The Language We Speak Shapes the Ways We Eat
By Liz McLean, F.E.A.S.T. Volunteer I never gave much thought to the language of food and eating until my daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder. Since that diagnosis, I’ve become aware of the words we use regarding food on our screens, at our “girls’ lunches”, family dinners, and holiday parties. My daughter’s dad and […]
We Only Eat Healthy Foods In Our House
By Laura Cohen “We only eat healthy foods in our house.” I see this statement or similar ones all the time from parents as they start the long journey to help a child recover from an eating disorder. I believe I said the same thing. I will never forget proudly saying to another parent, “I’m […]
Men of FEAST: A Personal Perspective
By Kevin Dunn, a Men of FEAST Founding Father As a dad and primary caregiver of a loved one in eating disorder recovery, I’m familiar with the range of obstructive feelings men may experience throughout this challenge: anger, disbelief, hopelessness, fear, loss, disengagement, denial, guilt, shame, loneliness. I had some, but not all, of these […]
The Challenge of Holidays
By Judy Krasna, FEAST Board Member and Volunteer One thing that is pretty much true across all religions is that holidays focus on food. This makes holidays particularly difficult to navigate for individuals affected by eating disorders and their families. Below are some suggestions based on my own experience to make the holidays a little […]
Your kid hates you now. Congratulations!
By Emily Boring A golden rule: Never use the language of an eating disorder to talk back to an eating disorder. Perhaps this sounds obvious. Unfortunately, I’ve found that in real-life situations—conversations with well-meaning clinicians, family, friends, and other recovery supporters—this rule is far from universally enacted or understood. Here’s a classic example. On the […]
Bias and Eating Disorders
By Bronwen Bias and prejudice are rife in the eating disorder world, from the preconceived ideas of family and friends to the clinicians. The media today is full of anti-obesity messages, dieting tips and advice, and photoshopped images. These messages begin to filter into our subconsciousness from a very early age so that by the […]
To Fast or Not to Fast. That is the Question
Yakov Saacks I was recently asked my opinion on is whether fasting on religious holidays is important these days or not. If you would have asked this question of me three years ago I would have responded completely different to the answer I now give. In the past I would have responded with a gentle […]
