Washington, DC (PRWEB) August 26, 2005

One of the worst aspects of having a child diagnosed with an eating disorder is the isolation. A new web site offers parents a place for mutual support as they negotiate the perils of cooking, eating, and dealing with the emotions of a child with anorexia, bulimia, and similar illnesses.

The free online Parent’s Forum, found at http://www.eatingwithyouranorexic.com, is sponsored by the author of “Eating With Your Anorexic,” published earlier this year by McGraw-Hill. Laura Collins says the web site offers something she wishes she and her husband had when her daughter became ill three years ago.

“I realized early on that I needed the support of other parents who understood what I was going through. But what I found online at many sites was an atmosphere of guilt and hopelessness. Plus, most sites are designed for sufferers, not parents.”

Collins, whose family adopted an approach to their daughter’s care that is family-based and home-centered, did not feel welcome among some online groups.

“It seemed to be wrong, somehow, to be very involved in my child’s care. I was advised to ‘back off’ and to leave all the decisions and information to the professionals to negotiate with my child.”

There is a lag time, Collins asserts, between what is known to researchers in the field and what is available in the media and popular books on the topic.

“Parents don’t cause eating disorders, and a lot of recent research says parents can – and indeed should – be very engaged in the decision-making and care.

“Parents want to hear from other parents about what worked for them, and what to watch out for. We listen to each other, and we instinctually try to share and support each other.”

The “Eating With Your Anorexic” web site offers a Parent Support Forum, a listing of family-friendly treatment centers and clinicians, and research news. There is also information on the site about the approach Collins advocates: the “Maudsley” approach, which originated in the United Kingdom but has now gained converts at Stanford, the University of Chicago, Duke, Children’s Hospital in Denver, and the Boswell Center in Jacksonville, among others.

The Parent’s Forum, which allows its members complete privacy, has attracted a growing number of parents since the web site’s launch. Recent topics have included “Boundaries and privileges,” “finding a Maudsley therapist,” and “high-calorie meal plans.”

One parent expressed their feelings in a recent post: “I’m so glad I found you all!”

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Los Angeles (PRWEB) February 22, 2010

For a year after Lori Hanson wrote her first book, It Started with Pop-Tarts®, a memoir with her unique approach to eating disorder recovery and finding balance in life, she stayed up late before a speaking engagement to bake her own hot pastries for the group. Now she has had to eliminate the symbolic gesture—she is just too busy and her groups are getting larger. Hanson is heading to the East Coast for talks at Florida State University on February 22; the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on February 24; and Salisbury University for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. (Her appearance at Salisbury University is being sponsored by Sober College.) A media favorite and leading authority on eating disorders, her entertaining, humorous and forthright talks have been earning the respect and interest of a tough crowd: teens and twenty-somethings.

Hanson is a bulimia survivor who battled her eating disorder for 34 years. She has developed a three-step process for integrating nutritional therapy, shifting mindset and healing at the cellular level, which is the basis for her ED coaching programs. Based in Valencia, California, Hanson works with coaching clients nationally by phone or in person. Her coaching program allows clients to get help without disrupting their schedules or lives. She also offers flexibility for celebrity clients with private on-set or on-location sessions.

Along with colleges and high schools, Hanson recently has spoken at the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Annual Conference, Soroptomists International and Women’s Association of Addiction Treatment.

She writes a monthly health column in The Signal, Santa Clarita Valley News, and has been interviewed for an article in the April issue of Essence Magazine. Hanson is founder and chairman of the Association of Alternative Treatment for Eating Disorders (AATED). Her books, It Started with Pop-Tarts and Teen Secrets to Surviving and THRIVING are available through her website http://www.Learn2Balance.com and bookstores everywhere. For speaking engagements, media appearances and coaching sessions, contact Hanson at 877-650-HEAL.

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

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