-- Myth #1: Eating disorders are a disorder of choice. Eating disorders
are a mental illness, not elective behavior. People suffering from eating
disorders cannot 'snap out of it' as the implications of the diseases are
far more complex than making healthy choices.
-- Myth #2: Eating disorders are not life-threatening. Eating disorders
are the most deadly psychiatric illness, with mortality rates reaching 20
percent.
-- Myth #3: Eating disorders are about food. While eating disorders may
begin with preoccupations with food and weight, they generally stem from
issues beyond food.
-- Myth #4: Eating disorders are not genetic. Current research suggests
that there are significant genetic contributions to eating disorders and
that the diseases often run in families.
-- Myth #5: Eating disorders are an illness of the affluent. Eating
disorders affect people from all social classes and all ethnicities.
-- Myth #6: Eating disorders only affect women. More than one million
men in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, accounting for
nearly 10 percent of all eating disorders.
-- Myth #7: Eating disorders are a passing fad. The recovery period for
an eating disorder can take up to ten years, and in some cases, many more.
"The reality is that eating disorders are complex conditions that can arise
from any variety of potential causes and affect a wide demographic of
Americans," explains Dr. Ken Weiner, medical director of the Eating
Recovery Center and national expert in the treatment of eating disorders.
"The danger in the pervasiveness of these myths is that people with eating
disorders are not getting appropriate treatment to enact lasting behavioral
change, reduce the chances of relapse and improve chances for survival."
Unlike any other facility devoted to the treatment of eating disorders, the
Eating Recovery Center is equipped to handle treatment of the most severe
eating disorders through the provision of 24/7 medical attention from
highly experienced psychiatrists, internists and nurses using a modernized
approach to care. Eating Recovery Center is one of the only treatment
facilities that offers a full spectrum of recovery options for adults,
combining medical management and psychiatric evaluation with therapeutic
techniques, including expressive arts therapy, yoga and exercise therapy,
personalized dietary counseling, culinary lessons and massage therapy.
Editor: Renowned eating disorders experts and founding partners of the
Eating Recovery Center Drs. Ken Weiner and Emmett Bishop, along with
current and former patients, are available for interviews to supplement
your National Eating Disorders Awareness Week stories. Contact Lisa Weiner
at 303.433.7020 or lweiner@csg-pr.com to arrange an interview.
About the Eating Recovery Center
Located in the heart of Denver's medical district, the Eating Recover
Center is the only center in the Rocky Mountain region that offers adults a
full spectrum of eating recovery treatment options. From inpatient,
residential, partial hospitalization and outpatient programs to meet each
patient's unique needs, the Eating Recovery Center combines highly-trained
medical staff with a unique collaborative treatment philosophy to make each
patient's successful recovery a life-restoring event. For more
information, visit http://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/.
Contact Information: Contact: Lisa Weiner 303.433.7020