distress, depression, problems in your relationships, or the use of steroids in men ..read more