Newspaper Page Text
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- HEALTH MATTERS, The Sunday Sun, January 23,1994; The Daily Sun Extra & Houston Home Journal, January 26, 1994; Robins Rev-Up, January 28, 1994
Compulsive eating behaviors self-help groups help
in treatment of overeating, bulimia and anorexia
By Barbara Fritzsimmons
Copley News Service
Arlene Koskoff knew she was in trou
ble when food began controlling her daily
schedule.
She’d spend hours dreaming of ice
cream, then binge on a whole gallon at
one sitting. Afterward, she would starve
herself for days so she wouldn’t gain any
weight. Whenever she did add a few
pounds, she’d avoid social gatherings and
wear a coat to her teaching job so no one
would notice.
“I never gained that much, but all of my
energy went into controlling food,” said
Koskoff. “I was a compulsive overeater.”
It all started when she was 17, and it
was nearly two decades before Koskoff
sought help. She encourages others who
suffer from eating disorders to reach out
sooner. She runs a free self-help group
called Anorexia Nervosa and Associated
Disorders, a national group with local
chapters.
Members of the group range in age
from 14 to 60 and include men and wom
en, though the majority are young and fe
male.
All suffer from some sort of eating
problem, whether it be overeating, bulim
ia (binging followed by forced vomiting)
or anorexia nervosa (an illness character
ized by severe undereating).
Koskoff saw a red flag in the local pa
per when she saw a question from a wom
an whose 14-year-old daughter had be
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come overly calorie-conscious and fearful
of gaining weight. The mother wanted to
know if she should be concerned, and
Koskoff answered with an emphatic yes.
Stephen Sobel, a psychiatrist who spe
cializes in treating eating disorders,
agreed. Sobel said a preoccupation with
calorie counting, paired with a fear of be
ing overweight, particularly at age 14,
may be classic signs of an eating problem.
“A teen-age girl of average weight who
looks in the mirror a lot and
occasionally talks about los
ing a few pounds is nor
mal,” Sobel said. She cross
es the line of normality
when weight loss becomes
one of the primary focuses
of her life.
Warning signs
Sobel said signs parents
should watch for include the
following
• Constant weighing.
Does your child weigh her
self every day and fret about
what she sees on the scale?
• Does she regularly pick
at her food or play with her
food, consuming little?
• Does she constantly
seek reassurance that she
looks OK?
• Does she seem preoccu
pied with food?
Other features and equipment in the Center include:
• Biodex isokinetic strength testing unit
• KT-1000 knee ligament testing unit
•Custom brace fitting
• Hydrotherapy treatment room
• Stairmaster
•Airdyne and Cybex stationary bicycles equipmem
• Shuttle 2000
• Rowing machine
• Nordic Track
• KAT proprioceptive balance
• Full line of weight training equipment
• Private treatment areas
As the demand for sports rehabilitation grows,
Peachtree Sports Rehabilitation Center is prepared to
provide the services needed. Whether it be the weekend
athlete hurt in the game, or the industrial worker injured
on the job, Peacht. ae Sports Rehabilitation Center will
provide the best services possible in the prevention,
evaluation, trcjtment and rehabilitation of sports-relat
ed injuries.
In order to be treated at Peachtree Sports Rehabili
tation Center, you must have a referral from a physician.
After that, just call 953-5955.
• Is she underweight more than just a
few pounds?
• Does she go on eating binges?
• Does she disappear into the bathroom
after every meal?
• Is she regularly taking laxatives?
Sobel and Koskoff said teen-agers who
suffer from eating disorders also tend to
be perfectionist overachievers.
“They want to be perfect in everything,
and that means having a perfect body
»■>!>«
Right: Jeff Jarrett, M.D.,
orthopedic surgeon, is one
of the physicians who works
closely with the staff of
Peachtree Sports Rehabili
tation Center.
Below: Teresa Mullins is
one of the certified athletic
trainers who works with
area high schools’ athletic
programs to educate and
treat injuries.
too," Koskoff said.
The good news is that the problem can
be terminated before it becomes a com
pulsive behavior if it is caught early
enough.
“If the parents seek help and are sup
portive of their daughter in her recovery,
they can turn things around,” Sobel said.
The Not-So-Good News
The not-so-good news is that parents
often play a part in the disorder, Sobel
said. They may expect too much of their
children, and they may be harshly critical
when their children don’t meet certain
standards. Even worse, parents may not
wish to admit there’s anything wrong in
the family.
However, parents don’t get all the
blame. Genetics and our culture’s obses
sion with weight also play a part, Sobel
said.
Whatever the reason Koskoff finds that
people who come to ANAD, whether they
are anorexic, bulimic or compulsive
overeaters, share a common bond.
“They eat or don’t eat out of loneliness,
frustration and lack of self-esteem,a"
Koskoff said. “They eat or they don’t eat
because it numbs pain."
Koskoff received help from both
ANAD and another self-help group,
Overeaters Anonymous. Today, she rec
ommends both groups, along with medita
tion, yoga, psychotherapy, hobbies and
exercise (if it’s not overdone).
ByH I