ELIXER by Heidi Larsen

ELIXIR NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012

LOSE THE SCALE & start losing weight

SHRINK YOUR

WRINKLES

Shrink your wrinkles

NATURALLY

The scary rise in

The scary rise in adult eating disorders

content

FEATURES

Shrink your wrinkles 56 without botox. The scary rise 68 in adult eating disorders

12.12 ELIXER

DEPARTMENTS

lift 19 burn fat fast 22 stress less, weigh less

nourish 30 boost up your heart 33 eat more and speed up your metabolism

balance 41winter detox 45 the big stretch

2 ELIXER

lift

TAKE TIME TO MEDITATE dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla nec sodales justo. Proin justo massa, pharetra quis ornare in, gravida quis dolor. Etiam sit amet blandit velit.

GET MORE SLEEP dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla nec sodales justo. Proin justo massa, pharetra quis ornare in, gravida quis dolor. Etiam sit amet blandit velit.

stress less, weigh less

slim your waistline while bringing yourself back down to earth. ww

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent a nibh sem, in lacinia quam. Etiam ac fringilla urna. Sed semper nunc in turpis volutpat at mattis odio pulvinar. Morbi at iaculis ligula. Aenean bibendum pellentesque tellus scelerisque sollicitudin. Ut ornare congue nibh a tincidunt. Nam ut gravida arcu. Vivamus et urna magna. Sed facilisis aliquam nisi at tempus. Pellentesque ut tortor quis arcu congue sagittis sed et risus. Cras tempus, tortor non pulvinar sollicitudin, nulla neque faucibus elit, non tempor risus turpis non tortor. Maecenas ac enim in ante aliquet tristique vel at tortor. Donec orci risus, sollicitudin non eleifend non, auctor non mi. In magna nisi, vehicula a porttitor sit amet, ELIXER

vehicula nec elit. Nam lacinia malesuada purus quis tempus. Pellentesque malesuada interdum dapibus. Aliquam mi augue, scelerisque in tristique id, tincidunt a libero. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nulla ultrices arcu et elit gravida eu varius turpis aliquam. Nam vulputate, lectus nec accumsan congue, magna neque faucibus lectus, vel ultricies velit leo in ipsum. Nulla mi erat, volutpat eu scelerisque vel, adipiscing pulvinar nunc. Sed egestas sagittis velit a laoreet. Integer diam nisi, hendrerit sit amet scelerisque in, laoreet vel urna. Sed elit arcu, varius ut dignissim id, rhoncus vel erat. Vivamus lobortis elementum hendrerit. Suspendisse mi ligula, condimentum sed mattis ac, ornare a magna. Vestibulum ornare, diam vel ornare tincidunt, mi metus blandit

dolor, eu fermentum mauris purus at quam. Nam tincidunt magna eu nulla aliquet tincidunt. Fusce vestibulum consectetur lectus imperdiet feugiat. Nullam id tristique nulla. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Quisque ultrices mollis risus, ut adipiscing nisi sodales et. Suspendisse potenti. Sed ligula odio, tristique quis luctus quis, ornare et eros. Vivamus vulputate orci eget augue cursus vitae fringilla nisl lobortis. Phasellus nec arcu sed metus eleifend sagittis. Aenean malesuada suscipit turpis, at dignissim velit laoreet a. Suspendisse mi ligula, condimentum sed mattis ac, ornare a magna. Vestibulum ornare, diam vel ornare tincidunt, mi metus blandit dolor, eu fermentum mauris purus at quam. Nam tincidunt magna eu nulla aliquet tincidunt.

STRESS LESS ABOUT THE SCALE dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla nec sodales justo. Proin justo massa, pharetra quis ornare in, gravida quis dolor. Etiam sit amet blandit velit.

RESEARCH SHOWS: Suspendisse mi ligula, condimentum sed mattis ac, ornare a magna. Vestibulum ornare, diam vel ornare tincidunt, mi metus blandit dolor, eu fermentum mauris purus at quam. Nam tincidunt magna eu nulla aliquet tincidunt. Fusce vestibulum consectetur lectus imperdiet feugiat. Nullam id tristique nulla. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Suspendisse mi ligula, condimentum sed mattis ac, ornare a magna. Vestibulum ornare, diam vel ornare tincidunt, mi metus blandit dolor, eu fermentum mauris purus at quam. Nam tincidunt magna eu nulla aliquet tincidunt. Fusce vestibulum consectetur lectus imperdiet feugiat. Nullam id tristique nulla. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Suspendisse mi ligula, condimentum sed mattis ac, ornare a magna. Vestibulum ornare, diam vel ornare tincidunt, mi metus blandit dolor, eu fermentum mauris purus at quam. Nam tincidunt magna eu nulla aliquet tincidunt. Fusce vestibulum consectetur lectus imperdiet feugiat. Nullam id tristique nulla. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Suspendisse mi ligula, condimentum sed mattis ac, ornare a magna. Vestibulum ornare, diam vel ornare tincidunt, mi metus blandit dolor, eu fermentum mauris purus at quam. Nam tincidunt magna eu nulla aliquet tincidunt. Fusce vestibulum consectetur lectus imperdiet feugiat. Nullam id tristique nulla. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae;

STRETCH IT OUT dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla nec sodales justo. Proin justo massa, pharetra quis ornare in, gravida quis dolor. Etiam sit amet blandit velit. ELIXER

nourish

â&#x20AC;&#x153;we asked readers what they thought â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed accumsan felis non justo facilisis fringilla. Sed interdum rutrum diam, eget volutpat nulla ullamcorper quis. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Aliquam metus libero, imperdiet vitae vestibulum at, interdum quis orci. Nunc interdum tempus sagittis. Proin facilisis dui et libero ultricies scelerisque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

raw energy

Cantalope dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent a nibh sem, in lacinia quam. Etiam ac fringilla urna. Sed semper nunc in turpis volutpat at mattis odio pulvinar. Morbi at iaculis ligula. Aenean bibendum pellentesque tellus scelerisque sollicitudin. Ut ornare congue nibh a tincidunt. Nam ut gravida arcu. Vivamus et urna magna. Sed facilisis aliquam nisi at tempus. Pellentesque ut tortor quis arcu congue sagittis sed et risus. Cras tempus, tortor non pulvinar sollicitudin, nulla neque faucibus elit, non tempor risus turpis non tortor. Maecenas ac enim in ante aliquet tristique vel at tortor. Donec orci risus, sollicitudin non eleifend non, auctor non mi. In magna nisi, vehicula a porttitor sit amet, vehicula nec elit. Nam lacinia malesuada purus quis tempus. Pellentesque malesuada interdum dapibus. Aliquam mi augue, scelerisque in tristique id, tincidunt a libero. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nulla ultrices arcu et elit gravida eu varius turpis aliquam. Nam vulputate, lectus nec accumsan congue, magna neque faucibus lectus, vel ultricies velit leo in ipsum. Nulla mi erat, volutpat eu scelerisque vel, adipiscing pulvinar nunc. Sed egestas sagittis velit a laoreet. Integer diam nisi, hendrerit sit amet scelerisque in, laoreet vel urna. Sed elit arcu, varius ut dignissim id, rhoncus vel erat. Vivamus lobortis elementum

hendrerit. Suspendisse mi ligula, condimentum sed mattis ac, ornare a magna. Vestibulum ornare, diam vel ornare tincidunt, mi metus blandit dolor, eu fermentum mauris purus at quam. Nam tincidunt magna eu nulla aliquet tincidunt. Fusce vestibulum consectetur lectus imperdiet feugiat. Nullam id tristique nulla. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Quisque ultrices mollis risus, ut adipiscing nisi sodales et. Suspendisse potenti. Sed ligula odio, tristique quis luctus quis, ornare et eros. Vivamus vulputate orci eget augue cursus vitae fringilla nisl lobortis. Phasellus nec arcu sed metus eleifend sagittis. Aenean malesuada suscipit turpis, at dignissim velit laoreet a. Suspendisse mi ligula, condimentum sed mattis ac, ornare a magna. Vestibulum ornare, diam vel ornare tincidunt, mi metus blandit dolor, eu fermentum mauris purus at quam. Nam tincidunt magna eu nulla aliquet tincidunt. Fusce vestibulum consectetur lectus imperdiet feugiat. Nullam id tristique nulla. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Quisque ultrices mollis risus, ut adipiscing nisi sodales et. Suspendisse potenti. Sed ligula odio, tristique quis luctus quis, ornare et eros. Cras tempus, tortor non pulvinar sollicitudin, nulla neque faucibus elit, non tempor risus tur-

pis non tortor. Maecenas ac enim in ante aliquet tristique vel at tortor. Donec orci risus, sollicitudin non eleifend non, auctor non mi. In magna nisi, vehicula a porttitor sit amet, vehicula nec elit. Nam lacinia malesuada purus quis tempus. Pellentesque malesuada interdum dapibus. Aliquam mi augue, scelerisque in tristique id, tincidunt a libero. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nulla ultrices arcu et elit gravida eu varius turpis aliquam. Nam vulputate, lectus nec accumsan congue, magna neque faucibus lectus, vel ultricies velit leo in ipsum. Nulla mi erat, volutpat eu scelerisque vel, adipiscing pulvinar nunc.

mix up your meal plan with these energizing super foods. Cantalope dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent a nibh sem, in lacinia quam. Etiam ac fringilla urna. Sed semper nunc in turpis volutpat at mattis odio pulvinar. Morbi at iaculis ligula. Aenean bibendum pellentesque tellus scelerisque sollicitudin. Ut ornare congue nibh a tincidunt. Nam ut gravida arcu. Vivamus et urna magna. Sed facilisis aliquam nisi at tempus. Pellentesque ut tortor quis arcu congue sagittis sed et risus. Cras tempus, tortor non pulvinar sollicitudin, nulla neque faucibus elit, non tempor risus turpis non tortor. Maecenas ac enim in ante aliquet tristique vel at tortor. Donec orci risus, sollicitudin non eleifend non, auctor non mi. In magna nisi, vehicula a porttitor sit amet, vehicula nec elit. Nam lacinia malesuada purus quis tempus. Pellentesque malesuada interdum dapibus. Aliquam mi augue, scelerisque in tristique id, tincidunt a libero. Pellentesque habitant

morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nulla ultrices arcu et elit gravida eu varius turpis aliquam. Nam vulputate, lectus nec accumsan congue, magna neque faucibus lectus, vel ultricies velit leo in ipsum. Nulla mi erat, volutpat eu scelerisque vel, adipiscing pulvinar nunc. Sed egestas sagittis velit a laoreet. Integer diam nisi, hendrerit sit amet scelerisque in, laoreet vel urna. Sed elit arcu, varius ut dignissim id, rhoncus vel erat. Vivamus lobortis elementum hendrerit. Suspendisse mi ligula, condimentum sed mattis ac, ornare a magna. Vestibulum ornare, diam vel ornare tincidunt, mi metus blandit dolor, eu fermentum mauris purus at quam. Nam tincidunt magna eu nulla aliquet tincidunt. Fusce vestibulum consectetur lectus imperdiet feugiat. Nullam id tristique nulla. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae;

vitae vestibulum at, interdum quis orci. Nunc interdum tempus sagittis. Proin facilisis dui et libero ultricies scelerisque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis nunc egestas. Suspendisse dapibus aliquam odio, a sodales est lacinia eu. In

fringilla accumsan. purus, ultricies condimentum lorem aliquet at. Aliquam erat volutpat. Donec sed odio non lorem pretium euismod id eget metus. Quisque facilisis enim vitae ac sodales enim ornare. mod tellus at quam bibendum in ultrices nisl semper. Cum sociis

balance 2

the big stretch yoga poses that will shrink wrinkles, and make you feel younger!

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec congue, augue eu mollis posuere, libero enim mattis tellus, eget vulputate ipsum orci ac risus. Nullam fermentum, arcu at porttitor aliquam, risus ipsum pulvinar lacus, eu fermentum quam

4 5

adipiscing elit. Praesent a nibh sem, in lacinia quam. Etiam ac fringilla urna. Sed semper nunc in turpis volutpat at mattis odio pulvinar. Morbi at iaculis ligula. Aenean bibendum pellentesque tellus scelerisque sollicitudin. Ut ornare congue nibh a tincidunt. Nam ut gravida arcu. Vivamus et urna magna. Sed facilisis aliquam nisi at tempus. Pellentesque ut tortor quis arcu congue sagittis sed et risus. Cras tempus, tortor non pulvinar sollicitudin, nulla neque faucibus elit, non tempor risus turpis non tortor. Maecenas ac enim in ante aliquet tristique vel at tortor. Donec orci risus, sollicitudin non eleifend non, auctor non mi. In magna nisi, vehicula a porttitor sit amet, vehicula nec elit. Nam lacinia malesuada purus quis tempus. Pellentesque malesuada interdum dapibus. Aliquam mi augue, scelerisque in tristique id, tincidunt a libero. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nulla ultrices arcu et elit

2. triangle pose

3. tree pose

4. downward dog

5. abdominal

6. back stretch

7. bridge pose

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla nec sodales justo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla nec sodales justo. Proin justo massa, pharetra qutis.

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla nec sodales justo. Proin justo massa, pharetra quis. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, justo massa,.

STRESS LESS

give these stress remedies a try

headaches

take time to pamper yourself

bubble baths can solve almost any stressful problem. Massage therapy and meditiation are also very endulging

anxiety skin disorders

muscle tension

heart trauma

stress may account for 30% of all infertility problems.

acupuncture

there are 365 points acupuncture points on the body making it easy for the tightness and tension to deminish.

STOMACH PROBLEMS

1 in 5 Americans reported feeling

joint pain

"extreme" stress in 2012, according to the American Psychological association.

fatigue

Stress can cause unnessesary problems for women.

It has been called â&#x20AC;&#x153;the silent killerâ&#x20AC;? and can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pain, and an irregular heartbeat.

stretch it out in yoga class

Yoga can be an excellent form of relaxation and is practiced by 1 in 10 americans. Yoga can relax your mind and muscles making stress and wrinkles fade away!t

take a tropic vacation

Leave your cell phone and laptpp home. Take a vacation somewhere warm and soak up the vitamin D. The beach is the perfect place to relax and unwind

The skinny trend The Scary Rise in Adult Eating Disorders

by Jenna Dean

usan had overcome a turbulent upbringing, married a great guy, and set up house in a small, idyllic Pacific Northwest town. Life was good...until two years ago, when her out-of-control, alcoholic father ended up in the hospital. Once again, his crises cast a dark shadow on her life, and Susan’s old emotional demons returned. Her insides twisted every time the phone rang—would it be the doctor? the police?—and little by little, the constant drama of dealing with her dad squelched her normally healthy appetite.By June 2011, the 5’4” Susan had lost over 40 pounds and weighed in at less than 100. She found excuses not to join her family at the dinner table, focusing instead on privately planning out every morsel that went into her mouth. Her husband grew frantic until, finally, Susan went to a doctor, who was at a loss. He ruled out a series of gastrointestinal conditions, then said, “And you’re too old for anorexia.” Susan was 43.Eating disorders leaped into the national conscience in the 1970s and ‘80s, when the number of diagnosed cases exploded. The patients were adolescent girls, many of whom became anorexic or bulimic as a means of controlling their bodies—and, by extension, their lives—as they made their way through puberty. So many girls fell victim that eating disorders were branded a teenage disease. (And experts continue to see a troubling number of cases among teen girls, says Ovidio Bermudez, M.D., board member of the National Eating Disorders Association.)Yet lately doctors have noticed a disturbing spike among a different group: women in their late twenties, thirties, and forties. At the Renfrew Center’s 11 treatment locations, the number of patients over age 35 has

“And you’re too old for anorexia.” Susan was 43.

“the problem is when mothers try to turn back the clock and look like they’re 18 by starving themselves.”

st like their younger counterparts, adult eating disorders deliver a mind-body punch that kills more people than any other mental illness. Patients of all ages can suffer impaired brain function, infertility, dental decay, or even kidney failure or cardiac arrest. But while the teen and adult diseases share physical symptoms, and both can be tied to deep psychological roots, their catalysts are quite different, says psychotherapist Jessica LeRoy, of the Center for the Psychology of Women in Los Angeles. “As women get older and their lives evolve, so do their stressors and triggers,” she says. These can nudge the door open for an eating disorder. But research on the adult-onset versions is lacking—and without sufficient tools and awareness, women like Susan are being misdiagnosed. When her physician failed to pinpoint a cause, Susan and her husband sought several more opinions about her ever-shrinking size. The other doctors also ignored the possibility of an eating disorder, though one did suggest she seek psychiatric care. Susan went back home, where she lived in fear and confusion, her health rapidly deteriorating. Finally, a friend whose teenage daughter was anorexic recognized her symptoms and urged the family to consult an eating disorder specialist. After two years of starving herself, Susan checked into a clinic, where she needed to be hooked up to a feeding tube to survive.For decades, the eating disorder lexicon had two main entries: anorexia and bulimia. But modern research reveals that these fall woefully short of encompassing the many facets of

disordered eating. In the early ‘90s, the American Psychiatric Association introduced a new diagnostic category: eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). A catch-all label that includes dozens of subdiagnoses, EDNOS applies to patients who don’t meet the exact criteria for anorexia or bulimia but still have very troubled relationships with food or distorted body images. Today, EDNOS diagnoses significantly outnumber anorexia and bulimia cases. “The atypical has become the typical,” says Ovidio Bermudez, M.D. (Learn more about atypical eating disorders.)On any given day, nearly 40 percent of American women are on a diet. The weight-worry gun is loaded early: By the time they reach age 10, 80 percent of girls fret that they’re fat. Their main “thinspiration,” according to experts: the ultra-slim starlets glorified in popular culture. Just like their younger counterparts, adult eating disorders deliver a mind-body punch that kills more people than any other mental illness. Patients of all ages can suffer impaired brain function, infertility, dental decay, or even kidney failure or cardiac arrest. But while the teen and adult diseases share physical symptoms, and both can be tied to deep psychological roots, their catalysts are quite different, says psychotherapist Jessica LeRoy, of the Center for the Psychology of Women in Los Angeles. “As women get older and their lives evolve, so do their stressors and triggers,” she says. These can nudge the door open for an eating disorder. But research on the adult-onset versions is lacking—and without sufficient tools and awareness, women like Susan are being misdiagnosed. When her physician failed to pinpoint a cause, Susan and her husband sought several more opinions about her evershrinking size. The other doctors also ignored the possibility of an eating disorder, though one did suggest she seek psychiatric care. Susan went back home, where she lived in fear and confusion, her health rapidly deteriorating. Finally, a friend whose teenage daughter was anorexic recognized her symptoms and urged the family to consult an eating disorder specialist. After two years of starving herself, Susan checked into a clinic, where she needed to be hooked up to a feeding tube to survive.For decades, the eating disorder lexicon had two main entries: anorexia and bulimia. But modern research reveals that these fall woefully short of encompassing the many facets of disordered eating. In the early ‘90s, the American Psychiatric Association introduced a new diagnostic category: eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). A catch-all label that includes dozens of subdiagnoses, EDNOS applies to patients who don’t meet the exact criteria for anorexia or bulimia but still have very troubled relationships with food or distorted body images. Today, EDNOS diagnoses significantly outnumber anorexia and bulimia cases. “The atypical has become the typical,” says Ovidio Bermudez, M.D. (Learn more about atypical eating disorders.)On any given day, nearly 40 percent of American women are on a diet. The weight-worry gun is loaded early: By the time they reach age 10, 80 percent of girls fret that they’re fat. Their main “thinspiration,” according to experts: the ultra-slim starlets glorified in popular culture. Just like their younger counterparts, adult eating disorders deliver a mind-body punch that kills more people than any other mental illness. Patients of all ages can suffer impaired brain function, infertility, dental decay, or even kidney failure or cardiac arrest. But while the teen and

It seems unlikely, though, that women who make it into adulthood with healthy eating habits would suddenly become swayed by such images. “Grown women used to be allowed to have curves,” says LeRoy. “As they got older, their bodies were supposed to change, especially after having kids.” But times have changed. The emergence of the MILF meme has spawned a novel form of pressure for an older age-group. And though LeRoy point outs that appearing svelte post-pregnancy isn’t a bad thing, “the problem is when mothers try to turn back the clock and look like they’re 18 by starving themselves.” Of course, celeb scapegoats are not the only cultural influence at play. Ironically, a growing national impetus on super-healthy living might be fueling some adult eating disorders, says Emmett Bishop, M.D., director of adult services at the Eating Recovery Center in Denver. While the message itself (smart food choices, reduced portion sizes, ample exercise) is justified—and necessary in fighting America’s obesity epidemic— ”some women who are prone to eating disorders might take that message and run too far with it,” says Bishop, using it to validate food restriction or as an excuse not to eat at all. Particularly at risk are women with extreme personalities (i.e., those who lean toward all-

or-nothing behavior), says eating disorder nutritionist Sondra Kronberg, R.D., director of the Eating Disorder Treatment Collaborative in New York. “When a woman like this hears that red meat has a higher fat content, she might really hear ‘All meat is bad and loaded with fat; I can’t eat it,’ “ she explains. And cutting out entire food groups can snowball into a full-fledged disorder. Contributing to these catalysts is the growing fervor over food sensitivities and allergies, says Kronberg. What starts out as necessary restriction—say, nixing wheat due to a gluten allergy—could ignite larger restrictive-eating behavior, leading to a seriously dialed-down diet that excludes critical nutrients. But experts also note that adult eating disorders aren’t all driven by the need to look young or eat extra healthfully. Restriction or purging can also be outward manifestations of much deeper emotional turmoil, says Cheryl Kerrigan, a recovered adult anorexic and author of Telling ED No! “For some women, it’s not about the food,” she says. “It’s about the feelings.” Katy was 26 the first time she stuck a finger down her throat. A Detroit native, she’d grown up happy and with healthy eating habits. But as she climbed the proverbial ladder at her public relations firm, her stress level also rose (frustratingly, her salary stayed on the bottom rung).

One day, after dinner with her husband, Katy slipped into the bathroom. “It was like I had pressure inside me that I needed to release,” she says. “Afterward, I felt much better.” She flushed the toilet and went downstairs to watch TV. Before long, Katy was purging up to eight times a day. At work, she’d vomit, wash up, and return to her desk without anyone noticing. “I was like a closet smoker,” she says. Unlike many bulimia patients, Katy wasn’t trying to erase calories or shed dress sizes; she rarely ever binged and throughout her sickness she remained a size 14. Rather, she came to feel that throwing up was evidence that she ran her own life. The desire for control is common among adult eating disorder patients, says Kronberg. Women are loaded with more responsibilities, such as paying the mortgage or caring for aging parents. They’re also navigating big life transitions—career changes, marriage, pregnancies, divorce—that can leave even a steady person feeling off-kilter. “As early as age 30, many women hit a point at which they feel there are certain things they should have accomplished,” says Kronberg. “They evaluate their lives, and if they see a void, they look for something that will make them feel good.” In essence, a perceived lack of success can morph into a feeling of failure and become an

“the problem is when mothers try to turn back the clock and look like they’re 18 by starving themselves.” It seems unlikely, though, that women who make it into adulthood with healthy eating habits would suddenly become swayed by such images. “Grown women used to be allowed to have curves,” says LeRoy. “As they got older, their bodies were supposed to change, especially after having kids.” But times have changed. The emergence of the MILF meme has spawned a novel form of pressure for an older age-group. And though LeRoy point outs that appearing svelte post-pregnancy isn’t a bad thing, “the problem is when mothers try to turn back the clock and look like they’re 18 by starving themselves.” Of course, celeb scapegoats are not the only cultural influence at play. Ironically, a growing national impetus on super-healthy living might be fueling some adult eating disorders, says Emmett Bishop, M.D., director of adult services at the Eating Recovery Center in Denver. While the message itself (smart food choices, reduced portion sizes, ample exercise) is justified—and necessary in fighting America’s obesity epidemic— ”some women who are prone to eating disorders might take that message and run too far with it,” says Bishop, using it to validate food restriction

or as an excuse not to eat at all. Particularly at risk are women with extreme personalities (i.e., those who lean toward allor-nothing behavior), says eating disorder nutritionist Sondra Kronberg, R.D., director of the Eating Disorder Treatment Collaborative in New York. “When a woman like this hears that red meat has a higher fat content, she might really hear ‘All meat is bad and loaded with fat; I can’t eat it,’ “ she explains. And cutting out entire food groups can snowball into a full-fledged disorder. Contributing to these catalysts is the growing fervor over food sensitivities and allergies, says Kronberg. What starts out as necessary restriction—say, nixing wheat due to a gluten allergy—could ignite larger restrictive-eating behavior, leading to a seriously dialed-down diet that excludes critical nutrients. But experts also note that adult eating disorders aren’t all driven by the need to look young or eat extra healthfully. Restriction or purging can also be outward manifestations of much deeper emotional turmoil, says Cheryl Kerrigan, a recovered adult anorexic and author of Telling ED No! “For some women, it’s not about the food,” she says. “It’s about the feelings.”

Katy was 26 the first time she stuck a finger down her throat. A Detroit native, she’d grown up happy and with healthy eating habits. But as she climbed the proverbial ladder at her public relations firm, her stress level also rose (frustratingly, her salary stayed on the bottom rung). One day, after dinner with her husband, Katy slipped into the bathroom. “It was like I had pressure inside me that I needed to release,” she says. “Afterward, I felt much better.” She flushed the toilet and went downstairs to watch TV. Before long, Katy was purging up to eight times a day. At work, she’d vomit, wash up, and return to her desk without anyone noticing. “I was like a closet smoker,” she says. Unlike many bulimia patients, Katy wasn’t trying to erase calories or shed dress sizes; she rarely ever binged and throughout her sickness she remained a size 14. Rather, she came to feel that throwing up was evidence that she ran her own life. The desire for control is common among adult eating disorder patients, says Kronberg. Women are loaded with more responsibilities, such as paying the mortgage or caring for aging parents. They’re also navigating big life transi-

How to Tell If You Need Help In her book, 100 Questions & Answers About Anorexia Nervosa, Dr. Shepphird offers a list of key questions. “If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, regardless of whether you fit the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder, your attitudes and behaviors about food and weight may need to be addressed,” she says.

Do You: 1.Constantly think about your food, weight or body image? 2. Have difficulty concentrating because of those thoughts? 3. Worry about what your last meal is doing to your body? 4. Experience guilt or shame about eating? 5. Find it difficult to eat in public? 6. Count calories whenever you eat or drink? 7. Still feel fat when others tell you that you are thin? 8. Obsess that your stomach, hips, thighs or buttocks are too big? 9. Weigh yourself several times daily? 10. Feel that the number on your scale determines your mood and outlook for the day? 11. Punish yourself with more exercise or restrictions if you don’t like the number on the scale? 12. Exercise more than an hour every day to burn calories? 13. Exercise to lose weight, even if you are ill or injured? 14. Label foods as “good” and “bad”? 15. Vomit after eating? 16. Berate yourself if you eat a “forbidden” food and compensate by skipping y our next meal? 17. Use laxatives or diuretics to keep your weight down?