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When Your Child Won’t Eat Anything

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Many children who have some form of a sensory processing disorder struggle with food. This can cause some kids to absolutely refuse to eat much of anything at all, to the point where the child is on the verge of malnutrition. The more a parent can understand about what their child is experiencing, the better the chance there is that the child will, eventually, choose to eat something. It’s not unusual for children to go through a stage where he or she becomes a “picky eater”. Often, this is something that happens when a child is transitioning between baby food … Continue reading →

Author Interview: Haley Hatch Freeman, Part Two

We are joined by Haley Hatch Freeman, author of the new book “A Future for Tomorrow.” Yesterday we began our conversation with Haley and she told us of her struggles with anorexia as a teenager which she documents in her book. We continue our chat today. Haley, thank you for being here with us today. One section of “A Future for Tomorrow” deals with a period of time during your recovery when you had to deal with dark influences. How did you come to peace with that in such a way that you were able to share it with others … Continue reading →

New Miss America Speaks Out About Eating Disorder

What a difference a few years can make… It was just three years ago that newly crowned Miss America Kirsten Haglund was so painfully thin her parents “dragged” her to a doctor who diagnosed the teen with anorexia. This weekend the “recovered” Miss Michigan looked healthy and toned as she strutted her stuff in front of millions. The 19-year-old’s past battle with weight issues hardly seemed to hold her back as she advanced through pageant rounds and eventually walked away with the Miss America crown. It was only after the pageant that the Broadway hopeful, who belted out “Somewhere Over … Continue reading →

Don’t Deny Your Chocolate Cravings

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First, I want to say that chocolate can be a deadly sin for many dieters. If you’re the kind of person who can eat three chocolate kisses and then stop, that is great. But if a small piece of chocolate will start you rolling down Hershey Bar Hill and you won’t be able to stop until you’ve hit the bottom and eaten every piece of chocolate in the house then forget it. What you have is not a craving but an addiction. If you have a simple occasional craving for chocolate while dieting, don’t deny it. British researchers found that … Continue reading →

Tabby’s Eating Disorder

Let me start this blog off with a disclaimer: Weight is no laughing matter. I’m about to make light of something involving eating and weight in this blog, but my intention is not to offend anyone. I’ve been overweight most of my life, so I’m well aware how sensitive a topic this is. Apparently, Tabby and I are kindred spirits. We both have an eating disorder: If we see food, we eat it. However, she’s a little bit worse than I am. She eats EVERYONE’S food. My main downfall is sweets. (Hey, they say you are what you eat and … Continue reading →

Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder: Diagnostic Criteria

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This article follows on from previous discussions of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Large epidemiological studies of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) rate the prevalence of the condition at roughly 2.6% of the population. Like most anxiety disorders, OCD varies in intensity both from person to person, as well as over time. Hence a single individual may experience a waxing and waning of the condition over a lifetime, with periods of increased stress usually resulting in an increase in obsessive-compulsive activities. The DSM-IV-TR diagnostic guidelines require that a person satisfy all of the following criteria for an accurate diagnosis of this condition: A. Obsessions are … Continue reading →

Eating Disorders and Our Relationship with Food

Did you know that binge eating is more common than anorexia or bulimia? A national survey was conducted by psychiatric researchers at Harvard University Medical School and McLean Psychiatric Hospital. Of the people surveyed, 3.5% of women and 2% of men were binge eating (eating beyond the point of fullness without vomiting). The results for those suffering from anorexia were .9% of women and .3% of men. Those suffering from bulimia were 1.5% of women and .5% of men. Nine thousand people were interviewed for this survey. It’s likely that the number of people suffering from these eating disorders is … Continue reading →

Why Families Should Eat Dinner Together

One of the 10 things that happy families do is eat dinner together. Growing up I thought everyone ate dinner as a family. Yet now I realize that is not the case in fact most families eat dinner together only about four times a week and ten percent of families only eat together twice a week. And as children get older and the number of activities they are involved in increases the meals eaten as a family decrease, just when teenagers can benefit from family dinners the most. Studies show that families who eat dinner together benefit in a variety … Continue reading →

Childhood Seizures: What Parents Should Know

If your child had a seizure, would you know it? And would you know what to do? What is a seizure? A seizure is a brief period of time when a person’s brain has a surge of electrical activity. The surge temporarily alters consciousness, perceptions, and/or muscle control. Children with Cerebral Palsy, Autism, mental retardation, or any neurological disorder are at higher risk for experiencing a seizure. It’s a good idea for parents to recognize the symptoms and know what to do. Possible signs of a seizure: Staring Spells. If your child has episodes of staring into space, make it … Continue reading →