This book offers the first new medical treatment plan in 50 years for anorexia nervosa, the self-starvation disease that affects adolescents and women of all ages in the U.S. and is now increasingly common in men. Written by a leading psychiatrist and eating disorder expert, the book is based on cutting-edge research on nutritional deficiencies in anorexia that have been long ignored, and the use of a simple but revolutionary brain test that can help psychiatrists select the best medication for each individual person. James Greenblatt, MD, explains that anorexia is a complex disorder with genetic, biological, psychological, and cultural contributing factors. In other words, anorexia is not primarily a psychiatric illness as has been believed for so long; rather, it is a medical illness of starvation that causes malnutrition in the body and the brain. Successful treatment must focus on correcting this malnutrition. Dr. Greenblatt has helped many patients with anorexia recover simply by correcting their nutritional deficiencies, and here he explains specifically which nutrients must be supplemented as part of treatment. Answers to Anorexia finally offers patients and their families new hope for successful treatment of this serious, frustrating, and enigmatic illness.

EMPOWER YOURSELF! Whether you are a newly diagnosed patient, a friend, or a relative of someone with anorexia nervosa, or if you simply wish to gain a better understanding of this condition, 100 Questions and Answers About Anorexia Nervosa offers help. This book offers a complete guide to understanding the causes of anorexia, warning signs and diagnosis, and practical suggestions on how to help loved ones suffering from anorexia as well as the treatment options available. Written by a clinical psychologist with nearly 20 years experience in the field of eating disorders, along with contributions from actual patients, this book is an invaluable resource for learning about and fighting this disease.

Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening disorder associated with high rates of relapse and ineffective therapeutic models. Conventional treatments overlook the biological consequences of self-starvation – consequences that impact brain function, cognition, and behavior. As mainstream medicine continues to ignore the proven relationship between nutrition and mental health, this book delivers lifesaving information. Dr. Greenblatt outlines how to correct nutrient deficiencies and decrease anxiety – the keys to lasting recovery from anorexia. Answers to Anorexia presents a model of anorexia treatment that prioritizes the correction of nutritional deficiencies. In tandem with other interventions, this model comprises an approach that is comprehensive, cogent, and successful.

Every year an estimated seventy-two million Americans diet, financing a weight-loss industry worth approximately fifty-five billion dollars. Despite the vast efforts put into weight loss, two-thirds of American adults remain either obese or overweight. Clearly dieting doesn't work, and failed attempts to lose weight encourage the development of disordered eating behavior. Many of those struggling with a disordered appetite compare it to being trapped on a roller-coaster ride. The feeling of the roller-coaster ride of restricting, bingeing, and chronic self-blame is never ending. There is the stretch of time when the car inches upward, when you feel a sense of progress. Then, without warning, you spiral downward in a great rush, having lost all sense of control. You crave, you eat, you binge. That momentary sense of calm and peace is once again shadowed by shame and guilt. In Answers to Appetite Control, respected psychiatrist and eating disorder expert Dr. James Greenblatt explains how appetite is controlled by the brain's neurochemical systems, which rely on specific proteins for optimal functioning. The New Hope model described in this book combines the best in traditional and complementary approaches for recovery from appetite disturbances, food addiction, and binge eating. While dieting providers a temporary fix, this book will offer a permanent solution based on scientific research to help you reclaim a healthy appetite with food. Following the New Hope model, you will find your answers to appetite control and get off the roller-coaster ride of food addiction.

When a friend or family member shows signs of an eating disorder, the first impulse is to charge in, give advice, and fix what is wrong. But these tactics-however well-intentioned-can backfire. This compassionate guide offers ways to tackle the tough topics of body image, media messages, physical touch, diets, and exercise-along with a special section on talking about these issues with children. It includes information about when to get professional help, how to handle emergencies, and answers to difficult questions such as "Am I too fat?" or "Is this ok to eat?"

Parents are best placed to help their teenager or young child beat an eating disorder, yet most struggle to know what to do and how to do it. In Anorexia and Other Eating Disorders, Eva Musby draws on her family's successful use of evidence-based treatment to empower you to support your child through recovery. - Learn practical and effective mealtime skills - Help your child to eat well and be free of fears and compulsions - Know what to say and what not to say in highly charged situations - Recognise the treatments that work and the ones that don't - Develop your own emotional resources However difficult your situation, this book gives you the tools you need to care for your child, your family and yourself. Using compassionate presence, Nonviolent Communication, mindfulness and acceptance, Eva Musby plots out a path towards well-being. With a wealth of guidance and practical examples, Anorexia and Other Eating Disorders is an invaluable guide to coping with and overcoming an eating disorder in the family. "Finally! I have read anything and everything on anorexia and this is the most helpful by far" CONTENTS 1. How this book can help you 2. How does an eating disorder affect you and your child? 3. Your part in diagnosis 4. Treatment: the essentials 5. What parents need to know about the causes of eating disorders 6. Practical steps to help your child beat the eating disorder 7. How do you get your child to eat in spite of the eating disorder? 8. See the tools in action: mealtime scenarios 9. How to free your child of fears and rules: exposure therapy 10. The road to full recovery 11. Partners, friends, family and work: help or hindrance? 12. How to make treatment and therapy work for your child and for you 13. Powerful tools for well-being and compassionate connection 14. Love, no matter what: how to support your child with compassionate communication 15. How to build up your own resilience and well-being Appendix: Compassionate or Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Note: If you are dealing with an eating disorder other than anorexia, some of the practical tools might not apply to you. Most of the emotional ones will. "Your book is packed with helpful information for parents and has been brilliant for my patients and for our team."- Esther Blessitt, Senior Systemic Psychotherapist, writing on behalf of the Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Service (CAMHS), Maudsley Hospital

Tracing the origins and causes of this disease, the author shows how an innocent desire to lose a few pounds can manifest in life-threatening symptoms, discussing the social and physiological forces that shape the illness.