Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd Fires Back at the Media

(CBS News) - To many, Ashley Judd is the picture of beauty. But, as CBS News reported, recent "puffy faced" appearances of the actress while she was promoting her new television series "Missing" has led many to speculate that she either had work done or gained too much weight.

Judd fired back at the media and public critics in a column on the Daily Beast that blatantly called out people for following society's views on beauty. The actress wrote that media outlets did not give her a chance to explain her face -- the result of being on steroids after battling a sinus infection -- and even worse, they ridiculed her apparent change in looks as a botched plastic surgery attempt. She was accused of having wrinkles removed and even was told she was facing the possibility of losing her husband because her weight gain was making him "(look) for his second wife."   Read More 

When Eating Disorders Substitute for Accomplishment Among Adolescent Girls

One of the problems of the hyper-pressurized environment that many children these days face, asserts Dr. Lara Pence in a recent webinar, is that in this developmental stage of ages 5-12, the question to children seems no longer to be "what can I be good at?" but instead, "how many things can I be good at?" Too much pressure sets adolescents up to be unsuccessful, to "focus on the one thing they got wrong, not the ten things they got right." They begin to experience feelings of inferiority, which in turn increases the risk for unhealthy behaviors.

We're sending the message to girls every day that they can be anything they want to be. What they're hearing is, 'You should be the best at everything," said Dr. Pence. "It's too much. The amount of pressure girls are under these days does not match what they can handle, and they're crumbling." Read More

Brains of Anorexics and Overeaters Respond Differently, Researchers Say

Are people who eat too much or too little simply "wired differently?" Results of a study presented this week at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society suggest that this may be the case. Researchers found that certain areas of the brain are sluggish in people who eat too little, and hyperactive in people who eat too much. These findings may help us to clarify the relationship between the brain and food, and may provide alternate ways to treat eating disorders such as anorexia and overeating, says study coauthor Laura Holsen of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

This is not the first study to look at differences in brain response in people with disordered eating patterns, but it is perhaps the most far ranging. Read More

Symposium 2012 Exhibitors

Pictures from iaedp Symposium 2012 are now posted on Shutterfly.  See them here!

iaedp Symposium 2013

What's New Under the Sun?

Innovative Approaches to Treatment

March 21-24, 2013

The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa

Henderson, Nevada

Join us at the incredible Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa for Symposium 2013! We will continue the tradition of a great conference program in a wonderful setting!

Call for Proposals

We are seeking abstracts on inventive treatment modalities for the numerous phases of the eating disordered client's journey-- from denial and resistance to treatment and, ultimately, recovery. The spectrum ranging from disordered eating to life threatening medical complications requires skill and creativity. Treatment providers from all disciplines are challenged to creatively convert ongoing research, brain imaging, and treatment updates into meaningful ED treatment protocols. We are seeking submittals on individual, group, and family work which help clinicians in all treatment settings. Please include an experiential or interactive component in your presentation. Preference will be given to unique presentations offered for the first time.

All abstracts must be submitted online. The call will open in April 2012 and close at midnight on June 30, 2012.

It's not just a conference--It's an experience!