Check out this article below. Apparently a husband and wife (both physicians) have decided to take celebrity health issues and turn them into “teachable moments.” What do you think about this?

On one hand, I hate the fact that it feeds into our unhealthy obsession with people who (in my humble opinion) are not always great role models of physical or mental health. But on the flipside, it may provide more reliable information and squelch health and nutrition myths. Check out the website here. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

When Your Patients Want That Pill the Stars Are Taking
By Marianne Mattera | July 26, 2010

_____

When movie stars, rock stars, top athletes, and other celebrities use a
medicine, or an herb, or a home remedy it often makes news. News that is
likely to generate questions from patients. What do you tell them? Where do
you go to find out about these pill and potions, some of which are far from
mainstream?

Well, soon you can find such information at MedPage Today.

This week, we'll begin bringing you blog posts from "Celebrity Diagnosis," a
website run by a husband-and-wife team of physicians, Michele Berman and
Mark Boguski, who provide what they call "teachable moments in medicine" by
reporting on "common diseases affecting uncommon people" and the sometimes
uncommon remedies they use to treat them.

Like kombucha tea. That's a folk remedy currently popular with such
Hollywood notables as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst, Lindsay Lohan,
Madonna, and Halle Berry. It's supposed to be good for everything from
anorexia to atherosclerosis. And it's the subject of the first Celebrity
Diagnosis post.

You'll learn what the tea is, what studies have been done on it, whether
there are possible side effects, and what role it may have played in
activating Lindsey Lohan's alcohol-monitoring bracelet -- a tidbit that will
prove you're up on the latest in the world of pop culture.

Having that reputation may not be one to which you've aspired, but it may
give you the cache necessary to steer some patients away from things that
are harmful.

The posts from Celebrity Diagnosis should also help you understand why
you're getting some of the questions you've been getting lately, or why so
many patients are coming in asking you about a given condition. Google
searches about lupus escalated after Snoop Dog revealed that his daughter
has lupus and Lady Gaga announced she had "borderline lupus." Berman and
Boguski knew those queries would be coming and dealt with the subject.

How they know these things, we don't know. What we do know is that we'll be
bringing you interesting reading -- with sound research behind it -- that
should help you answer the questions your patients will ask.

Look for the first installment on Tuesday and let us know what you think.

Yesterday, I received several emails with a link to this article on a condition called "Orthorexia."  Most people read the article and wondered if it was serious, wondered if it wasn't some sort of exaggeration or joke.  

And while I admit, reading about it online may seem strange or even ridiculous, it is a true disorder that affects both the physical and emotional health of a lot of people.  Just read my recent client spotlight. What began as "healthy eating" and exercising for her, quickly became orthorexia, which then became a much more severe eating disorder that required residential treatment and intensive outpatient care.  

Now of course I believe in healthy eating and exercise- my life is committed to supporting it in myself and others!  BUT, the distinction between healthy living and orthorexia are two important words: unhealthy obsession.  You can read more on the Orthorexia home page, written by Dr. Steven Bratman who coined the term and wrote the book "Health Food Junkies." 

<Ironically, I just loaned my copy to a client who has suffered mental, emotional, and physical distress FOR YEARS due to an unhealthy obsession with "healthy" eating and exercise.> My clients who suffer from orthorexia share a single characteristic- the obsession diminishes rather than enhances their quality of life.  Relationships suffer, social isolation ensues, they have often feel paralyzed, depression/anxiety is worse, sleep patterns are affected, etc.  

My philosophy is that moderation with food, exercise, and in life- is the key!  And I also believe that we are meant to find enjoyment, satisfaction, and fulfillment from the food we eat.  Anything taken to an extreme is unhealthy.  If you have always been interested in "healthy" living and are curious as to whether or not you are taking a bit too far, the assessment below may be helpful to you.  This is taken from Dr. Bratman's book.

Dr. Bratman suggests that you may be orthorexic, or on your way there, if you:
o Spend more than three hours a day thinking about healthy food.
o Plan your day’s menu more than 24 hour ahead of time.
o Take more pleasure from the “virtuous” aspect of your food than from actually eating it.
o Find your quality of life decreasing as the “quality” of your food increases.
o Are increasingly rigid and self-critical about your eating.
o Base your self-esteem on eating “healthy” foods, and have a lower opinion of people who do not.
o Eat “correct” foods to the avoidance of all those that you’ve always enjoyed.
o So limit what you can eat that you can dine “correctly” only at home, spending less and less time with friends and family.
o Feel guilt or self-loathing when you eat “incorrect” foods.
o Derive a sense of self-control from eating “properly.”

Bratman suggests that if more than four of these descriptions applies to you, it may be time to take a step back and reassess your attitude toward what you eat. If they all apply, you’re in the grip of an obsession.

This seems to be a controversial topic.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Striving to live a balanced life in hectic Harvard Square,
Marci

So my Dad sent me this article from Yahoo! News.  A recent research study shows that women who have a normal perception of body image based on psychological screening tests still have brain scans that reveal they are concerned about getting fat.  In fact their brain scans are similar to women with full blown eating disorders.  On the other hand, the brain scans of men showed no indication that they were concerned about body image.

What's the difference between the sexes?  Social pressure.  Women spend so much time fretting about their physical appearance because we are expected to look a certain way.  What a waste of energy and time that could be spent in more productive and worthwhile pursuits!

So ladies, next time you have an obsessive body thought come in to your mind, here are some alternative thinking patterns that may help you get on a healthier track:
1.) I'm not entertaining this thought, I have more important things to think about, like (fill in the blank).
2.) Rather than obsessing about how much I weigh, I'm going to focus on doing positive things for my body like giving it nourishing food when it's hungry, sleep when it's tired, a hot bath when it's sore, and exercise when it's sluggish.
3.) Instead of berating myself, I'm going to list 2 positive things my body has done for me today (then list them).

I know this sounds awfully cheezy, but we have got to stop this body hating obsession.  Negative body thoughts do nothing to improve our appearance, physical health, or emotional well-being.  But learning to speak to ourselves in a positive, loving, and healthy way can improve all of those things.  And it's just one positive thought at a time.

If you feel consumed about body fearing and body hating thoughts, you may want to think about getting some support.  I have a list of resources.  To get you started, my friend and colleague Deb Schachter has an upcoming workshop to help you improve your body image on May 8th.  Contact her for details!

Your dietitian in Cambridge, 
Marci

In case you didn't know, it's National Nutrition Month.  A time to celebrate delicious and nutritious eating all month long!  The American Dietetic Association has provided a Good Nutrition Reading List that you may find helpful.  I'm currently reading "The Rules of Normal Eating" and am lovin' it!

Many of the clients that I see for individual nutrition counseling struggle with their body image.  I was scoping out some resources and came across a couple I thought were worthy of sharing.  I hope they may be of use to you or someone you know.

I wanted to provide one more useful tool for those struggling with an eating disorder.  I recently learned about the "You are Not Alone" Eating Disorder Support Letter.  Subscribe and receive a monthly inspirational letter to support you along your path to recovery.  Please forward this along to anyone you think may benefit from this wonderful service (both patients and clinicians).

If you are looking for more support for your eating disorder and are in the Cambridge/Boston area, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

In good health,
Marci E. Anderson
Registered Dietitian

February 21-27 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAW)
NEDAwareness Week is a collective effort of primarily volunteers, eating disorder professionals, health care providers, educators, social workers, and individuals committed to raising awareness of the dangers surrounding eating disorders and the need for early intervention and treatment.

The Theme: It's Time to Talk About It

The Mission: Prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment.

How It Works: A calling for everyone to do just one thing to help raise awareness and provide accurate information about eating disorders.

Doing My Small Part
I am passionate about and fulfilled by the work that I do providing nutrition therapy for my clients who battle with an eating disorder.  But one of the biggest barriers to treatment is helping my clients get coverage from their insurance company.

I recently learned about the Anna Westin Foundation, an organization committed to helping others gain coverage for eating disorder treatment.  After their daughter died of anorexia nervosa as a consequence of their insurance company refusing to cover care for their daughter, Kitty and Mark Westin fought and settled a suit against BCBS of Minnesota.  They are now committing their lives to ensuring that this doesn't happen to others.

So if you know someone who is struggling with gaining coverage for eating disorder treatment, please pass this link along to them.

And consider what one thing you can do to support NEDAW.

February is "Wise Health Consumer Month"  and I believe that becoming more involved in your own health care is essential. My sister-in-law was finally diagnosed with Celiac Disease after doing some research and convincing her Dr. to test her for it. 

The American Institute for Preventive Medicine developed a Top 10 list of ways you can become more involved in your own health care.

One way you can become a wise consumer in the grocery store is learning how to decipher your packaged and boxed foods.  Here are three simple tips to get you started.

1.) Ignore the words on the front and back of the box. Catch phrases like "antioxidants" "more fiber" "natural" are simply a sales pitch.
2.) Read the ingredient list.  You should be able to recognize the words you are reading.  Better yet, if it's a grain-based food (as many packaged items are) the 1st ingredient ought to be "whole grain..." 
3.) Check out the number of servings in a package.  It's often more than one.

I recently met with a client who wanted some nutrition counseling for PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). She had already made great strides with her diet and was seeing me for "fine-tuning." At our first session she brought in a food label of a Kashi bar she likes to eat.  She thought it seemed like a healthy way to take care of her sweet tooth and wanted my opinion.  So, we dissected the food label together (too see the nutrition facts, click on this link then click on the button that says nutrition facts).

Together we learned that the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ingredients are all sugar!  By the looks of the wrapper, you'd think she was making a healthy snack choice.  Besides, Kashi has a reputation for selling pretty healthy foods.  But in reality, all of those highly processed sugars would actually do more harm to her PCOS than simply having a small serving of dark chocolate after dinner (which what she really wanted!).

So don't be fooled by your packaging.  It's the ingredients that count.  I have a simple handout called "Decoding the Ingredient List." If you'd like a copy, send me an email to marci@marciRD.com.

For this month's fitness fact blog post, I decided to highlight the new Let's Move website I mentioned on Monday's blog post.

I recently blogged about Ralph Lauren and the fashion industry’s constant stream of messages and images which negatively affect women’s self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. And unfortunately, the glorification of a thin body is so pervasive in our society; it’s becoming more and more difficult to question its validity. I’m currently in the middle of reading one of the most fascinating and thoughtful books on the topic “The Religion of Thinness” by Michelle Lelwica. I hope to write a brief book review when I finish it, as I feel like it’s a book every woman ought to read, regardless of her weight, feelings about her body, or her relationship with food.

But at the end of the second chapter, Lelwica cites three awesome organizations whose mission is to promote positive media messages. Check them out. 

**Mind on the Media: a national organization dedicated to “inspiring independent thinking and fostering critical analysis of media messages.” Through their “Turn Beauty Inside Out” program, they empower boys and girls to begin grassroots discussion, and sponsor events in their communities to increase awareness of the media’s influence on girls’ development.

**Girls, Women + Media Project: sponsors “I-CAN” (Involved Consumers Action Network) which offers information about consumer issues related to women and girls, and suggestions on how to take action.

**New Moon Girls: is an online community and print magazine targeted to girls ages 8-14 and designed to build positive body image and self-esteem through chatting, poetry, artwork, videos, and more. It is a phenomenal resource amidst the barrage of negative messages targeted to this vulnerable age group. Rather than telling our young women they need change, re-shape, and mold their body to some phony standard, they need to hear that they are intelligent, capable, and acceptable just as they are.

I’m currently working part-time as a dietitian/nutritionist in Somerville at a day treatment program for eating disorders called Laurel Hill Inn. As I grapple with the complex reasons that so many women (and increasingly more men) suffer from disordered eating and severe body image disturbance, I can appreciate the fact that the media is one very powerful aspect of this multi-factorial problem. I try to advocate for and promote any organization which strives counter the negative messages which permeate our society. If you know of any other positive resources or websites, please post them!