Events from The Center for Eating Disorders
Best-Selling Author, Jess Weiner, Presents Keynote Address During National Eating Disorder Awareness Week at The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt.
The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt was thrilled that best-selling author, advice columnist and self-esteem expert, Jess Weiner, served as the keynote speaker during an event to acknowledge National Eating Disorder Awareness Week on March 2, 2008. Weiner spoke at length to an audience of more than 100 people about her personal journey and body image in today's society.
Jess, who suffered from an eating disorder as a teen, chronicled her battle in her first book, A Very Hungry Girl. Her second book, Life Doesn't Begin 5 Pounds From Now, teaches girls and women about learning to love their bodies. Jess has inspired millions of women and teens with her refreshingly candid views on body image. She was recently named the Global Ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund, and has appeared on Oprah, The Tyra Banks Show, The Today Show and CNN Showbiz Tonight.
To learn more about Jess' presentation, read the blog post "Jess Weiner – Living Life to the Fullest" at www.eatingdisorder.org/blog
The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt Receives more than 80 Posters for "Love Your Tree" Campaign
The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt received more than 80 posters, created by students from five public and private schools in Baltimore County, in response to the Center's second annual "Love Your Tree" campaign. This challenge invited students to create posters that confront narrow ideals about beauty, and embrace body diversity and acceptance. "Love Your Tree" is a body image campaign based on the work of Eve Ensler, the author of the award winning plays "The Good Body" and "The Vagina Monologues."
The posters were displayed and participating students were celebrated during a reception held during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. One poster was selected for reproduction and it was created by Ariana Vaeth, a seventh grade student at Sudbrook Magnet Middle School, who resides in Windsor Mill. The title of the poster is "Evening Lit-tra-tree", and depicts a girl reading the book "Love Your Tree" under the shade of a loving tree.
More than 60 people attended the reception, including students, their parents and family members, Steven Crawford, M.D., associate director of the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, Julia Andersen, Julia Andersen, senior expressive arts therapist at the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, and Farrell Maddox, art supervisor at Baltimore County Public Schools.
Art is one form of therapy that the Center for Eating Disorders uses to help patients with eating disorders such as, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating, express feelings and explore conflicts. This course of treatment helps patients become more aware of the connections between eating disorder symptoms, negative body imagery and impulse control.
Schools interested in being notified of next year's "Love Your Tree" poster campaign should contact Julia Andersen at the Center for Eating Disorders at 410-938-5227.
Author of Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders speaks at “Gaining the Truth” Presentation
On Sunday, Oct. 21, best selling author Aimee Liu spoke to an audience of more than 75 patients, family members, friends and staff members from the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt about her personal experience with anorexia. She also read excerpts from her book Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders, which draws upon Liu's personal accounts of recovery and includes interviews with leading researchers to clearly illuminate that recovery involves more than good nutrition. Prior to the presentation, Liu visited with patients currently under going treatment at the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt.
To read Liu’s own account of her time at the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, please visit her blog.
