Diabulimia is a Life-Threatening Disorder for Some Teens by Jean Enderson

Diabulimia is a Life-Threatening Disorder for Some Teens
Author: Jean Enderson

It was Cassady Kinter's little secret.
"I was 14 so I was going into high school which I think is a really common time for people to start messing with that stuff," she said.
Cassady has Type 1 Diabetes. What she "messed with" was her insulin, skipping doses.  It's not so rare, according to Seattle Children's Doctor Yolanda Evans.
"Diabulimia is a term for kids who have diabetes who use insulin, but they'll withhold their insulin in order to lose weight," Dr. Evans said.
Trouble is it works better than any diet. That's why got Cassady hooked.
"You can lose like 10 pounds in two days which is really appealing to a young kid who doesn't really care about consequences later on."
Those consequences would come much sooner than Cassady ever expected. At age 16, she developed cataracts. That's not the only danger of diabulimia.
Dr. Evans says it can be life-threatening. "A diabetic who doesn't take their insulin can have really elevated levels of sugar in their blood and can actually lead to coma, even death."
None of that registered with Cassady. She only cared about being thin.
"You lose weight very quickly and people notice and give you all kinds of compliments, of course," she said.
Then came the extreme fatigue, hair loss and other side effects. Yes, the pounds were coming off, but not in the way she expected.
 If somebody has diabulimia a lot of times the body shape will be kind of this potato with toothpicks, spindly arms and legs," Cassady said.
The compliments stopped. So did the friendships. Cassady was the only one left playing the game of pretend.
"I thought I  was fooling people but I wasn't."
Finally she got tired of feeling awful, but even then, it wasn't easy to stop. She got treatment but later relapsed before finally getting back on track again.
Cassady says the best thing parents can to do is look for the signs; be direct but not judgmental. Red flags include: unexplained weight loss, extreme fatigue, frequent urination and high blood sugar readings.
These days, Cassady is back in school, taking graduate courses to become a counselor to help others who go down the same dangerous path that she did.
Diabulimia has been seen in patients as young as 13 and in women as old as 60.

Resources

http://www.diabulimiahelpline.org/

ADHD Teens at Risk of Eating Disorders By Chris Iliades, MD Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Teen eating disorders are on the rise — and they're becoming more prevalent in kids with ADHD. Experts explain why.

ADHD: My Son Nathan
One to 2 percent of students in America struggle with an eating disorder — and according to studies, eating disorders are significantly more common in teenage girls with ADHD than in girls without ADHD.

A possible explanation: Eating disorder behaviors like binge eating may be a way of self-medicating for ADHD teens. "The key link between eating disorders and ADHD is the impulsive need for stimulation,” explains Eric Hollander, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine and director of the Compulsive, Impulsive, and Autism Spectrum Disorders Program at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York.

“ADHD in teens may cause symptoms of boredom and restlessness that are temporarily relieved by compulsive or addictive eating behaviors. Overeating or binge eating may stimulate the dopamine reward system and dopamine pathways in the brain.”

Dopamine is a brain chemical that tends to be low in people with ADHD. Dopamine is also important in appetite regulation and some compulsive eating behaviors have been shown to activate dopamine pathways.

Adolescent girls with ADHD also frequently develop dissatisfaction with their body image, which can lead to repeated bouts of binge eating and bulimia, notes Hollander.

ADHD usually begins in childhood, but girls are more likely to reach their teens being undiagnosed and untreated for their ADHD. Untreated teen ADHD increases the risk for compulsive eating and other eating disorders like bulimia or binge eating.”

Here are some ADHD symptoms kids and parents should be aware of:

Difficulty paying attention and staying focused
Problems at school
Constantly losing things or making careless mistakes
Restlessness and impatience
Parents who know or suspect that their teen has ADHD should also be aware of the warning signs of a possible eating disorder:

Dramatic change in weight
Excessive concern over diet
Being depressed about body image
Use of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas
Avoidance of family meals
ADHD in Teens and Eating Disorder Treatment

Parents and teens need to learn as much as they can about these disorders and take an active role in treatment. ADHD and eating disorders are both treatable. Teen ADHD can be controlled through a combination of medication and behavioral therapy. Teen eating disorder treatment often involves both individual and family therapy and education about healthful eating. Treatment of ADHD symptoms may also help symptoms of eating disorders.

The key is to recognize the problem and take action. Teen ADHD and eating disorders that go unrecognized and untreated can cause lasting damage to both mind and body.

Ramey Nutrition Taking New Day Program Patients!

Providing eating disorder treatment that leads efficiently to full recovery was the guiding principal on which Ramey Nutrition was founded. Eating disorders are frequently “treated” in the field of nutrition counseling; however we focus on empowering our patients to be recovered in order to move on with lives that are meaningful to them. By avoiding a focus on education and meal plans, we are able to respect the knowledge our patients already have. As they feel safe in knowing this, we are in a better position to simply remind them of the power they have to heal their issues; the nutrition naturally follows their healing.
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"A mother who radiates self-love and self-acceptance vaccinates her daughter against low self-esteem." -Naomi Wolf

Ramey Nutrition's First Referring Doctor Killed in an Avalanche

The woman who died after she was buried in an avalanche near Snoqualmie Pass has been identified as Bellevue naturopathic physician Dr. Joy Yu. The search for a man caught in a second slide has been suspended.

The woman who died after she was buried in an avalanche Saturday on Red Mountain has been identified as Dr. Joy Yu, a naturopathic physician.
Yu worked at the Creekside Center for Integrative Medicine in Bellevue, according to a billing receptionist at the office who was too upset to provide additional details. She said Yu’s relatives were on their way to town after learning of the accident.
Yu has a blog that identifies her as an active Northwest hiker and dog lover.
Yu was one of two people hit by an avalanche in separate incidents Saturday near Snoqualmie Pass. A man who’s been missing in an avalanche on Granite Mountain has been identified as 61-year-old Mitch Hungate, a Renton dentist, according to KING 5 news, a Seattle Times news partner.
The search for Hungate has been suspended indefinitely, as rescuers believe the conditions on Granite Mountain nare too dangerous.
Two other men were carried along with Hungate in the Granite Mountain avalanche, but they have been located. A GPS device worn by one of the men showed they tumbled down the slope more than 1,200 feet in less than one minute, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Hungate did not emerge from the snow slide. Described as an experienced outdoorsman, Hungate was “always out hiking and climbing,” according to Bruce Kolpack, who has climbed with him. “He stays in really good shape.”
Hungate’s wife and sister are on the mountain awaiting news.
“All of us stayed up here in the hope against hope that there would be a rescue,” Hungate’s wife, Marilynn, told KING 5. “I really didn’t want to leave him. I want to be with him until he can be here with us.”
Yu was pronounced dead after rescuers transported her down from Red Mountain at about midnight . The Sheriff’s Office said she had a pulse when she was dug from the snow. Rescuers, who hiked nearly three hours to reach her, spent six hours carrying her on a sled off the mountain, but she did not survive.
Other snowshoers located Yu about 45 minutes after an avalanche hit and found her face down in about 5 feet of snow. Her dog, a black-and-white border collie/sheltie mix named Blue, showed up unaccompanied, alerting them that the woman was missing.
The search for Hungate was suspended about 8 p.m. Saturday and did not resume Sunday.
“It’s so unstable, we don’t want to risk our search-and-rescue members’ lives,” said Cindi West, of the Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office is warning the public to stay away from the area, she added.
About 50 rescuers with dog teams searched for Hungate on Saturday but battled “horrible” conditions, according to Katie Larson, of the Sheriff’s Office. Overnight, the mountain got another “big dump of snow,” making the conditions too dangerous to send in searchers, she said.
His two companions suffered non-life-threatening shoulder and hamstring injuries, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Granite Mountain avalanche occurred first, at about noon Saturday, near Interstate 90s exit 47. The Red Mountain slide hit about a half-hour later, a few miles east near the Alpental ski area.
In all, more than 100 members of search-and-rescue teams from Seattle, Everett, Pierce County and Yakima participated in searches at the two avalanche scenes.
At the Red Mountain site, Yu had been snowshoeing with her dog behind a group of 12 other snowshoers when the avalanche struck.
The group of 12 was split up by the avalanche, with four making it off the mountain on their own by 5 p.m.
The remaining eight snowshoers, who were at about 4,800 feet, realized Yu was missing when the dog came up to them afterward. They were able to find Yu and dig her out. They tried to keep her warm as they waited about 2½ hours for rescuers to reach them. The rescue party did not reach the parking lot until about midnight Saturday, and by that time Yu had died.
The last avalanche fatalities in this area occurred in February 2012 when four people were killed at Stevens Pass and near the Summit at Snoqualmie, Larson said.
She said avalanches can be common this time of year.
“Whenever you have warm weather and then cold weather and snow, it can be bad,” she said.
Paul Baugher, director of the Northwest Avalanche Institute, which offers avalanche consulting and safety training, said the forecast for avalanches at Snoqualmie was “high” on Saturday.
“Because of the cold temperatures, the snow underneath is relatively well frozen and stable,” he said. “But there’s a poor bond between the new snow coming down and old snow, which is very hard and slippery. That produces soft slabs of very sensitive snow.”

Not A Sketch: The Most Creative Anti-ED Message We've Seen Yet

Don Draper and Peggy have their talents, but these days, advertisers can get really creative. From viral videos and imagery to the creative use of Photoshop, there's always another envelope to be pushed when it comes to getting the consumer's attention. This latest ad is a little bit of both, with a heavy dose of shock value, and thankfully, it's for a good cause.

Brazilian modeling agency Star Models has recently released an eating disorder awareness campaign featuring your typical fashion sketch on the left, and models photoshopped to look like a human version of the same on the right. And as you can see, it's quite disturbing. If you're familiar with fashion illustration, you know this sort of impossibly long-legged, waify figure is absolutely standard practice for almost all designers. It's an art, and we personally appreciate it as a beautiful step in the design process. But has it gone too far?

As many of you pointed out in the comments on this article, we have to give women enough credit not to take media imagery too literally. Barbie is a doll, not a person; these are fashion sketches, not a recommendation for what you should look like — right? Well, we're not so sure. While obviously adult women have the sense to differentiate between an artistic sketch and an actual human form, we can say from personal experience that there's a level of subconscious conditioning that affects girls and women when they see this type of imagery. It's the same effect as when you see a dress on display in a shop with the waist cinched in to create an extreme hourglass effect. The dress looks lovely like that, and hangs perfectly. But what happens when you go and try it on, and no amount of cinching will create the same effect, no matter how skinny you are? Maybe you won't buy the dress. And maybe you'll leave the shop thinking, hey, I could do to lose a few pounds.


It's a two-way street, and fashion can't be 100% responsible for your self image. You've got to work on loving your own body and differentiating between artistic forms and, well, life forms — for your own reasons. But at the same time, these images underscore another facet of the discussion on eating disorders. Our conception of beauty today involves imagery found not just in the media and on the runway, it also begins early in the design process. If designers are creating clothing based on sketches that look like that, it's not a big surprise that they select models that resemble the sketch. Sometimes that just means long legs and a slightly more slender frame, but sometimes, it gets taken to the extreme.

We're reluctant to give too much credit to what's clearly a highly stylized, almost cartoon-ish, form of drawing. And we have too much respect for fashion designers and their vision to dismiss the traditional, widely-used sketch at the drop of a hat. But these ads do make you wonder: At what point do designers themselves have a responsibility, as artists but also as creators of consumer products, to help foster a more body-positive society?


Images: Courtesy of Star Models.

Our hearts and prayers go out to Texas today. @rameynutrition

Talking About Old Age Or Being Fat Linked To Physical And Mental Health Problems by Joseph Nordqvist

Talking about being old is an important indicator of body dissatisfaction, in the same way that talking about being fat is, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders.

Body dissatisfaction is associated with a number of physical and mental health problems, such as depression, low self-esteem, and stress. So-called "fat talk" and "old talk" have been found to contribute towards feelings of body dissatisfaction. It occurs when women express distaste about the appearance of their body and wish they were either better looking, thinner, or younger.

Researchers from the University of West England and Trinity University investigated the impact of "fat-talk" and "old-talk" throughout women's lives. They surveyed a total of 1,000 women aged 18 to 87 from various parts of the world; they assessed their fat talk, old talk, body image disturbance and eating disorder pathology.

Interestingly, a previous study published in Psychology of Women Quarterly identified that it's worrying how some women believe "fat talk" to be a helpful coping mechanism when in fact it actually exacerbates body image disturbance. In addition, those who engage in fat talk on a frequent basis are more likely to have an ultra-thin body ideal than those who don't.

They found that "fat talk" and "old talk" occur throughout the majority of women's lives. In general women talk more about their weight and appearance than they do about their age. However, as they get older they tend to talk less about their weight and more about their age.

Those who reported talking about being old or fat were more likely to have a negative body image than those who didn't.

As with fat talk, old talk is associated with body image disturbance as well as eating disorder pathology.

According to Dr. Carolyn Black Becker, who led this study:

"Until now, most research has focused on the negative effects of the thin-ideal and speech, such as 'fat talk', in younger women, but we need to remember that the thin-ideal is also a young-ideal which, as our results show, becomes increasingly important to negative body image as women age."


Written by Joseph Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today

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Ramey Nutrition NEDA Events

Open House BBQ 

Friday May 17^th 5:00pm Ramey Nutrition Headquarters

NEDA great way to start off summer? NEDA burger?   

Comejoin the Ramey Nutrition Team for our Open House BBQ.

We will have fun, food, fitness and information all for agreat cause.  Make a $15 donation to NEDA(national eating disorder association) and enjoy soda and BBQ. Otherrefreshments will be available for a small donation.

Meet the Ramey Nutrition Team of Excellence, and get information on Eating DisorderRecovery Programs, Diabetes, Weight Management, and Medical Nutrition Therapy along with our Fitness and Yoga classes.

Take a free fitness class with Jason Steele at 5:30 in the Grauer Gym

Learnall the ways that Ramey Nutrition can help in your life or that of loved ones.

Sign up for the 2013 NEDA walk on Saturday June the 1^stat Seward Park or stop by Ramey Nutrition and signup or use the link to sign upfor the Ramey Nutrition Team at http://neda.nationaleatingdisorders.org/site/TR/NEDAWalk/General?team_id=10330&pg=team&fr_id=2220. The password is: Honey22

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School Obesity Programs May Promote Worrisome Eating Behaviors and Physical Activity in Kids

Jan. 27, 2012 — In a new poll, 30% of parents report at least one worrisome behavior in their children that could be associated with the development of eating disorders.
A new report from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health examines the possible association between school-based childhood obesity prevention programs and an increase in eating disorders among young children and adolescents.
The poll asked parents about obesity prevention programs in their children's schools and about food-related behaviors and activity that may be worrisome.
Overall, 82 percent of parents of children age 6-14 report at least one school-based childhood obesity intervention program taking place in their child's school. Among these programs are nutrition education, limits on sweets or "junk food" in the classroom, height and weight measurements, and incentives for physical activity.
Additionally, 7 percent of parents report that their children have been made to feel bad at school about what or how much they were eating.
This same group of parents was also asked about their children's eating behaviors. Thirty percent of parents of 6-14 year-olds report least one behavior in their children that could be associated with the development of an eating disorder. These behaviors include inappropriate dieting, excessive worry about fat in foods, being preoccupied with food content or labels, refusing family meals, and having too much physical activity.
"The issue of childhood obesity is a serious problem. In order to intervene in what seems like an epidemic of childhood obesity, everyone needs to be involved," says David Rosen, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School and Chief of Teenage and Young Adult Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics.
However, Rosen says, "When obesity interventions are put in place without understanding how they work and what the risks are, there can be unintended consequences. Well-intentioned efforts can go awry when children misinterpret the information they're given.
"Many of these behaviors are often dismissed as a phase," says Rosen, "But given what we know about the association of these behaviors with the development of eating disorders and knowing that eating disorders are increasing in prevalence, they should be taken very seriously."
Parents that report incentive programs at their children's school to increase physical activity are more likely to say their children are "too physically active" (11%) compared with parents who do not report incentives for physical activity at their child's school (4%). Otherwise, the poll did not find an association between school-based obesity prevention programs and other worrisome eating behaviors among children.
The fact that 30% of parents report at least one worrisome eating behavior in their children is concerning.
"It's much better and safer for parents to respond to worrisome eating behaviors early -- even if there turns out to be no problem -- than to wait until there is obviously a big problem,' Rosen says. "It is much easier to prevent an eating disorder than it is to treat an eating disorder."
Rosen offers these suggestions for parents:
1. Be attentive to your children's eating habits. If you see behaviors that are worrisome to you, talk to your children about them. If the behaviors escalate, involve your child's doctor.
2. Find out what your children's schools are doing to prevent childhood obesity. Be involved and engaged in that process.
3. Ask your children if they're being teased at school about their food choices or their weight. If they are, go to the school and find out what is happening.

Night Baker finds strength, healing in blog readers By Candice Madsen March 11th, 2013

 The Night Baker Video

 

OREM — For a Utah woman battling anorexia, sharing her story with the world ultimately helped save her life.

It's been five months since KSL met Camilla Kuhns — known in the blogosphere as the Night Baker. Camilla bakes and blogs in hopes of raising enough money to overcome her anorexia for good.
Camilla checked into the Center for Change in Orem, not knowing how long she'd be able to afford to stay. Treatment costs $900 a day.
But Camilla said the generosity of family, friends and strangers who follow her blog kept the money and support coming, giving her the funds and the strength to fight for her life.

I'm so much more fun and I enjoy things more. I am excited about my life and that is so much better than being skinny.

–Camilla Kuhns, Night Baker

Five months ago, doctors told Camilla she could have a heart attack at any moment. Her eating disorder has controlled her life for 18 long years.

"This has been a crutch for me for so long," she said. "I just feel like I'm losing my crutch."
Camilla entered treatment terrified to let go of the habits that were killing her. But now, five months later, she has a new take on life.
"I feel so much better," she said. "I'm so much more fun and I enjoy things more. I am excited about my life and that is so much better than being skinny."
Her family is grateful to have this Camilla back.
"I have my daughter back," said David Kuhns, Camilla's father. "She is fun. She's energetic. She's all the things that I knew she was."
Camilla said treatment wasn't easy. She wanted to quit many times, but she knew people all over the world were praying for her.

My dream as a child was to grow up and not be an anorexic woman. I'm getting back to that person who has other dreams, better dreams, and it is just a really good feeling.

–Camilla

"They really saved my life by following the blog and reminding me that I had an audience and that it wasn't just about me," she said.

Camilla didn't realize the full impact she'd had on others until she met a woman who went into treatment because of Camilla's story.
"It's so humbling because this woman is so incredible and she has a family and she is so successful," she said. "I though that if this is the only person who saw my story and got anything out of it then it was so worth any ridicule I've gotten from sharing my blog."
Camilla hasn't completely conquered her eating disorder.
"It's still there and it yells at me sometimes, but I feel like my voice is louder now," she said.
For the first time in almost twenty years, Camilla said she finally feels in control of her future.
"My dream as a child was to grow up and not be an anorexic woman," she said. "I'm getting back to that person who has other dreams, better dreams, and it is just a really good feeling."
Camilla will receive a few more weeks of outpatient treatment at a center in Arizona as she makes the transition back into the real world.

 

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Recovery Day Program Patient Testimonial

Ramey Nutrition is a good fit from my recovery because theprogram allows me to live in a real world setting while being in the recoveryprocess. Yes, I will admit, this hasn’t been anywhere near easy and I believethat is why I have had an intense time adjusting to there being more “freedom”with my recovery. This is something that I am DEFINITELY not used to with onlyexperiencing inpatient, residential and Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP).When I did go to another program, it was acclaimed to be PHP, although it feltmore like I was trapped in a place and I HAD to recover. Being here at RameyNutrition I have the choice to recover. I am scared shitless of gaining weight,fearful of finding my true self. Having those feelings come up, having to facethem is something I am going to experience while I recover. It’s not going tobe easy or fun, and I am ready to be uncomfortable with eating and keeping fooddown. I am taking the next step to gain weight because I want my lifeback. I want to live, be happy, and spend time with my family.

I WANT LIFE AND I WANT ME BACK!!!!

            I am going to do everything in mypower to get that back. By committing myself to that, I WILL:

·        Eat

·        Gainweight

·        Goto therapy

·        Workmy ass off day in and day out, every second to be closer to life

·        Bereal, honest, open, authentic

·        Havedifficult days, struggle AND get through them, continuing to push forward

I am tired of dying and I am going to start living byreviving myself and I truly believe without a doubt that Ramey Nutrition is theplace for recovery and regaining my life back.

-         A.D.

Ramey Nutrition Recovery Day Program Patient

Recovery in Motion!

I am capable of greatness beyond my expectations. I am limiting my conviction because I feel trapped.

I am creating and owing my life. I am appreciating that my life is greater than my expectations; my strength beyond measure. I am unlimited potential and am investing 100% of myself in each moment until death comes...however it may. 

-AW, Ramey Nutrition Recovery Day Program

 http://rameynutrition.com/form/free2be