Eating Disorder Program

Feeding and eating disorders are characterized by a persistent disturbance of eating or eating-related behavior that results in the altered consumption or absorption of food and that significantly impairs physical health or psychosocial functioning. (DSM V, p. 329)

Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by:

• A restriction of energy intake leading to a significantly low body weight
• Intense fear of gaining weight and/or engaging in behavior that interferes with weight gain despite being at a significantly low weight (e.g. restricting food intake, binging/purging, laxative misuse, excessive exercising)
  • • Restricting Type doesn’t involve binging and purging
• Disturbance in the way one’s body weight/shape is experienced, attributing self-worth to one’s weight/shape, lack of recognition of the seriousness of one’s low body weight

Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by:

• Repeated binge episodes, which means consuming a very large amount of food in a very short period of time
• Feeling out of control
• Repeated “compensatory behaviors” to prevent weight gain such as purging, misuse of laxatives, fasting, or excessive exercising
• A fixation on one’s body weight/shape and attributing this to self-worth

Binge-Eating Disorder is characterized by:

• Repeated binge episodes, which means eating an abnormally large amount of food in a very short period of time and feeling out of control
  • • A person can experience eating faster than normal, feeling uncomfortably full, eating a lot when not actually hungry, eating alone out of shame or guilt, feelings of disgust with oneself as a result of bingeing
• A lack of compensatory behaviors

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder is characterized by: “the following to the point that a person experiences significant weight loss, significant nutritional deficiency, impaired psychosocial functioning, and/or dependence on supplemental nutrition:”

• Lack of interest in eating
• Avoiding food based on sensory characteristics of food
• Concern about negative consequences of eating

Characterized a fixation on “perfect eating,” often in the form of eating “perfectly healthy,” and a fixation on food quality and purity. Eventually, a person’s relationship with food can become so rigid and restrictive that he or she actually compromises health as well as relationships, social activities, etc. Though this is not an officially recognized eating disorder, it has many of the same characteristics of other eating disorders and is why we feel like Orthorexia is an important concept to acknowledge.

• Consider the following questions. The more questions you respond “yes” to, the more likely you are dealing with orthorexia (Copied from NEDA).
  • • Do you wish that occasionally you could just eat and not worry about food quality?
    • Do you ever wish you could spend less time on food and more time living and loving?
    • Does it seem beyond your ability to eat a meal prepared with love by someone else – one single meal – and not try to control what is served?
    • Are you constantly looking for ways foods are unhealthy for you?
    • Do love, joy, play and creativity take a back seat to following the perfect diet?
    • Do you feel guilt or self-loathing when you stray from your diet?
    • Do you feel in control when you stick to the “correct” diet?
    • Have you put yourself on a nutritional pedestal and wonder how others can possibly eat the foods they eat?

A feeding or eating disorder that causes significant distress or impairment, but does not meet the specific criteria for another feeding or eating disorder.

Eating disorders are believed to result from a combination of biological vulnerability, environmental, and social factors. A useful way of thinking about what causes an eating disorder is to distinguish predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors that contribute to its onset and maintenance.

• Predisposing factors include genetic vulnerability. Family and twin studies suggest that eating disorders run in families. Genetic studies are currently underway to isolate genes contributing to risk for an eating disorder.
• Precipitating factors including behaviors such as dieting or exercise, or stressors including illness, trauma or loss, which can trigger the onset of the disorder.
• Once the eating disorder takes hold however it is sustained largely by perpetuating factors that contribute to its maintenance. These maintaining factors can include physiological consequences of starvation or of binge purge behaviors, or anxiety and avoidance behaviors associated with the consumption of various foods.

Absolutely!

The simple premise that the best way to improve health is to honor your body. It supports people in adopting health habits for the sake of health and well-being (rather than weight control).

As many clients who begin treatment struggle to nourish themselves appropriately, we help provide structure through an individualized meal plan. Clients and their dietitians create meal plans together at the beginning of treatment; the goal is to move away from this structure to more attuned eating over time.

The aim of intuitive eating is to learn to trust that our bodies work! This means trusting that our bodies know what to do with the foods we put in it, that our bodies will tell us when we’re hungry and when we’re full, and that we can distinguish between our physical and emotional feelings. Intuitive eating also aims to separate self-worth from diet and weight, allowing us to make peace with food and our bodies. We recognize that intuitive eating does not come easily to many of us and can even be quite frightening to consider – this is why we take care to meet each client where they are in this journey and work at a pace that is appropriate for each person.

We believe that the greater influence of systematic oppression that manifests itself in diet culture mentality and intolerance to diversity, is one of the main sources of suffering for the oppressed as well as the privileged. Addressing these inequalities is essential part of a strong recovery.

It can be difficult to reach out for help in the first place and it can get overwhelming to navigate levels of care and costs of treatment. We strive to make this process as easy and straightforward as possible.

• Reach out by phone 408-215-7066 or email azharsultanova@lgtc.net. Our Program Director Azhar Sultanova will answer any questions that you might have. She will direct you towards scheduling an assessment, if appropriate.
• Intake Assessment/Psychological Evaluation (40-50 minutes): During this appointment, you biopscyhosocial information will be taken. After results of this assessment are analyzed, and it was determined that this program is a good fit for you, you will be given further directions on what do to to complete the admission process, which can include seeing your PCP, completing the registration form, getting release of informations for other providers and signing paperwork.
• Start the program!