F.E.A.S.T. 
Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders 
Member Newsletter - July, 2013
In This Issue....
F.E.A.S.T. News & 2014 Conference Planning Survey!
To Tell the World, or Not?, by Belinda Caldwell
Research Summary: Altered Neural Circuitry May Lead to Anorexia and Bulimia, by Dr. Walter Kaye, MD
Support ANGI: Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative
From the Executive Director's Desk
ATDT Forum News
Canadian Task Force News
Australian Task Force News
UK Task Force News
U.S. Pacific Northwest Task Force News
2013 Conference Calendar
Volunteers Needed!
Stay in Touch
F.E.A.S.T. News:

F.E.A.S.T. 2014 CONFERENCE PLANNING SURVEY!

Planning has begun for F.E.A.S.T.'s 3rd Annual Symposium to be held in Dallas,TX in early 2014. In order to help us finalize a date and venue, we would appreciate if interested members would fill out a quick survey which includes the three sets of dates we are considering. The survey will close on August 11th, 2013. Click on the link below to take the survey:

F.E.A.S.T. 2014 Conference Planning Survey

Please Note: Any results published from this survey will be anonymous.*

 

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EATING DISORDERS (ICED 2013):

Laura Collins, F.E.A.S.T. Policy Director, and Leah Dean, F.E.A.S.T. Executive Director attended the Academy for Eating Disorders International Conference on Eating Disorders in Montreal, Canada in April.  F.E.A.S.T. volunteers from our Canadian Task Force manned an exhibit booth and Laura chaired a Plenary presentation on males with eating disorders, and served on two panels about Family-based Therapy.

 

F.E.A.S.T. REPRESENTED AT NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MENTAL HEALTH (NIMH) ALLIANCE FOR RESEARCH PROGRESS EVENT:

Laura Collins, F.E.A.S.T. Policy Director, represented F.E.A.S.T. at the United States' National Institute for Mental Health Alliance for Research Progress in Bethesda, Maryland on July 12. Over two dozen U.S. mental health advocacy organizations were invited to be, literally, at the table with Dr. Thomas Insel, Director, and his staff. The meeting included cutting edge research updates, discussion of the challenges of funding research in the current economic climate, and how advocacy organizations can respond. Eating disorders came up several times in the conversation, as did the new RDoc and BRAIN initiatives. Among the notable comments from Dr. Insel referred to a tendency for advocacy organizations to focus on access to care without caring enough about the quality of the care available: "Progress for us is better access to poor care." His message, which is reflected in F.E.A.S.T.'s work, is that we must raise the quality of training, translation of research to evidence-based care management while also working toward more and better access. 

  

F.E.A.S.T. RECOGNIZES OUTGOING BOARD MEMBER JUNE ALEXANDER:

F.E.A.S.T. is grateful to June Alexander for her service to the F.E.A.S.T. Board of Directors. June has been a member of the Board since 2011 and has been active with the F.E.A.S.T. Australian Task Force. Although June is stepping down from the Board, she will continue to share her strength, wisdom, insight and enthusiasm with F.E.A.S.T. as the newest member of our Professional Advisory Panel which is made up of ED treatment professionals, researchers, and advocates. Thank you June!

  

F.E.A.S.T. WELCOMES A NEW BOARD MEMBER

F.E.A.S.T. is excited to introduce new Board Member, Nicki Wilson of Wellington, New Zealand. Nicki is also a Board Member of EDANZ (Eating Disorders Association of New Zealand). All of our F.E.A.S.T. Board Member Bios can be found at http://www.feast-ed.org/FEAST/BoardofDirectors.aspx.

 

F.E.A.S.T. POLICY DIRECTOR PUBLISHES IN NEW EATING DISORDER JOURNAL:

An article by F.E.A.S.T. Policy Director Laura Collins Lyster-Mensh was published in the FREE inaugural issue of Advances in Eating Disorders: Theory, Research and PracticeVolume 1, Issue 1, 2013. Laura's article, PERSONAL VIEW: "The term 'brain disorder': a compass or a map?" is a formal write up of her plenary talk given at ICED 2012 in Austin, TX.

 

F.E.A.S.T. 2012 CONFERENCE VIDEOS:  Videos from F.E.A.S.T.'s 2012 Second Annual Conference, "There's No Place Like Home," in Alexandria, VA are now available for FREE on our YouTube Channel: "F.E.A.S.T. 2012 Conference Videos." Speakers include: Jeff Bell, Craig Johnson PhD, Carolyn Costin MA, Kathleen MacDonald, Debra Katzman, MD, Mary Beth Krohel, Mark Warren, MD, and Tomas J. Silber, MD. 

 

BRISBANE 2013 CONFERENCE VIDEOS:

Videos from the Brisbane, Australia "At Home with Eating Disorders" Conference can now be viewed online and ordered on DVD. Four of the speakers featured at this event are on F.E.A.S.T.'s Professional Advisory Panel. See the conference website for details.

 

  

Tell a friend, family member, or clinician about F.E.A.S.T!

 

*Survey responses collected via this newsletter link will collect the email address this newsletter was originally sent to. This information will only be visible to F.E.A.S.T. administrators.

 

Featured Article: 

To Tell the World, or Not?

By Belinda Caldwell, F.E.A.S.T. Board Member 

To let the world know or not?

I had just returned from a skiing holiday with my sister and nephew, and her friends, a couple and their three children, whom I have met just once before at my sister's wedding. The wife and I were chatting at the end of the holiday and she was commenting on how open we were about my daughter Lucy's eating disorder and how amazed she was that while not intrusive, it was just a matter of fact thing that occasionally popped into conversations or considerations (for example, when to eat next, etc). She commented that she found this openness impressive and had learnt a lot about eating disorders as a consequence.

I know we have been a bit unusual in our fairly open approach to our Lucy's eating disorder and would like to mount an argument that openness is a good thing. In a way it was sort of forced upon us in that she was diagnosed upon admission to hospital and we had to have an explanation as to why she was suddenly in hospital for 5 weeks. In addition, we were incredibly blessed by a psychiatrist who spoke to both my husband and I the day Lucy was admitted - he told us this was a biological condition, we were not to blame, it was not a result of wanting to be thin but may have some association with perfectionism and anxiety/obsessive compulsive disorder.  So from the get go we were not ashamed or embarrassed by the diagnosis.

We then spoke to Lucy about how she wanted to manage letting people know she was in hospital. She was very ashamed of having an eating disorder as she saw it as weak and vain. We debated explaining it away as a 'heart condition,' as technically it was her low heart rate that had caused her to be admitted. But a core tenet of public relations methodology kept popping into my head- we need to control the message and if we do, others will largely follow suit. Leaving the explanation for her admission vague seemed like it would only create a vacuum for rumour and innuendo. As the psychiatrist had explained anorexia nervosa as a condition, in the same vein as cancer or diabetes, we decided to go with that, be open and confident in our explanations, and we have never regretted it.

Firstly, I started with her closest friends who wanted to visit. I picked them up and took them to the hospital, using the 45 minute drive to explain what anorexia was, what was going on inside Lucy's distorted brain, and how to relate to her (be normal). They were an amazing bunch of girls  to whom I am forever grateful - they became a critical part of Lucy's safe circle, texting me contents of meals when she went out, joining us for meals at home to distract her when Lucy was struggling and letting me know when they thought something was a bit suspect. Quite early on, Lucy argued that she could do lunch at school but it turned out she couldn't.  I found out because these friends checked the bin after she had lunch, found most of her lunch in there and let me know. Did she hold it against them? No - she always said they did what they did because they loved her and cared about her and she just saw it as anorexia being 'found out.'

When we had to let her basketball team know, it was the same deal:  we went and spoke to the coach and girls. They were also amazing and encouraged Lucy to come to every game and treated her as though she was still part of the team in the same way they did if a girl was injured.

School was next and was not a drama, even though in the long run her very large school was not the ideal environment for us to keep close tabs on her activities. Her sister, Elly, ended up doing a Final Year Media Studies film project on Lucy's struggle with anorexia which got shown to the entire senior school as part of the assessment process - so Lucy's journey was even more public. Again, there was not one negative comment and many positive comments. The film was very non stigmatising and unsensational in its approach but very poignant, and I think everyone who saw it had respect for Lucy not derision.

Elly's friends were on board quite quickly (always at our house anyway and hard to miss what was going on!) and were also lovely in their care for Lucy. At one school basketball tournament where Lucy was made coach of the senior school team because she was unable to play, on seeing her try a few baskets, a couple of Elly's guy friends  came up and matter-of-factly redirected Lucy back to coaching and away from physical activity.

Lucy ended up moving schools to one which was smaller and less achievement focused. On her first day, she had to attend an excursion at the local university. We had discussed that this would be a fine opportunity if she wanted to start afresh with no one knowing about her eating disorder. I had to meet her for lunch as she still needed supervision with meals, so I hid in a section of the university grounds to give her lunch quickly. We were spotted by some of her classmates who asked her who she had lunch with. Lucy just said she couldn't be bothered coming up with a lie, and told them she had an eating disorder and needed some support with eating meals. These kids were also pretty nonchalant about it and just went on with day.  They became friends as the year progressed despite Lucy eating most snacks and lunches with an administrative person.

Why did this approach work for us? Maybe it was because I am a health professional and people take what I say about health related conditions as gospel if I say it with enough confidence. Or perhaps, it could be anyone saying something with confidence that reframes the condition for others. Maybe we lucked out with the friends and contacts we have had.  Maybe Lucy's insight into her condition is unusual so she was able to cope with the idea that it was a biological brain disorder rather than a mental weakness to be ashamed of.

While I respect others who choose not to expose their children to the possible stigma associated with eating disorders, I do believe there have been some benefits to doing it our way. Not only have we educated many others along the way about eating disorders, we have modelled for Lucy a way of presenting her condition to others in a way which is non-stigmatising (and in fact reframed her condition for her). This open approach has then created a much wider safety circle for Lucy than we would have been able to provide alone. (We have no relatives nearby and relied on this wider circle to have some breaks from the relentless vigilance on meals, etc., especially once past the first horrendous period).

The risk of openness is that Lucy will always be identified as the 'anorexic' person and that she will feel too comfortable in this identity. We watch for this but in all seriousness it really is no different to other conditions - as the symptoms and care needed diminish, so does the focus on her condition and she is pretty much just 'one of the crowd' now. Occasionally she will refer to her need to eat more than others (still hypermetabolic) and will still need to take a deep breath or two before particularly challenging foods such as those found at McDonalds. Her friends acknowledge that as a bit of a "Lucy" quirk and move on. She has retained all of her friends from this period despite moving schools.

I have a deep distaste for the fact that eating disorders are seen as something to be hidden and see the efforts to keep it a secret at times as aiding and abetting the beast that inhabits our children. Bringing it into the light has diminished its power as we felt no pressure to bend any eating/activity rules to give impression that nothing is wrong - no matter where we are and who Lucy is with, the eating disorder cannot get away with anything. If we have learned anything from this process, it is that every family must make their own decisions about what is right for their child and that there is NO one right or wrong approach - but I felt compelled to at least let people know that you can be open and survive!

____________________________________________________

Based in Melbourne, Australia, Belinda Caldwell is a mum of two girls, a healthcare consultant and married to a TV producer. Her family have used FBT to help her younger daughter (now 18 but 16 on diagnosis) recover from anorexia nervosa. Belinda is a board member of F.E.A.S.T., was on planning committee of the recent At Home with Eating Disorders conference and leading the F.E.A.S.T. Australian Task Force.  

    

{Our son} was weight restored 23 months ago and has eaten 3 meals and 2 snacks every day since .... He was on a meal plan and we followed it. After 18 months I saw the beginnings of him wanting to branch out a bit (normalized eating), after 20 months lots of normalized eating (flexibility, eating candy, chewing gum, not eating by the clock so much) and now at 23 months I can't believe he was able to eat 2 large chocolate bunnies (he did get a headache as it had been a long time since he had chocolate) and go out unexpectedly last night ....It has taken a long time but he is healthy, bright, funny and the boy he was meant to be before RAN!
- Around the Dinner Table Forum Parent
Research Summary:
Altered Neural Circuitry May Lead to Anorexia and Bulimia
 

By Dr. Walter Kaye, M.D., F.E.A.S.T. Advisor

  

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa -- disorders characterized by extreme eating behavior and distorted body image - are among the deadliest of psychiatric disorders, with few proven effective treatments. 

 

A landmark study, first authored by Tyson Oberndorfer, MD, and led by Walter H. Kaye, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, suggests that the altered function of neural circuitry contributes to restricted eating in anorexia and overeating in bulimia.  The research, published June 4 in the early on-line edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry, may offer a pathway to new and more effective treatments for these serious eating disorders. 

 

"It has been unknown whether individuals with anorexia or bulimia have a disturbance in the system that regulates appetite in the brain, or whether eating behavior is driven by other phenomena, such as an obsessional preoccupation with body image," said Kaye, director of the Eating Disorders Treatment and Research Program.   "However, this study confirms earlier studies by our group and others that establish a clear link between these disorders and neural processes in the insula, an area of the brain where taste is sensed and integrated with reward in the service of determining whether people are hungry or full." This study used functional MRI to test this neurocircuitry by measuring the brain response to sweet tastes in 28 women who had recovered from either anorexia or bulimia.

 

 Relative to a cohort of 14 women who had never suffered from either disorder, those recovered from anorexia had significantly diminished and those recovered from bulimia, significantly elevated responses to the taste of sucrose in the right anterior insula. 

 

 "One possibility is that restricted eating and weight loss occurs in anorexia because the brain fails to accurately recognize hunger signals," said first author Tyson A. Oberndorfer, MD.  "Alternately, overeating in bulimia could represent an exaggerated perception of hunger signals."

 

 The researchers added that the study could have very important implications for treatment, and that identifying abnormal neural substrates could help to reformulate the basic pathology of eating disorders and offer new targets for treatment.

 

"It may be possible to modulate the experience by, for example, enhancing insula activity in individuals with anorexia or dampening the exaggerated or unstable response to food in those with bulimia," said Kaye.   Studies indicate that healthy subjects can use real-time fMRI, biofeedback or mindfulness training to alter the brain's response to food stimuli.  For patients with anorexia who have an overly active satiety signal in response to palatable foods, the researchers suggest bland or even slightly aversive foods might prevent the brain's overstimulation.  Medications may also be found that enhance the reward response to food, or decrease inhibition to food consumption in in the brain's reward circuitry.

 

This study was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (grants MH46001,MH42984, K05-MD01894 and training grant T32-MH18399) and by the Price Foundation.

 

Additional contributors to the study include Guido K.W. Frank, MD; Alan N. Simmons, PhD; Angela Wagner, MD, PhD; Danyale McCurdy, PhD; Julie L. Fudge, MD; Tony T. Yang, MD, PhD; and Martin P. Paulus, MD.

The UCSD Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program has a number of innovative programs and clinical trials for individuals with anorexia, bulimia or other eating disorders.  For more information, go to  their website.

 

 

 

 Bye bye size 0 and 1 jeans. May we never meet again.

Around the Dinner Table Forum Parent 

 

Research Initiative:
ANGI logo
Research consistently shows that eating disorders have a 50-80% genetic component. F.E.A.S.T. believes that genetic research is a key area of study that is necessary for advancing the understanding and treatment of eating disorders.

The ANGI (Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative) is an important start for building a database of genetic information that will be available to researchers all over the world. Such a database has the potential to focus the direction of current research and generate more funding for future targeted treatment approaches.

The UNC Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, lauched ANGI in May of this year, and is looking for participants in several countries to contribute blood samples for the database.

F.E.A.S.T. urges our members to support this important work. Please see the UNC website for more information.

F.E.A.S.T.

Families Empowered And Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders

www.feast-ed.org
  

 

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 11608 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211 USA

Email:  [email protected]

 

International Phone Numbers:

US Toll Free: (855) 50-FEAST (855-503-3278)

Australia: +61 731886675

Canada : (647) 247-1339

UK: +44 3308280031

iNum: +833510013425152 (The "iNum" acts like an access code after dialing a local number from  a list.)

 

Executive Director, Ext. 101, or Leah Dean at Skype Number: (414)395-2484

Policy Director, Ext. 102, or Laura Collins at Skype Number: (540) 227-8518

 

logo
Dear F.E.A.S.T. Member:

 

Thank you! You are receiving this newsletter because you are one of our 2845 members: families, clinicians, patients, and organizations from more than 40 countries. We depend on you and appreciate your continuing support and interest in F.E.A.S.T.
  Leah Headshot
From the
Executive Director's Desk


Leah Dean, F.E.A.S.T
  
Last week, as I was thinking about what to write in this column, I received a phone call from a new F.E.A.S.T. and Forum parent. This was a mom in a tough position with a relapsing young adult child and an ex-husband who does not recognize the seriousness of the situation. She had been asking for advice from friends, therapists, doctors, ANYONE!, and was becoming more and more distraught and frustrated by the many mixed messages she was getting about eating disorders and treatment options.  At the end of the call she told me "Thank you! You are the first person who has told me I can step up and actually DO something to help my daughter fight this."
 

This is F.E.A.S.T.'s  Mission: to EMPOWER parents to become part of the solution.

 

As many of you know, my personal mission in 2013 is to successfully transition F.E.A.S.T. from the amazing leadership of our founder Laura Collins, to a self-sustaining volunteer-run organization. I honestly don't know how Laura did it all - she was Executive Director, Outreach Director, Policy Director, Volunteer Coordinator, Event Planner, Accountant, Educator, Blog Writer, Public Speaker, Website Administrator, Mother, Wife and the calm voice on the other end of the phone for countless families looking for the same thing as the caller above - validation of their parental instinct to fight for their children. All I can say is "Thank You Laura for all you have done and continue to do for F.E.A.S.T!"

 

So, what have I been up to to make this transition happen? Here is the list:

  • Taken over F.E.A.S.T.'s Quickbooks accounting system.
  • Researched and implemented a new international phone answering service.
  • Created and refined our 2013 budget and 2014 projected budget.
  • Compiled a historical Financial Report for the April 2013 Newsletter
  • Represented F.E.A.S.T. at the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Alliance for Research Progress Meeting in February 2013.
  • Oversaw the creation of F.E.A.S.T.'s new US Pacific Northwest Task Force.
  • Created a new F.E.A.S.T. Brochure (now available as a PDF download).
  • Represented F.E.A.S.T. at the UCSD Conference in February 2013.
  • Represented F.E.A.S.T. at the Academy of Eating Disorder (AED) International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED2013) in May 2013.
  • While at ICED, met with the ED professionals who have generously donated their time to edit F.E.A.S.T.'s next Family Guide Booklet.
  • Assessed F.E.A.S.T.'s technology systems and needs, researched options for streamlining and automating those systems, and wrote a proposal for the Board of Director's to review.
  • Convened a Conference Committee, and researched locations and venues for a 2014 Caregiver's Conference in the US.
  • Visited Dallas, TX for site visits of possible F.E.A.S.T. conference venues.

As a result of this work, you will begin to see some changes coming to the F.E.A.S.T. website, forum, and registration system. Just last week, the F.E.A.S.T. Board approved the implementation of an integrated Association Management Software solution that will streamline many of our administrative and communication tasks and will be a better, more versatile online community experience for our members.


Also in the works for 2014 is our 3rd Annual F.E.A.S.T. Symposium. The date has not been finalized, but will be late January or February 2014 in Dallas, TX! We chose Dallas in order to make the conference more convenient and affordable for F.E.A.S.T. families everywhere to get there.  Dallas is a major airline hub with many direct and international flights coming in each day. The weather should also be quite comfortable in February, especially for those who need an escape from the northern US winter! Watch your email Inbox for a "Save the Date" announcement in the next week or two.

 

Thank you to our newsletter editor, Jennifer, for all her work putting this newsletter together and all the other amazing behind the scenes volunteers who keep this organization going! I am grateful for your generous commitment of time and energy that allows F.E.A.S.T. to continue with it's mission of supporting and empowering caregivers.

 

Leah Dean

[email protected]

 

 

If you like what we do...
Please consider making a donation to F.E.A.S.T. today.
Click on the DONATE button, or send a check to: 
F.E.A.S.T. PO Box 11608, Milwaukee, WI 53211

(F.E.A.S.T. is registered as a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.)
 Around the Dinner Table Forum News
 
Moderators Take Leave of Absence: 

F.E.A.S.T.'s first rule for it's volunteers is "Family First!" Two of our Moderators, AnnieK and Jangled, are taking time off to focus their energies on family and life "on-the-ground." We already miss their input and presence on the forum, but are grateful for all that they have done to make the forum a safe and supportive place for caregivers.

 

Welcome New Moderators: 

ATDT is thrilled to welcome four new Moderators from four different countries: Charlotte_UK, IrishUp,

Stayingwithit, and 

Foodsupport_AUS.

 

Thank you all for taking on this role and contributing your time to F.E.A.S.T.

 

ATDT Forum Moderators are key to the success of the forum. Our Moderators are not ED experts, simply experienced caregivers who work behind the scenes to enforce the rules, direct members to resources and help users with technical issues.

 

UK Forum Members Tell Their Stories:

ATDT Forum member Beverly Mattocks has written a new book "When Anorexia Came To Visit: Families Talk About How An Eating Disorder Invaded Their Lives."

Nineteen of the twenty (UK) families that contributed to this book come from the ATDT forum. The book also features a foreword by Professor Janet Treasure OBE, a preface by Becky Henry and an introduction by Laura Collins.The purpose of this book is to help other families whilst also highlighting the gaps within the UK National Health Service when it comes to receiving effective treatment for eating disorders (primarily restrictive anorexia).


The book is available on Amazon and as a Kindle download. You can find more information about the book on Beverly's blog.

 

Around the Dinner Table Forum "BULLETIN BOARD"

The "Bulletin Board" feature for the ATDT forum has been a great success so far. The Bulletin Board can be found in the list of forums and is moderated by forum member YogurtParfait_US. Thank you for volunteering YP!

 

Please read the first FAQ post for more information on what can be posted here. Anyone who has news, announcements, and events of interest to the ATDT community for the board may contact any of the forum Moderators, or send an email to [email protected].

 

Canadian Task Force News 

 

The Canadian Task Force has been busy with their advocacy by being included in ED advocacy working group (including clinicians and treatment professionals and parent advocates) planning a "call to action" national initiative. One member attended the Parliamentary Breakfast event in Ottawa with the working group and met with various Members of Parliament. The goals were to raise awareness of eating disorders, lack of research, funding, waitlist issues, and standards of care across Canada; to promote the creation of a national foundation; and to work with other organizations to aid politicians in the formation of an all Party caucus or standing committee to study eating disorders.

 

Members also attended the International Conference on Eating Disorders in Montreal to help with the F.E.A.S.T. booth and connect with Canadian clinicians.

 

Many other contacts and connections are being made including contact with the Ontario Superintendent of Education/Special Education to promote F.E.A.S.T. and provide a parent's perspective on how F.E.A.S.T. can provide tools for a program training mental health professionals in school. The Task Force has also connected the medical director of adolescent eating disorder program at Children's Hospital of Easter Ontario regarding their parent education and support waitlist intervention program.

 

More information on the Canadian Taskforce can be found on the F.E.A.S.T. website

 

 

Australian Task Force News
  
The main activity for the Australian Task Force has been the recent "At Home with Eating Disorders" conference (23-25 May) which was a huge success. The conference itself was pretty amazing, the speakers were phenomenal and the buzz in the room uplifting.
  
  • More than 250 people attended with over 200 attendees on each day.
  • Approximately 75% attending were parents, spouses, carers, sufferers or siblings.
  • Attendees came for every state and territory of Australia, New Zealand and even the United States

Initial feedback from those attending was very positive and as one family said:

 

"I also have just arrived back from the conference a few hours ago and wanted to shout to the world that wonderful word as well-HOPE. It gave many of us a voice, a chance to tell our stories and realise that we are not alone. Many of those that attended had travelled from all parts of Australia as well as New Zealand. The whole experience confirmed for me what resilience, determination, compassion and love we share for our loved ones suffering."

 

A DVD and/or link to conference videos is now available and the conference planning committee is meeting to look at future events.

 

For more information visit the Australian Task Force.

  
 UK Task Force News

 

 The UK Task Force reports the much deserved success of one member's petition to the Welsh Assembly to consider funding child and adolescent specialist services to a similar level to that available in adult services. It is still early days but it is beginning to look hopeful.
 
Elsewhere several members of the Task Force have been involved in discussion about a conference at the Maudsley Hospital in November at which members will be presenting. The south west/midlands group is continuing to meet and there will be a lunch meeting in Birmingham in July.  For information on the UK Task Force, please visit the F.E.A.S.T. website.

     

U.S.Pacific Northwest

Task Force News

 

The Pacific Northwest Task Force continues to meet and provide on-the-ground support to local families. Support group meetings range from four to twelve individuals and several new members have joined the group. The Task Force has been working to get the "word" out about the task force, support group and F.E.A.S.T. through brochures, a hotline and word of mouth.

 

Future efforts include continuing to reach out to local families, connect with therapists and physicians, and distribute brochures broadly. For more information visit the F.E.A.S.T. website.

 

2013 Conference Calendar:

 

Eating Disorders Research Society 19th Annual Meeting 

Bethesda, Maryland USA 
September 19 - 21, 2013

Conference Website  

 

Anorexia and Associated Disorders Annual Eating Disorders Conference

Naperville, Illinois, USA

September 27, 2013

Conference Website

 

National Eating Disorder Association Conference (NEDA)

Washington , D.C. USA

October 10-12, 2013

Conference Website 

 

Please see the F.E.A.S.T. Calendar Page for more events. 

 

Volunteers Needed:

Parent Mentors:

Do you remember the first time you felt that, FINALLY you were talking to someone who UNDERSTOOD - someone who knew exactly what you were going through because they had already been there? Do you remember that feeling of HOPE and RELIEF to know that recovery was possible and that you could play a role to make it happen?

 

F.E.A.S.T. is looking for experienced caregivers to speak to new F.E.A.S.T. and Forum members by phone in order to welcome them to our community, give them hope, lead them to resources, and to simply be that voice on the other end of the phone who listens and understands.

 

This is a volunteer role that requires you to call back caregivers who leave messages on F.E.A.S.T.'s Parent Support Line. Volunteers will get a notification by email when a caller leaves a message and F.E.A.S.T. will provide business Skype accounts for returning these calls. 

F.E.A.S.T. will also provide a set of guidelines for volunteers and initial coaching for how to be an effective mentor and F.E.A.S.T. representative. Calls can be made at your convenience or forwarded to another volunteer 
 
Interested in paying it forward? Please contact us at [email protected].

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