F.E.A.S.T.'s First Newsletter For Members
Greetings!
Welcome to F.E.A.S.T.'s first newsletter. I look forward to keeping you informed about the organization, the eating disorder world, and caregiver issues. This is your organization, so let me know what topics you would like to see covered, and send us your feedback.
Laura Collins
Executive Director
NEDA 2009 Conference Report
A dinner party, a magic plates, and very high-fiber food!
Over a dozen volunteers and other F.E.A.S.T. members and advisors were in Minneapolis to help out at our exhibitor table and participate in the conference. We held a dinner for 40 guests the night before the event, and F.E.A.S.T.'s Executive Director was featured on a conference panel and presented a workshop with F.E.A.S.T. Advisor, Dr. Stephanie Milstein.
Want more details? Read a conference report, and Laura's journal of the trip.
Laura interviews two parents for our first podcast
I recently interviewed an American mother and father about their awakening realization of their daughter’s anorexia. This realization came about during a year-long stay in Portugal in 2006, and plays a role in a book the father wrote: The Moon, Come to Earth was recently published by University of Chicago Press. The author, Philip Graham, is a poet, essayist and fiction writer whose five previous books – including one co-authored with his wife, Alma Gottlieb, have touched on the interpersonal, international, and the interesting of human life.
Gottleib is a professor of anthropology, African Studies, and Women’s Studies whose six books cross cultures and age spans.
I spoke with Philip and Alma in early October, 2009, just after the book was released.
Eating Disorder World Takes a Stand:
"Parents Do Not Cause Eating Disorders"
On September 15, 2009, we took a stand on an issue of great importance: whether parents cause eating disorders. The new Position Statement represents one of our founding principles and we have asked the eating disorder world to join us by signing the statement. You can see those endorsements on our website, as well as moving comments by clinicians and researchers and families around the world. If you have not yet signed, we hope you will. If your treatment provider or colleagues have not yet signed, we hope you'll invite them to.
It is time to set aside the damaging myths of the past and move forward to an era when it is the norm that families are empowered and engaged in the treatment process.
- Read the statement
- Read the list of supporters and their comments
- Sign to indicate your support
"What does that mean?"
F.E.A.S.T. publishes an eating disorder glossary
Thanks to a team of F.E.A.S.T. volunteers and advisors, our new Glossary of Eating Disorder Terms is now online. The result of months of exhaustive work by an international team, the Glossary represents the only one-stop resource to learn the terms and acronyms of the eating disorder world. While those familiar with eating disorders may already know what "AN" stands for, and some may even know what a "magic plate" is, how many parents are familiar with "orthostatic hypertension" or trichotillomania?"
Many thanks to all the generous volunteers who have made this happen, with special gratitude to the team's leader, Jacques Neher, who worked hard in every time zone to finish the job.
Jacques and his team invite users to give us their feedback and help us develop/improve the content further by sending their suggestions for additions/modifications to glossary@feast-ed.org.
Call for volunteers
We’ve mentioned what we are doing for parents, and you may now be asking “What can I do for F.E.A.S.T? Well, since you asked…
F.E.A.S.T. has a current need for help with website design. If you have skills in html and design and would be willing to donate time toward a largish project to transfer to a new website host, please contact us!
F.E.A.S.T. donations now tax deductible
We need your help: please donate to F.E.A.S.T.!
F.E.A.S.T. is committed to funding our work entirely from donations from the public. We do not take sponsorships or accept advertising. As a 501(c)(3) charity, donations to F.E.A.S.T. are tax deductible. We operate very frugally, and keep our focus on issues and services of special interest to parents and caregivers.
(Note: Another way to donate to F.E.A.S.T., at no cost to you, is to use our links to Amazon.com when purchasing items there - Amazon donates a few pennies every time a purchase is made after using that link to get there!)
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Questions, or news tips to share: info@FEAST-ED.org