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African Americans Can Develop Eating Disorders, Part Three

© Larshal Veronica Vance

In the first two parts of this article I have talked about what eating disorders are and how they affect African Americans. In this final part I will talk about what treatments are available and what can you do to have a better self-image.

To go into every single treatment options available is just not going to happen because I don’t have enough room in the article to do that. This treatments that will be listed below is just a sample of some of the therapies that are used to treat eating disorders: (http://my.webmd.com/content/dmk/dmk_arti...

Nutritional Therapy- dietitians offer strategies for planning meals and educate the patients and parents on the objective goals of nutritional care and the serious health effects of the binge-purge cycle and serious dieting.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy- this therapy works on the principle that a pattern of false thinking and belief about one’s body can be recognized objectively and altered, thereby changing the response and eliminating the unhealthy reaction to food.

Interpersonal Therapy- this therapy deals with the depression or anxiety that might underlie the eating disorders along with social factors that influence eating behavior

FamilyTherapy- because of the major role family attitude plays in eating disorders, it can be argued that one of the first steps in treating the patient is to also treat the family.

Drug Therapy for Bulimia Nervosa- because of the high incidence of depression in patients with bulimia, antidepressant medication is often recommended.

Also, there are things you can do to help your personal self image before your develop a eating disorder or help you with your idea of self worth during recovery. According to the article in Heart & Soul, “black and proud of our bodies,” there are ten ways to love your body:

1- Take stock of your health- determine whether you truly need to lose weight. If you do, resist the temptation to turn to fad diets and adopt healthful eating and activity pattern instead.

2- Value and invest in yourself as you are now, don’t wait until you’ve achieved your desired size to purchase clothing that flatters you and fits you properly

3- Focus on the way you feel, not just on the way you look, as you monitor your progress- this matters more than the numbers on the scale.

4- Emphasize reshaping rather than just shrinking- don’t weigh yourself regularly, instead use the fit of clothing or belt holes to map your success

5- Never say diet- instead educate yourself to substitute lower-fat foods that you like for higher fat one you can live without

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