Saturday, July 05, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Make the call for mental health parity
According to the Eating Disorders Coalition, a lobbying group that Maudsley Parents is affiliated with, July 9th is National Call-in Day for mental health parity.
Says the EDC:
The US House of Representatives and the Senate negotiators have reached a final agreement on all the remaining mental health and addiction parity issues. However, approximately $4 billion over 10 years in offsets is needed to pay for the bill and must be found before parity can be brought to the floor in both chambers for final passage. Once an offset has been found, there is commitment from leadership in the House and the Senate to bring the bill up for a vote as quickly as possible.
Although House and Senate leaders have not decided yet where they will find almost $4 billion over 10 years to pay for the cost offsets required by Congressional rules, negotiations have successfully concluded on the key policy provisions. This compromise is the result of long negotiations and advocacy of organizations all across the country. The compromise includes many key provisions that were included in the House-passed bill, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act and would be an important step in ending insurance discrimination facing people with addiction and mental illness. Here are some key points in the compromise:
- The compromise requires parity in insurance coverage for addiction and mental health treatment for both in-network and out-of-network coverage. This does not mean that the bill requires that insurers cover addiction and mental services, only that if they do cover these services, there must be parity with medical/surgical benefits. This of course would be a very positive development both in requiring fairness in insurance coverage and taking a strong stand against discrimination toward people in recovery or still suffering from addiction and mental illness.
- The compromise requires plans to disclose their medical necessity criteria and reasons for any denials of coverage. This would be a major breakthrough, as many plans refuse to disclose medical necessity criteria or reasons for denial, especially when addiction treatment is sought.
- On the issue of protection of state laws, the compromise bill language is silent. The House bill explicitly protected state laws, and in earlier versions the Senate bill explicitly preempted state laws. Silence is a victory for those of us who agree with the House approach that state laws should be protected, since in most situations Congress must take explicit action to overrule a state law in order for state laws to be preempted. However, to make protection of state laws even more ironclad, we will be working to ensure that the legislative history of the bill makes clear that the sponsors’ intention is to protect all state laws. That way, as important as the passage of a federal parity law would be, stronger state laws would remain in effect and states would be free to enact additional stronger protections in the years to come.
Wednesday July 9th is National Call-in Day so please call your Member of Congress and Senators on July 9th and tell them that now that an agreement has been reached between the House and the Senate, Congress must find the money to fund this historic mental health and addiction parity legislation and pass parity now.
For more information, visit our National Call-in Day Online Advocacy Action Center.On the website you will see background information, a script for the call and a tool you can use to punch in your zip code and get your Member of Congress and Senator’ names and phone numbers.
Says the EDC:
The US House of Representatives and the Senate negotiators have reached a final agreement on all the remaining mental health and addiction parity issues. However, approximately $4 billion over 10 years in offsets is needed to pay for the bill and must be found before parity can be brought to the floor in both chambers for final passage. Once an offset has been found, there is commitment from leadership in the House and the Senate to bring the bill up for a vote as quickly as possible.
Although House and Senate leaders have not decided yet where they will find almost $4 billion over 10 years to pay for the cost offsets required by Congressional rules, negotiations have successfully concluded on the key policy provisions. This compromise is the result of long negotiations and advocacy of organizations all across the country. The compromise includes many key provisions that were included in the House-passed bill, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act and would be an important step in ending insurance discrimination facing people with addiction and mental illness. Here are some key points in the compromise:
- The compromise requires parity in insurance coverage for addiction and mental health treatment for both in-network and out-of-network coverage. This does not mean that the bill requires that insurers cover addiction and mental services, only that if they do cover these services, there must be parity with medical/surgical benefits. This of course would be a very positive development both in requiring fairness in insurance coverage and taking a strong stand against discrimination toward people in recovery or still suffering from addiction and mental illness.
- The compromise requires plans to disclose their medical necessity criteria and reasons for any denials of coverage. This would be a major breakthrough, as many plans refuse to disclose medical necessity criteria or reasons for denial, especially when addiction treatment is sought.
- On the issue of protection of state laws, the compromise bill language is silent. The House bill explicitly protected state laws, and in earlier versions the Senate bill explicitly preempted state laws. Silence is a victory for those of us who agree with the House approach that state laws should be protected, since in most situations Congress must take explicit action to overrule a state law in order for state laws to be preempted. However, to make protection of state laws even more ironclad, we will be working to ensure that the legislative history of the bill makes clear that the sponsors’ intention is to protect all state laws. That way, as important as the passage of a federal parity law would be, stronger state laws would remain in effect and states would be free to enact additional stronger protections in the years to come.
Wednesday July 9th is National Call-in Day so please call your Member of Congress and Senators on July 9th and tell them that now that an agreement has been reached between the House and the Senate, Congress must find the money to fund this historic mental health and addiction parity legislation and pass parity now.
For more information, visit our National Call-in Day Online Advocacy Action Center.On the website you will see background information, a script for the call and a tool you can use to punch in your zip code and get your Member of Congress and Senator’ names and phone numbers.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Take the Parade poll
In this week's issue of Parade magazine, the editors invite readers to go online and vote whether or not “obese” passengers should buy two seats. So far 83% say yes, 17% say no.
Go vote.
UPDATE: The tally is now Yes 57%, No 43%. Woo-hoo!
Go vote.
UPDATE: The tally is now Yes 57%, No 43%. Woo-hoo!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Be part of an eating disorders study
If you or someone you love has or has had an eating disorder, you (or s/he) might be eligible to be part of one of these ongoing studies. Treatment is often free if you're part of a study. And you're helping advance the pitiful state of e.d. research, which is always a good thing.
* * *
Have you been affected by an eating disorder in the San Diego area? You may qualify to participate in a study that could help clinicians understand and treat eating disorders. Does the following describe you? You are a girl/young woman between the ages of 13 and 25: you are currently in treatment for an eating disorder; you are medically stable; and you have used the internet to look at ANOREXIA websites. Following a brief telephone screening, you will be asked to fill out a brief survey and participate in a one-on-one interview with a doctoral student from Alliant International University. Your total time commitment will be no longer than 2 hours. All identifying information about you will be kept confidential. You will be compensated with a $20 gift card to Westfield Malls (UTC, North County Fair, Horton Plaza, Plaza Bonita) and will be entered into a drawing for one $150 gift card. For more information contact PattyschroMA@sbcglobal.net.
San Diego, CA: UCSD Researchers Seek Males and Females with Anorexia Nervosa: The UCSD researchers are currently seeking adolescents and adults currently suffering from Anorexia Nervosa to participate in one of their three current studies. To qualify for any of the studies one must be at least 15% below ideal body weight and be fearful of weight gain, despite being underweight. Both adults and adolescents between the ages of 14-45 are needed to participate in a taste study and would be compensated for up to $70 for completing the assessments, taste tests and interview. Adults 18 years of age and older are needed to participate in a randomized control trial of the medication Quetiapine, in which they will receive either the study medication or a placebo. Subjects will be compensated up to $360 for completing study related assessments and the medication treatment. In addition, they are offering several months of family therapy treatment for families with adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 at no cost. The adolescents in this study will also be randomly assigned to receive either the medication Fluoxetine or a placebo. For more information, contact UCSD Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program at 858-366-2525 or email edresearch@ucsd.edu.
San Diego, CA: UCSD Researchers Seek Women Recovered From an Eating Disorder: Help UCSD researchers understand what causes eating disorders. They are seeking female participants between 18 and 45 years of age who are recovered from Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa. By participating in the study, subjects will be assisting physicians and researchers in developing new treatments for these complex and serious disorders. Subjects will be compensated for your participation in this study. For more information contact the UCSD Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Program at 858-366-2525 or email edresearch@ucsd.edu.
Massachusetts Research Study - Massachusetts General Hospital Study of Therapy for Bone Loss in Anorexia Nervosa: The Neuroendocrine Unit of Massachusetts General Hospital is conducting research studies on anorexia-induced bone loss. Their screening study is for men and women age 12-50 with anorexia nervosa. They are investigating causes of osteopenia (or bone loss) in the spine, hip, wrist and total body. The study involves one visit of approximately 3 hours. Their treatment study is for women aged 18-45 with anorexia nervosa and absent or irregular menstrual periods. They are investigating the combined use of a natural hormone and a medication that is effective for bone loss in postmenopausal women as a novel treatment for the bone loss seen in women with anorexia nervosa. They hope that the combination of these two investigational medications will help rebuild depleted bone and prevent further bone breakdown in women with anorexia nervosa. The study consists of 6 visits over 12 months. A stipend of up to $675 is awarded throughout the course of the study. If interested, call Erinne Meenaghan, N.P. at 617-724-7393 or email nedresearchstudies@partners.org.
Massachusetts: Bulimia Nervosa Study: Free confidential treatment is available to those who are eligible. Do you or someone you know binge eat? Do you or someone you know compensate by vomiting or other extremes? Do you or someone you know have severe moodiness or relationship problems? Researchers are now enrolling participants (ages 18-65) in a free treatment study investigating two active treatments, including education and counseling, for bulimia nervosa. If interested call 617-353-9610 or click here.
New York, NY: NIMH-funded, IRB-Approved Study of Adolescents with Bulimia Nervosa (ages 12 - 21 years). This study takes place at NYSPI/Columbia University and compensation is provided for participation ($100). For more information, contact Laura Berner at 212-543-5316. P.I.: Rachel Marsh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, Columbia University/ New York State Psychiatric Institute, phone 212-543-5384, email marshr@childpsych.columbia.edu.
New York, NY: The National Institute of Mental Health is sponsoring a multi-center international study to compare two types of family therapy as well as fluoxetine or placebo (an inactive medication) in the treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. They are looking for families with an adolescent with anorexia nervosa between the ages of 12-18 years. Participation involves completing assessment interviews, questionnaires, and engaging in 16 family therapy sessions over the course of nine months with medication continuing for another six months. The study is being held at the Eating Disorders Research Program, The Westchester Division of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Contact the Research Coordinator, Samantha Berthod, MA at 914-997-4395.
Pittsburgh, PA: Seeking Women Recovered from Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa. Dr. Walter Kaye and his research team at the Eating Disorders Research Program at the University Pittsburgh Medical Center are looking for women who have recovered from anorexia or bulimia nervosa for a research study on brain chemistry in eating disorders. Study participants must be between 18 and 45 years old, medication free (birth control pills acceptable) and not pregnant or nursing. The study involves phone interviews, questionnaires, PET and MRI scans, lab work, physical exam, two visits to Pittsburgh and 8 weeks of fluoxetine (generic form of Prozac). (Note: All expenses incurred during the study, e.g. travel expenses, lab work, physical exam and etc. are paid for by the study.) In addition, eligible participants will be compensated up to $1300 upon completion of the study. For more information, email EDResearch@upmc.edu or Dr. Kathy Plotnicov at plotnicovkh@upmc.edu or Dr. Sharon Barnes at barnessd@upmc.edu. Interested parties can also call toll-free at 1-866-265-9289 or submit a contact form online here.
* * *
Have you been affected by an eating disorder in the San Diego area? You may qualify to participate in a study that could help clinicians understand and treat eating disorders. Does the following describe you? You are a girl/young woman between the ages of 13 and 25: you are currently in treatment for an eating disorder; you are medically stable; and you have used the internet to look at ANOREXIA websites. Following a brief telephone screening, you will be asked to fill out a brief survey and participate in a one-on-one interview with a doctoral student from Alliant International University. Your total time commitment will be no longer than 2 hours. All identifying information about you will be kept confidential. You will be compensated with a $20 gift card to Westfield Malls (UTC, North County Fair, Horton Plaza, Plaza Bonita) and will be entered into a drawing for one $150 gift card. For more information contact PattyschroMA@sbcglobal.net.
San Diego, CA: UCSD Researchers Seek Males and Females with Anorexia Nervosa: The UCSD researchers are currently seeking adolescents and adults currently suffering from Anorexia Nervosa to participate in one of their three current studies. To qualify for any of the studies one must be at least 15% below ideal body weight and be fearful of weight gain, despite being underweight. Both adults and adolescents between the ages of 14-45 are needed to participate in a taste study and would be compensated for up to $70 for completing the assessments, taste tests and interview. Adults 18 years of age and older are needed to participate in a randomized control trial of the medication Quetiapine, in which they will receive either the study medication or a placebo. Subjects will be compensated up to $360 for completing study related assessments and the medication treatment. In addition, they are offering several months of family therapy treatment for families with adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 at no cost. The adolescents in this study will also be randomly assigned to receive either the medication Fluoxetine or a placebo. For more information, contact UCSD Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program at 858-366-2525 or email edresearch@ucsd.edu.
San Diego, CA: UCSD Researchers Seek Women Recovered From an Eating Disorder: Help UCSD researchers understand what causes eating disorders. They are seeking female participants between 18 and 45 years of age who are recovered from Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa. By participating in the study, subjects will be assisting physicians and researchers in developing new treatments for these complex and serious disorders. Subjects will be compensated for your participation in this study. For more information contact the UCSD Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Program at 858-366-2525 or email edresearch@ucsd.edu.
Massachusetts Research Study - Massachusetts General Hospital Study of Therapy for Bone Loss in Anorexia Nervosa: The Neuroendocrine Unit of Massachusetts General Hospital is conducting research studies on anorexia-induced bone loss. Their screening study is for men and women age 12-50 with anorexia nervosa. They are investigating causes of osteopenia (or bone loss) in the spine, hip, wrist and total body. The study involves one visit of approximately 3 hours. Their treatment study is for women aged 18-45 with anorexia nervosa and absent or irregular menstrual periods. They are investigating the combined use of a natural hormone and a medication that is effective for bone loss in postmenopausal women as a novel treatment for the bone loss seen in women with anorexia nervosa. They hope that the combination of these two investigational medications will help rebuild depleted bone and prevent further bone breakdown in women with anorexia nervosa. The study consists of 6 visits over 12 months. A stipend of up to $675 is awarded throughout the course of the study. If interested, call Erinne Meenaghan, N.P. at 617-724-7393 or email nedresearchstudies@partners.org.
Massachusetts: Bulimia Nervosa Study: Free confidential treatment is available to those who are eligible. Do you or someone you know binge eat? Do you or someone you know compensate by vomiting or other extremes? Do you or someone you know have severe moodiness or relationship problems? Researchers are now enrolling participants (ages 18-65) in a free treatment study investigating two active treatments, including education and counseling, for bulimia nervosa. If interested call 617-353-9610 or click here.
New York, NY: NIMH-funded, IRB-Approved Study of Adolescents with Bulimia Nervosa (ages 12 - 21 years). This study takes place at NYSPI/Columbia University and compensation is provided for participation ($100). For more information, contact Laura Berner at 212-543-5316. P.I.: Rachel Marsh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, Columbia University/ New York State Psychiatric Institute, phone 212-543-5384, email marshr@childpsych.columbia.edu.
New York, NY: The National Institute of Mental Health is sponsoring a multi-center international study to compare two types of family therapy as well as fluoxetine or placebo (an inactive medication) in the treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. They are looking for families with an adolescent with anorexia nervosa between the ages of 12-18 years. Participation involves completing assessment interviews, questionnaires, and engaging in 16 family therapy sessions over the course of nine months with medication continuing for another six months. The study is being held at the Eating Disorders Research Program, The Westchester Division of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Contact the Research Coordinator, Samantha Berthod, MA at 914-997-4395.
Pittsburgh, PA: Seeking Women Recovered from Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa. Dr. Walter Kaye and his research team at the Eating Disorders Research Program at the University Pittsburgh Medical Center are looking for women who have recovered from anorexia or bulimia nervosa for a research study on brain chemistry in eating disorders. Study participants must be between 18 and 45 years old, medication free (birth control pills acceptable) and not pregnant or nursing. The study involves phone interviews, questionnaires, PET and MRI scans, lab work, physical exam, two visits to Pittsburgh and 8 weeks of fluoxetine (generic form of Prozac). (Note: All expenses incurred during the study, e.g. travel expenses, lab work, physical exam and etc. are paid for by the study.) In addition, eligible participants will be compensated up to $1300 upon completion of the study. For more information, email EDResearch@upmc.edu or Dr. Kathy Plotnicov at plotnicovkh@upmc.edu or Dr. Sharon Barnes at barnessd@upmc.edu. Interested parties can also call toll-free at 1-866-265-9289 or submit a contact form online here.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
If you live in Scotland, you'd better not be fat
Because if you are, according to the Sunday Herald, your doctor can prescribe Accomplia (generic name: rimonabant) if you haven't "responded to other treatments"--i.e., if you're still fat despite his/her best advice.
That's because Scotland has gone completely bonkers on the subject of fat. Especially when it comes to the children. According to a spokesman for the Scottish National Health Service, "Being overweight or obese during childhood can lead to physical and mental health problems in later life, such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, back pain, low self-esteem and depression."
Maybe he hasn't seen this study on how feeling bad about your weight is much worse for your health than actually being fat.
Accomplia, on the other hand, has been linked to depression and other mental health issues, heart attacks, and suicide. Sounds like a perfect "fix" to me.
Thankfully, not everyone in Scotland has leapt onto the anti-obesity train. The Sunday Herald quotes Dr. Ken Paterson, chairman of the Scottish Medical Consortium, as having said, ". . . our advice is that [the drug] shouldn't be used. . . . People regain weight very quickly when they come off this drug, so the real question is what is the benefit of having a short-term, non-sustained weight reduction? We don't believe it should be in general use."
I worry, I really do, about what life will be like here and elsewhere in 10 or 15 years if you're fat.
That's because Scotland has gone completely bonkers on the subject of fat. Especially when it comes to the children. According to a spokesman for the Scottish National Health Service, "Being overweight or obese during childhood can lead to physical and mental health problems in later life, such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, back pain, low self-esteem and depression."
Maybe he hasn't seen this study on how feeling bad about your weight is much worse for your health than actually being fat.
Accomplia, on the other hand, has been linked to depression and other mental health issues, heart attacks, and suicide. Sounds like a perfect "fix" to me.
Thankfully, not everyone in Scotland has leapt onto the anti-obesity train. The Sunday Herald quotes Dr. Ken Paterson, chairman of the Scottish Medical Consortium, as having said, ". . . our advice is that [the drug] shouldn't be used. . . . People regain weight very quickly when they come off this drug, so the real question is what is the benefit of having a short-term, non-sustained weight reduction? We don't believe it should be in general use."
I worry, I really do, about what life will be like here and elsewhere in 10 or 15 years if you're fat.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Why I am a fan of Leora Pinhas
She's a psychiatric director for the eating disorders program at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. At the recent Canadian Pediatric Society Conference, Dr. Pinhas said two things that endeared her to me.
First, she compared childhood eating disorders to cancer:
"We have this thing that [they're] not really serious. But one in 10 will die. We need to act like it's a serious illness."
Thank you, Dr. Pinhas.* And thank you even more for going on to put the question of eating disorders into the context of the ever-more-prevalent obsession with childhood obesity:
Pinhas dismissed the attention being given to childhood obesity rates - which she says have not increased since 2003 and have not increased in any clinically significant way since the late 1990s.
The most disturbing thing about the constant news about obesity rates is it's likely fuelling eating disorders, Pinhas said.
"Dieting is the gateway to eating disorders. If you have people encouraged to diet because being fat is so bad, you're only giving them an intervention that will make them fat, or give them an eating disorder or make them feel bad about themselves."
In the current culture, which supports weight-loss interventions for children as young as 2, Dr. Pinhas' perspective is not just refreshing--it could be a life-saver.
*Though she also went on to say that "most people recover from eating disorders." I'd like to know where that statistic comes from, since the numbers I've seen are far bleaker.
First, she compared childhood eating disorders to cancer:
"We have this thing that [they're] not really serious. But one in 10 will die. We need to act like it's a serious illness."
Thank you, Dr. Pinhas.* And thank you even more for going on to put the question of eating disorders into the context of the ever-more-prevalent obsession with childhood obesity:
Pinhas dismissed the attention being given to childhood obesity rates - which she says have not increased since 2003 and have not increased in any clinically significant way since the late 1990s.
The most disturbing thing about the constant news about obesity rates is it's likely fuelling eating disorders, Pinhas said.
"Dieting is the gateway to eating disorders. If you have people encouraged to diet because being fat is so bad, you're only giving them an intervention that will make them fat, or give them an eating disorder or make them feel bad about themselves."
In the current culture, which supports weight-loss interventions for children as young as 2, Dr. Pinhas' perspective is not just refreshing--it could be a life-saver.
*Though she also went on to say that "most people recover from eating disorders." I'd like to know where that statistic comes from, since the numbers I've seen are far bleaker.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The girl at the mall
I noticed her right away, as I always do now: 9 or 10 at first glance, with the thin, prepubescent body of a girl who hasn't begun puberty yet. On second glance I could see she was older--something about the curve of her shoulder, the way she carried her purse, the look on her face, more knowing than a 9-year-old, and more weary, too. I could see the shape of her arm bones under the skin, the sharp edge of her collarbone.
She was shopping with her mother; I was shopping with my 12-year-old. They were discussing a dress, the very dress, it happened, that my daughter had her eye on. The mother hung it back on the rack and my daughter picked it up. "Look, Mom, I love this!" she said. Then she looked at the size--size 7--and regretfully put it back.
I asked the other mother, "How old is your daughter?"
The mom smiled and shook her head. "She's 12, but she thinks she can wear a size 7. She swears it fits and I told her I'm not buying it."
I looked at the girl, her strained smile, her impossibly thin waist. I looked at the mother. I made a decision.
"Could I have a word?" I asked.
I told her my daughter had had anorexia, that I saw some of the same signs in her daughter I'd seen in mine. I told her that her daughter looked worryingly thin, that wanting to wear a size 7 when you're 12 could very well reflect the distorted thinking of an eating disorder. I told her I hoped her daughter wasn't sick but that if I were her, I would take her to the doctor right away.
By the time I was done talking the mother was backing up. "OK, thanks," she said, edging away from me, and they were gone.
I can't get the girl at the mall out of my mind. I wonder what her mother will do. I wonder if I did the right thing to speak to her.
What would you have done?
She was shopping with her mother; I was shopping with my 12-year-old. They were discussing a dress, the very dress, it happened, that my daughter had her eye on. The mother hung it back on the rack and my daughter picked it up. "Look, Mom, I love this!" she said. Then she looked at the size--size 7--and regretfully put it back.
I asked the other mother, "How old is your daughter?"
The mom smiled and shook her head. "She's 12, but she thinks she can wear a size 7. She swears it fits and I told her I'm not buying it."
I looked at the girl, her strained smile, her impossibly thin waist. I looked at the mother. I made a decision.
"Could I have a word?" I asked.
I told her my daughter had had anorexia, that I saw some of the same signs in her daughter I'd seen in mine. I told her that her daughter looked worryingly thin, that wanting to wear a size 7 when you're 12 could very well reflect the distorted thinking of an eating disorder. I told her I hoped her daughter wasn't sick but that if I were her, I would take her to the doctor right away.
By the time I was done talking the mother was backing up. "OK, thanks," she said, edging away from me, and they were gone.
I can't get the girl at the mall out of my mind. I wonder what her mother will do. I wonder if I did the right thing to speak to her.
What would you have done?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
If your child has an eating disorder, read on. . . .
I've written before and recently about how eating disorders affect the entire family. E.d.s are incredibly stressful for both sufferers and the people who love them.
So I was interested to see this study, showing that even mild stress, if it's chronic, affects cognitive abilities in rats. It makes them forget things they've just learned and alters their neuroimmune and neuroendocrine systems.
Of course this applies to any families dealing with acute or chronic illness.
Me, I'm glad to know that there were sound physiological reasons for my post-recovery meltdowns. So if your child is doing well (and especially if she's not), and you're forgetful, irritable, can't concentrate--just know that it's not your fault and that there are good reasons for your brain drain.
So I was interested to see this study, showing that even mild stress, if it's chronic, affects cognitive abilities in rats. It makes them forget things they've just learned and alters their neuroimmune and neuroendocrine systems.
Of course this applies to any families dealing with acute or chronic illness.
Me, I'm glad to know that there were sound physiological reasons for my post-recovery meltdowns. So if your child is doing well (and especially if she's not), and you're forgetful, irritable, can't concentrate--just know that it's not your fault and that there are good reasons for your brain drain.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A headline I couldn't resist
Obesity Researchers May Need Jaws Wired Shut
Warning: There's an egregious fattie picture accompanying this article--not headless but with eyes rolled back in ecstasy? abandon? seizure? as the fork is lifted. But there are some pretty good lines in here.
Warning: There's an egregious fattie picture accompanying this article--not headless but with eyes rolled back in ecstasy? abandon? seizure? as the fork is lifted. But there are some pretty good lines in here.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Big Brother has arrived . . . in Japan
This article made my jaw drop over my morning tea. I don't know why--this kind of government intrusion into private lives is the logical consequence of all the anti-obesity hype we're hearing. It's coming here too, I fear, under the guise of a national health plan that ties "wellness" to "consequences."
But here's the thing: In Japan, talk about eating disorders is very hard to come by. I sit on a committee at the Academy of Eating Disorders with international representation, and the member from Japan has talked repeatedly about how hard it is to get any of the media there to write about eating disorders. And how difficult it is to discuss e.d.s in Japan.
And yet the Japanese government is imposing sanctions on those whose waists exceed a randomly set number?
Once again, the connection between the war on obesity and eating disorders scares the hell out of me. For good reason.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Overweight? Try this
I've been slow to post these days, for which I am sorry. Life is hectic right now.
But plenty of other people have been posting these days. One of my favorites of recent weeks is Carrie Arnold's post from yesterday. It's parody of the best kind--sarcastic as hell and oh-so-true in spirit. Jonathan Swift would have approved.
But plenty of other people have been posting these days. One of my favorites of recent weeks is Carrie Arnold's post from yesterday. It's parody of the best kind--sarcastic as hell and oh-so-true in spirit. Jonathan Swift would have approved.
Friday, June 06, 2008
SOTD*: Teens and "eating problems"
A new study out of Finland and reported in the Journal of Advanced Nursing asked 15- to 17-year-olds to report on whether they had eating "problems" along with a host of other health issues (insomnia, depression, etc.). About 18 percent of teens said they had some level of eating problems that persisted over two years. I'd love to know exactly what "eating problems" means in this context--it could be anything from picky eating to active restricting/purging.
Interestingly, and right in line with other new research, there was a strong correlation between eating "problems" and anxiety/depression:
• 47% of students with persistent problems reported anxiety, compared with 12% of non reporters.
• 31% reported depression, compared with 5% of non reporters.
• 77% were unhappy with their weight and 46% with their appearance. This was much higher than the 8% and 18% reported by students without eating problems.
So far, so good. Researchers went on to look at height and weight records kept by school nurses and "found that even students with persistent eating problems were more likely to be normal weight than over or underweight."
From this they concluded, "Our study backs up previous research that shows that eating problems often fluctuate in children of this age and in 50 to 60% of cases last about one to two years. However in ten per cent of cases their eating problems can persist into adulthood. Although almost a fifth of the students who took part in our study reported eating problems at some point, these problems clearly sorted themselves out in the majority of cases. However, one in twenty students continued to report problems."
I'm not so sure about that. First of all, these were self-reports, and we all know that even under the best circumstances, self-reports are notoriously unreliable. Second, teens with eating disorders tend to be ansognosic--they can't recognize that they have a problem.
It makes me wonder about the teens who said they did have problems, and what relationship those "problems" have with eating disorders.
It's quite a stretch to conclude from this that the majority of teenage eating issues last one to two years and then "clearly sort themselves out." Maybe the kids just got savvier about hiding e.d. behaviors and stopped self-reporting. Maybe the kinds of problems they were describing aren't related to true eating disorders in the first place. Maybe they had some help in resolving those eating problems that wasn't identified in the study.
I'm grateful to see more studies on eating disorders, but sometimes surprised by the level of analysis brought to the table (so to speak).
*SOTD = study of the day
Interestingly, and right in line with other new research, there was a strong correlation between eating "problems" and anxiety/depression:
• 47% of students with persistent problems reported anxiety, compared with 12% of non reporters.
• 31% reported depression, compared with 5% of non reporters.
• 77% were unhappy with their weight and 46% with their appearance. This was much higher than the 8% and 18% reported by students without eating problems.
So far, so good. Researchers went on to look at height and weight records kept by school nurses and "found that even students with persistent eating problems were more likely to be normal weight than over or underweight."
From this they concluded, "Our study backs up previous research that shows that eating problems often fluctuate in children of this age and in 50 to 60% of cases last about one to two years. However in ten per cent of cases their eating problems can persist into adulthood. Although almost a fifth of the students who took part in our study reported eating problems at some point, these problems clearly sorted themselves out in the majority of cases. However, one in twenty students continued to report problems."
I'm not so sure about that. First of all, these were self-reports, and we all know that even under the best circumstances, self-reports are notoriously unreliable. Second, teens with eating disorders tend to be ansognosic--they can't recognize that they have a problem.
It makes me wonder about the teens who said they did have problems, and what relationship those "problems" have with eating disorders.
It's quite a stretch to conclude from this that the majority of teenage eating issues last one to two years and then "clearly sort themselves out." Maybe the kids just got savvier about hiding e.d. behaviors and stopped self-reporting. Maybe the kinds of problems they were describing aren't related to true eating disorders in the first place. Maybe they had some help in resolving those eating problems that wasn't identified in the study.
I'm grateful to see more studies on eating disorders, but sometimes surprised by the level of analysis brought to the table (so to speak).
*SOTD = study of the day
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
And this just in: Aetna settles!
Remember the class action lawsuit brought by New Jersey mom Dawn Beye, among other plaintiffs?
Well, Aetna, the insurer in question, has just settled. Not only will it pay 100 or so New Jersey families whose e.d.-related claims were denied, but:
For people enrolled in fully insured policies, "Aetna shall cover claims submitted by Aetna Insureds for the diagnosis, care and treatment of eating disorders in the same manner as biologically based mental illnesses," the May 22 settlement in DeVito v. Aetna Inc., civ-07-418 says.
I'm lifting my breakfast fork in celebration here. The Aetna settlement closely follows the Minnesota Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement brokered by a suit involving Kitty Westin some years ago.
This is Progress with a capital P. Go read for yourself.
Well, Aetna, the insurer in question, has just settled. Not only will it pay 100 or so New Jersey families whose e.d.-related claims were denied, but:
For people enrolled in fully insured policies, "Aetna shall cover claims submitted by Aetna Insureds for the diagnosis, care and treatment of eating disorders in the same manner as biologically based mental illnesses," the May 22 settlement in DeVito v. Aetna Inc., civ-07-418 says.
I'm lifting my breakfast fork in celebration here. The Aetna settlement closely follows the Minnesota Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement brokered by a suit involving Kitty Westin some years ago.
This is Progress with a capital P. Go read for yourself.
The "other end of the spectrum"
This article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel caught my eye the other day. Whoever wrote the headline--"Young females may be on the path to poor bone nutrition"--missed the real point here, which to my mind is captured in these paragraphs:
One of the most surprising findings was that nearly twice as many of the non-athletes (30%) had poor bone health, compared with the athletes. More than 90% of the non-athletes also were getting insufficient calcium.
The finding shows that while overeating and obesity are problems for a significant number of adolescents, at the other end of the spectrum is a group of young girls who have poor nutrition habits, including not eating enough.
Yes, folks, despite 200+ years of knowledge about eating disorders, we are still surprised to hear that some young women do not eat enough.
Sarcasm aside, I am thrilled beyond measure to read things like this:
"A lot of times we are so focused on obesity that it can play into eating disorders," said Sheila Dugan, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Dugan was not a part of the study.
Yes, yes, and yes. I am terrified that 5 or 10 years from now, when the children who are now getting a whopping dose of "wellness" curricula in elementary schools hit adolescence, we're going to see a spike in the number of cases of eating disorders.
The last time I tried to make this point to someone In Charge (in this case, a new head of a university hospital's child and adolescent programs), she looked at me like I had two heads.
But osteoporosis is a quantifiable measure. It's not a subjective assessment of eating habits or self-reported nutrition. It's undeniable numbers and for that I am grateful. If that's what it takes to get those In Charge to pay attention, that's a good thing.
Now, who's listening out there?
One of the most surprising findings was that nearly twice as many of the non-athletes (30%) had poor bone health, compared with the athletes. More than 90% of the non-athletes also were getting insufficient calcium.
The finding shows that while overeating and obesity are problems for a significant number of adolescents, at the other end of the spectrum is a group of young girls who have poor nutrition habits, including not eating enough.
Yes, folks, despite 200+ years of knowledge about eating disorders, we are still surprised to hear that some young women do not eat enough.
Sarcasm aside, I am thrilled beyond measure to read things like this:
"A lot of times we are so focused on obesity that it can play into eating disorders," said Sheila Dugan, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Dugan was not a part of the study.
Yes, yes, and yes. I am terrified that 5 or 10 years from now, when the children who are now getting a whopping dose of "wellness" curricula in elementary schools hit adolescence, we're going to see a spike in the number of cases of eating disorders.
The last time I tried to make this point to someone In Charge (in this case, a new head of a university hospital's child and adolescent programs), she looked at me like I had two heads.
But osteoporosis is a quantifiable measure. It's not a subjective assessment of eating habits or self-reported nutrition. It's undeniable numbers and for that I am grateful. If that's what it takes to get those In Charge to pay attention, that's a good thing.
Now, who's listening out there?
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Research opportunities
Here's a round-up of research opportunities relating to eating disorders. If you're eligible for one of these studies and you feel comfortable participating, I encourage you to do it. God knows we need more research on e.d.s. Do it for yourself and for all those who will come after you.
And let's raise a fork to the end of eating disorders.
San Diego, CA: UCSD Researchers Seek Males and Females with Anorexia Nervosa: The UCSD researchers are currently seeking adolescents and adults currently suffering from Anorexia Nervosa to participate in one of our three current studies. To qualify for any of the studies one must be at least 15% below ideal body weight and be fearful of weight gain, despite being underweight. Both adults and adolescents between the ages of 14-45 are needed to participate in a taste study and would be compensated for up to $70 for completing the assessments, taste tests and interview. Adults 18 years of age and older are needed to participate in a randomized control trial of the medication Quetiapine, in which they will receive either the study medication or a placebo. Subjects will be compensated up to $360 for completing study related assessments and the medication treatment. In addition, we are offering several months of family therapy treatment for families with adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 at no cost. The adolescents in this study will also be randomly assigned to receive either the medication Fluoxetine or a placebo. For more information, contact UCSD Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program at 858-366-2525 or email edresearch@ucsd.edu.
San Diego, CA: UCSD Researchers Seek Women Recovered From an Eating Disorder: Help UCSD researchers understand what causes eating disorders. They are seeking female participants between 18 and 45 years of age who are recovered from Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa. By participating in the study, subjects will be assisting physicians and researchers in developing new treatments for these complex and serious disorders. Subjects will be compensated for your participation in this study. For more information contact the UCSD Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Program at 858-366-2525 or email edresearch@ucsd.edu.
Massachusetts Research Study - Massachusetts General Hospital Study of Therapy for Bone Loss in Anorexia Nervosa: The Neuroendocrine Unit of Massachusetts General Hospital is conducting research studies on anorexia-induced bone loss. Their screening study is for men and women age 12-50 with anorexia nervosa. They are investigating causes of osteopenia (or bone loss) in the spine, hip, wrist and total body. The study involves one visit of approximately 3 hours. Their treatment study is for women aged 18-45 with anorexia nervosa and absent or irregular menstrual periods. They are investigating the combined use of a natural hormone and a medication that is effective for bone loss in postmenopausal women as a novel treatment for the bone loss seen in women with anorexia nervosa. They hope that the combination of these two investigational medications will help rebuild depleted bone and prevent further bone breakdown in women with anorexia nervosa. The study consists of 6 visits over 12 months. A stipend of up to $675 is awarded throughout the course of the study. If interested, call Erinne Meenaghan, N.P. at 617-724-7393 or email nedresearchstudies@partners.org.
Massachusetts: Bulimia Nervosa Study: Free confidential treatment is available to those who are eligible. Do you or someone you know binge eat? Do you or someone you know compensate by vomiting or other extremes? Do you or someone you know have severe moodiness or relationship problems? Researchers are now enrolling participants (ages 18-65) in a free treatment study investigating two active treatments, including education and counseling, for bulimia nervosa. If interested call 617-353-9610 or click here.
New York, NY: NIMH-funded, IRB-Approved Study of Adolescents with Bulimia Nervosa (ages 12 - 21 years). This study takes place at NYSPI/Columbia University and compensation is provided for participation ($100). For more information, contact Laura Berner at 212-543-5316. P.I.: Rachel Marsh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, Columbia University/ New York State Psychiatric Institute, phone 212-543-5384, email marshr@childpsych.columbia.edu.
New York, NY: The National Institute of Mental Health is sponsoring a multi-center international study to compare two types of family therapy as well as fluoxetine or placebo (an inactive medication) in the treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. They are looking for families with an adolescent with anorexia nervosa between the ages of 12-18 years. Participation involves completing assessment interviews, questionnaires, and engaging in 16 family therapy sessions over the course of nine months with medication continuing for another six months. The study is being held at the Eating Disorders Research Program, The Westchester Division of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Contact the Research Coordinator, Samantha Berthod, MA at 914-997-4395.
Pittsburgh, PA. Seeking Women Recovered from Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa. Dr. Walter Kaye and his research team at the Eating Disorders Research Program at the University Pittsburgh Medical Center are looking for women who have recovered from anorexia or bulimia nervosa for a research study on brain chemistry in eating disorders. Study participants must be between 18 and 45 years old, medication free (birth control pills acceptable) and not pregnant or nursing. The study involves phone interviews, questionnaires, PET and MRI scans, lab work, physical exam, two visits to Pittsburgh and 8 weeks of fluoxetine (generic form of Prozac). (Note: All expenses incurred during the study, e.g. travel expenses, lab work, physical exam and etc. are paid for by the study.) In addition, eligible participants will be compensated up to $1300 upon completion of the study. For more information, email EDResearch@upmc.edu or Dr. Kathy Plotnicov at plotnicovkh@upmc.edu or Dr. Sharon Barnes at barnessd@upmc.edu. Interested parties can also call toll-free at 1-866-265-9289 or submit a Contact Form online here.
Friday, May 23, 2008
An open letter to parents
Dear Parents,
I know it's hard to raise a child in this day and age for all kinds of reasons. And I know that one of those reasons is all the messages you get about your child and weight.
I know that parents often get shamed, these days, if their child's weight is too high (or too low). That there's enormous pressure for kids to slim down and look a certain way. To fit the current cultural norms around appearance and weight.
But for god's sake, I beg you, don't send your child off to a place like this. If you've ever been tempted to send your child off to fat camp, read this article in the Washington Post. Read about a "camp" where growing teenagerss are forced to eat such a low-fat low-everything diet that eight of them developed gallbladder disease in the last year.* Where six of them needed gallbladder surgery. Where kids routinely douse their food with ketchup and mustard.** Where hungry teenagers drink 12 or 15 cans of diet soda a day, all of it laced with Splenda.*** Where the director of the whole place thinks it's OK if kids gorge on cake occasionally because they'll just throw it up again.**** Where kids are put into "solo" when they break the rules.
Most of all, what a place like this does is reinforce the idea to your child that s/he is not OK as s/he is. That she's acceptable only if she loses weight. That she's not lovable as she is.
And that's the very worst part of this whole trend. As parents, we're supposed to build our children up, not undermine them. We're supposed to be voices of reason in a sometimes crazy world.
So if your child doesn't fit today's paradigm for weight or attractiveness, love her anyway. Tell her she's beautiful and strong and lovable and smart. Teach her to love herself. That's the way to health and beauty. The other will lead her down a lifelong path of hating herself. And I can tell you from personal experience that that's not the way to health and beauty.
*Gallbladder disease can be caused by weight loss that's too fast.
** A classic sign of malnutrition/starvation. The volunteers in Ancel Keys' starvation study did the same. So did my daughter when she was anorexic.
***A friend of mine was temporarily blinded by Splenda. She leaned over a pot on the stove at just the wrong moment, and was blinded by the chlorine gas released from the Splenda-laced concoction. You definitely don't want your child drinking Splenda. Especially not 15 servings a day.
**** As my friend Jane says, hello bulimia.
I know it's hard to raise a child in this day and age for all kinds of reasons. And I know that one of those reasons is all the messages you get about your child and weight.
I know that parents often get shamed, these days, if their child's weight is too high (or too low). That there's enormous pressure for kids to slim down and look a certain way. To fit the current cultural norms around appearance and weight.
But for god's sake, I beg you, don't send your child off to a place like this. If you've ever been tempted to send your child off to fat camp, read this article in the Washington Post. Read about a "camp" where growing teenagerss are forced to eat such a low-fat low-everything diet that eight of them developed gallbladder disease in the last year.* Where six of them needed gallbladder surgery. Where kids routinely douse their food with ketchup and mustard.** Where hungry teenagers drink 12 or 15 cans of diet soda a day, all of it laced with Splenda.*** Where the director of the whole place thinks it's OK if kids gorge on cake occasionally because they'll just throw it up again.**** Where kids are put into "solo" when they break the rules.
Most of all, what a place like this does is reinforce the idea to your child that s/he is not OK as s/he is. That she's acceptable only if she loses weight. That she's not lovable as she is.
And that's the very worst part of this whole trend. As parents, we're supposed to build our children up, not undermine them. We're supposed to be voices of reason in a sometimes crazy world.
So if your child doesn't fit today's paradigm for weight or attractiveness, love her anyway. Tell her she's beautiful and strong and lovable and smart. Teach her to love herself. That's the way to health and beauty. The other will lead her down a lifelong path of hating herself. And I can tell you from personal experience that that's not the way to health and beauty.
*Gallbladder disease can be caused by weight loss that's too fast.
** A classic sign of malnutrition/starvation. The volunteers in Ancel Keys' starvation study did the same. So did my daughter when she was anorexic.
***A friend of mine was temporarily blinded by Splenda. She leaned over a pot on the stove at just the wrong moment, and was blinded by the chlorine gas released from the Splenda-laced concoction. You definitely don't want your child drinking Splenda. Especially not 15 servings a day.
**** As my friend Jane says, hello bulimia.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The real face--and sound--of Russian ballet
The online trailer to David Kinsella's new film about Russian ballet, A Beautiful Tragedy, shows a young woman who is training at one of Russia's premier ballet schools. Against a background of piano music we see her beautiful, expressive face contort with effort as she works. And we hear--most extraordinarily--her panting. It's the sound of ballet, a sound you don't hear from the audience at a performance. It's the sound of a young athlete and artist working to her fullest capacity.
We also see her face, and the faces of several other young dancers in the film. They have the gaunt and haunted eyes, the protruding bones, of anorexia. According to Kinsella, dancers at this school in Russia must keep their BMIs down to about 14. These young, growing girls learn to punish themselves, to starve, to obsess about fat, all in the name of beauty. A particular notion of beauty.
I'm glad I'm not a ballet lover, because I don't think I could sit through another ballet without seeing these girls' faces and hearing, in my mind, the sound of that determined, exhausted breathing.
We also see her face, and the faces of several other young dancers in the film. They have the gaunt and haunted eyes, the protruding bones, of anorexia. According to Kinsella, dancers at this school in Russia must keep their BMIs down to about 14. These young, growing girls learn to punish themselves, to starve, to obsess about fat, all in the name of beauty. A particular notion of beauty.
I'm glad I'm not a ballet lover, because I don't think I could sit through another ballet without seeing these girls' faces and hearing, in my mind, the sound of that determined, exhausted breathing.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Childhood obesity: the deconstruction
Over at the Rocky Mountain News, Paul Campos has posted a brilliant response to some of the hyped-up points made in the Washington Post's current (and ridiculously overblown) series on childhood obesity--and issued a challenge. A $10,000 challenge, to be exact, to the lead author of the 2005 study that predicts a two-to-five-year drop in life expectancy "unless aggressive action manages to reverse obesity rates."
Campos rebuts some of the war-on-childhood-obesity's usual points with elegance and clarity. For instance, to put some of the current hyperbole in context, he points out, "Ever since public health records began to be compiled in America in the mid-19th century, the following statement has always been true: Today's children are both larger and healthier, on average, than those of a generation ago."
One of the most commonly repeated predictions by fervent generals in the war on childhood obesity is that because children are fatter today, their lives will be shorter. What could possibly strike more fear into a parent's heart? I think this prediction is at the heart of the current hype, and clearly Campos agrees, because his challenge to the author of the 2005 study involves a more thorough examination of the data:
If, at any decennial census going forward, obesity rates have risen or remained the same, and life expectancy in America has declined, I'll pay [the author] $10,000. If we don't get any thinner but life expectancy has risen, he'll pay me the same sum.
I look forward to Round 2.
Campos rebuts some of the war-on-childhood-obesity's usual points with elegance and clarity. For instance, to put some of the current hyperbole in context, he points out, "Ever since public health records began to be compiled in America in the mid-19th century, the following statement has always been true: Today's children are both larger and healthier, on average, than those of a generation ago."
One of the most commonly repeated predictions by fervent generals in the war on childhood obesity is that because children are fatter today, their lives will be shorter. What could possibly strike more fear into a parent's heart? I think this prediction is at the heart of the current hype, and clearly Campos agrees, because his challenge to the author of the 2005 study involves a more thorough examination of the data:
If, at any decennial census going forward, obesity rates have risen or remained the same, and life expectancy in America has declined, I'll pay [the author] $10,000. If we don't get any thinner but life expectancy has risen, he'll pay me the same sum.
I look forward to Round 2.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Sex and drugs and pharmacies
Over at Junkfood Science, Sandy Szwarc had an excellent post today on the rather incredible prevalence of prescription drugs in America today and the financial motives behind such large-scale prescribing.
Full disclosure: I'm in favor of meds for those who need them. Actually, I often wish SSRIs had been around when I was a teenager. I often wonder who I might have become had I not had to deal with the continuous panic attacks that started around age 11. Living in constant terror shaped me, body and soul. For better or worse.
Still. Some of the statistics Szwarc quotes are staggering: More than half of all insured Americans take some kind of prescription for a chronic condition. (Note that it's 50 percent plus of insured Americans.) Nearly half of all young women in this country now take ongoing meds. Likewise one in three children.
As Szwarc points out, pharmacy benefit managers stand to gain big bucks from the rise in chronic prescriptions. But most doctors don't benefit directly from prescriptions. They have patients' best interests at heart. The trouble is in how one defines best interests.
Case in point: The women in my family tend to have high cholesterol. My mother has it. My grandmother had it. And I've got it. When my cholesterol level first turned the wrong way, my (former) doctor encouraged me to "eat right and exercise." I did, and I do. I'm no fitness queen, but I try to walk or bike for 45 minutes every day, and I try to be active in other ways too. I eat a wide variety of foods, including plenty of fruits and vegetables. None of this affected the cholesterol numbers, which continued to inch upward. Then my doc started trying to convince me to go on statins. Every time I saw her she suggested I give them a try. After about two years of this she sat me down and said, "If you were my sister I'd put you on these right now." She went on to scare the living crap out of me with accounts of young people who'd had heart attacks and strokes. Statins, she said, would prevent all that.
Never mind the fact that there's pretty much no history of heart disease or stroke in my family. None of us are thin. Few of us die early. I've got grandparents and great-grandparents on both sides of the family who lived into their upper 90s.
Still. I was scared. I went on a statin. I felt like crap, but I kept taking it. I never developed the full-blown myopathy that some people get from taking statins, but I did get increasingly depressed and never felt good. Two years later, I got a new doctor, and at our first appointment she asked about the statins. I told her how I felt--scared and crappy--and she took a thorough family and personal history. She told me my risk of having a heart attack or stroke were less than .5 percent, at least at this point, and took me off the statins. Within a couple of weeks I felt great again.
Back when Doctor #1 prescribed the statins, I asked her if she really thought a relatively healthy woman in her early 40s needed to be on cholesterol-lowering drugs for the rest of her life. She looked at me like I was nuts.
I'm sure she believed she was doing the right thing. And I'm just as sure that she wasn't. I guess time will tell.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Sarcastic Saturday
Insurers in Illinois may soon have to cover eating disorders, according to this article from the Chicago Sun-Times.
What a novel idea! Covering treatment for an illness! Why didn't we think of that sooner?
What a novel idea! Covering treatment for an illness! Why didn't we think of that sooner?
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