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"Fat Talk" May Make You Less Likable

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:35:40 +0000

Professor Alexandra Corning and her team in the Department of Psychology at The University of Notre Dame recently presented their research findings at the Midwest Psychological Association on the likability of women who engage in fat talk.

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Why You Should Care What Mike Jeffries is Saying

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:34:37 +0000

You may have heard or read about Abercrombie & Fitch's CEO Mike Jeffries and his comments regarding larger women and his store's target audience this week.

It has been known for sometime that A&F does not offer women's clothing in sizes XL or larger, while they do offer XL and XXL for men. However, Mike Jeffries has recently been quoted by Robin Lewis, the author of The New Rules of Retail, as saying A&F is purposefully excluding larger women - that the store only wants the 'cool kids,' or the young, beautiful and thin people to shop at his store.

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A different perspective...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:59:37 +0000

Last week, I posted about the new video from Dove detailing their 'social experiment' with having women describe themselves to a forensic artist and then being described by a stranger. Initially, I really liked the video and the message that Dove was attempting to get across - essentially that in general women see themselves more critically than others do. I still think there are a lot of positive things about this video and it's message and have heard from several therapists that it has made great fodder for both individual and group sessions.

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Do you see yourself less accurately than others do?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:48:56 +0000

Body image is the way we, as individuals, see ourselves or the way we believe that we look to others. Interestingly, the newest addition to the Dove Real Beauty campaign is underscoring the idea that we are our harshest critics. And, that we actually see ourselves less accurately (and as less beautiful) than total strangers.

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Gender Role Endorsement Affects Male Body Image Concerns

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:35:24 +0000

In a recent study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders, Australian researchers examined the relationship between self-reported gender role endorsement and body-image concerns in males. Research participants included 24 males diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, 30 males who use gyms, and 21 males diagnosed with muscle dysmorphia (a condition that occurs when a person believes that his/her muscles are not big enough but often have above-average musculature.)

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"Old Talk" - Just as Dangerous as "Fat Talk"?

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:21:00 +0000

It is widely accepted that body dissatisfaction is a predictive element in mental health problems, particularly eating disorders. Typically, when we read about or hear about the term body dissatisfaction the primary issues are thought to be one of body weight, size and shape. However, new research is showing that body dissatisfaction is also about how old we perceive that we look. This makes sense considering that as women, in particular, age, their bodies become less and less like the 'thin ideal' we all see portrayed in the media and in our culture.

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Modified DBT Shown to Improve Complex ED Cases

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:57:27 +0000

Researchers at the Cleveland Center for Eating Disorders in Cleveland, Ohio have recently published research supporting the idea that intensive treatment using a modified form of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is effective at treating eating disorders that are complicated by other diagnoses. This form of DBT combines empirically supported eating disorder treatments with the standard strategies of DBT treatment.

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Book Review: The Gifts of Imperfection

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:38:58 +0000

If you didn't already know Brené Brown, Ph.D. is one of my favorite authors and speakers. I, finally, (I'm usually reading five books at once!) finished her book The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. It is absolutely fabulous and I'd recommend it to anyone who struggles with living up to the expectations of others or wants to live a life congruent with their own beliefs and values.

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Reader Stories Wanted!

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:05:41 +0000

I have recently added a category entitled 'personal stories.' I am looking forward to adding profiles of celebrities and reviews of eating disorder memoirs over the coming months. However, I also want to include the stories of real-life people who are struggling with eating disorders and are in recovery from readers (that means you!)

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A Ridiculous Idea: Using Shame to Curb Obesity

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:55:49 +0000

This month, The Hastings Center Report published a paper entitled "Obesity: Chasing an Elusive Epidemic" by bioethicist Daniel Callahan. In his paper, Callahan details the the American obesity 'epidemic' and strategies for controlling this issue. He calls for social pressure and stigmatization to be applied to those people who are overweight and/or obese. He encourages professionals to ask the following questions of their clients and patients:

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