FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Mike Judson
(801) 431-7350 or mjudson@tsggroup.com

November 23, 1998, Orem, Utah-The Foundation for Change, a non-profit charitable foundation devoted to eating disorder awareness and education, today warned that the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are notoriously difficult times for people who suffer from eating disorders and can trigger dangerous anorexic or bulimic behavior. The Foundation's statement added that health care professionals and family members of eating disorder sufferers should give particular care over the holidays to safeguard the well-being of their anorexic or bulimic patients and family members.

"Having an eating disorder during the holidays can be a living hell," said Randy Hardman, Ph.D., psychologist and eating disorder expert with Foundation for Change. "The reasons for the challenges are as complex as the eating disorders themselves but the bottom line is that doctors need to be especially aware of their patients if they suspect that they are anorexic or bulimic. Family members, too, need to educate themselves about the causes and treatment of eating disordered behavior so that they can give the support their loved ones need during the holidays."

In his statement, Hardman gave insights into why the holidays are so challenging and offered suggestions for helping those who suffer.

"In American society, the celebration of the holidays centers primarily around food and family. It's oversimplifying to say that these are the two things anorexics and bulimics fear most, but for many this is basically a true statement.

"Food, to them, causes weight gain and with the distorted view that eating disorder sufferers have of their bodies, any weight gain is bad. Anorexics respond by starving themselves and bulimics respond with binge eating and purging. Both cling tenaciously to their eating disorder because in many cases it is the one thing in their life they feel they can control, even though it may be slowly killing them.

"The natural response by most families is to attack the behavior directly by saying things like, 'Why don't you just eat? It's easy, just chew and swallow.' Or to a bulimic they might say, 'When you feel full, just stop eating.' But this compounds the intense sense of guilt that most young women with eating disorders already feel and can alienate them even further from their those who can support them best.

"The young woman who starves herself or who binges and purges may feel rejected, inadequate or unworthy of her family's love. She may be driven by an unhealthy need for perfection or she may be suffering the effects of a major trauma from earlier in life. Whatever the cause, crowds of people, including crowds of family members, tend to unnerve her because she already feels unacceptable and is terribly self-conscious about her behavior and how other perceive her. She assumes, sometimes correctly, that all eyes are on her, especially while she eats. All of her emotional turmoil tends to manifest itself in her eating disorder, which just perpetuates the cycle.

"What is really needed is for family members to understand that eating disorders have less to do with food than they have to do with pain. Eating disorder behavior is one method that anorexics and bulimics use to communicate their intense need for unconditional acceptance and love. Families should be prepared over the holidays and beyond to provide that kind of acceptance and love."

Hardman offered several specific suggestions of ways that families can help during the holiday season.

"First, if the problem is severe, don't wait until after the holidays to seek professional help," he said. "Eating disorders can be deadly, but recovery is real when people receive the right kind of treatment.

"Second, practice honesty. If family members will speak openly about the eating disorder and about what will or won't help, then holiday activities can be planned so that they are supportive and not negative or counter-productive.

"Third, focus more on the true purpose of the holidays and spend less energy and time focusing on food and meal preparation.

"Fourth, families should not feel responsible or guilty about causing the eating disorder and should not dwell on what the sufferer is or is not eating. Likewise, the sufferer should not feel responsible for a family's emotional response to the eating disorder. It is far more constructive to agree ahead of time to focus on the things that are good and positive in the family setting.

"Fifth, families should think about breaking activities into smaller groups so there is not such overwhelming pressure to deal with all at once.

"Sixth, families should express love, kindness and acceptance to the eating disorder sufferer and communicate the message that they are sad about how the person struggles but that their focus during the holiday season is going to be on being together and appreciating one another."

Copies of Dr. Hardman's statement are available to interested individuals by calling 1-888-224-8250 or 1-801-224-8277 or by visiting www.centerforchange.com on the Internet.

The Foundation for Change, based in Orem, Utah, is a 501 (c) (3) charitable foundation, established in January 1998, that is devoted to eating disorder awareness and education. The Foundation promotes involvement by individuals and organizations in researching and communicating the cause, effect, prevention and treatment of eating disorders. The Foundation also provides financial assistance for the treatment of eating disorders and sponsors research to further understanding of the psychological, physical, emotional and spiritual elements of the healing and recovery process. For more information about the Foundation for Change, call (801) 224-8277.