Product Description

Always harmful and potentially deadly, eating disorders can wreak havoc on families. Unfortunately, the same can often be said of their treatment: blaming parents for the illness, many eating disorder programs exclude parents and widen the rift in an already shattered family. This powerful and controversial book by top researchers James Lock and Daniel le Grange argues that parents are not the culprits but the key to their teen's recovery. Based on new research, Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder shows how parents can break the disorder's control over their child's mind and re-establish normal eating and family relations. The odds for full recovery drop precipitously if treatment is delayed. A radically important wake up call, this book urges parents to act now.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22381 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 295 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781572309081
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Lock, a psychiatrist specializing in adolescence, and le Grange, an assistant professor of psychiatry, have written a comprehensive book on a difficult topic. They present some new concepts on the management of eating disorders that are somewhat contradictory to current thinking, and make valid points backed by research (the authors have a five-year grant for studying the treatment of anorexia nervosa). Early on, Lock and le Grange emphasize the need for parents to take immediate action in obtaining help for their teens and to not dwell on the "why." Many therapists balk at this approach, believing the motivations for an eating disorder are an essential part of treatment. But Lock and le Grange present research suggesting the disorder can be linked to personality traits and even genetics. The book then moves on to help parents understand eating disorders by delving into the complexity of these disorders, the distorted thinking behind a teenager's behavior and what the research says about the best ways to treat anorexia and bulimia. Finally, the authors address ways to make treatment work, drawing on experiences they've have had with families they have helped. There are many red flags that parents should recognize when it comes to their adolescent daughter or son's eating habits, and this intelligent book points them out clearly and concisely. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

About the Author
James Lock, MD, PhD, is a board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is Associate Professor of Child Psychiatry and Pediatrics and Director of the Eating Disorders Program for Children and Adolescents at Stanford University. He lives in Palo Alto, California.
Daniel le Grange, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago and Director of the Eating Disorders Program at the University of Chicago Hospitals.
Together, they have been awarded a 5-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct a treatment study on anorexia nervosa. Dr. Lock is also the past recipient and Dr. le Grange a present recipient of NIMH Career Development Awards.

Customer Reviews

The tide is turning on our understanding of ED's
To say that this book is revolutionary would not be an exaggeration. For decades, Anorexia and Bulimia in their many forms were viewed as the result of a combination of family dysfunction and social pressures. Though the scientific evidence to support this was pretty weak tea, that was and still is the dominant view of experts who treat this illness. (See Hilde Bruch's "The Golden Cage". It perfectly captures this view.)

In practice, this translated into therapies for anorexics in which families were told "not to make food an issue" and that their adolescent son or daughter was really expressing a need to "control" their environment. Any effort to actually feed the starving child was discouraged. Instead, parents were and are told that their child had to "choose" to get better first.

Lock and LeGrange are both research scientists and psychiatric practitioners who stumbled upon the research done at the Maudsley Hospital in London on eating disorders. The researchers at Maudsley did three novel things. First, they decided to be agnostic on the causes of anorexia. This freed them up to do a second thing; feed the starving child. In order to accomplish this, they had to do the third and final revolutionary thing which was to enlist the parents as part of the re-feeding process. In other words, the parents were now part of the cure, rather than part of the problem.

This stood current treatment for anorexics on its head. Amazingly, the researchers documented the most successful "cure" rate for any scientifically conducted study on anorexia treatment. "Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder" introduces parents to and guides them through the Maudsley approach.

This book was not written as a self-help manual, but it was written for parents and contains loads of practical advice garnered from years of working directly with sufferers and their parents. For example, they address common questions such as: should my child weigh himself; do I take her grocery shopping with me;establish a regular pattern of eating; what to do about binging and purging; how should one deal with friends; what to do about new clothes;and, naturally, how to help your child eat more.

What you won't find is endless but unprovable psycho-babble that makes you sick with guilt over why your child won't eat. L and L address the significant emotional issues attendant with the disease, but they don't blame the parents for them; they blame the illness. I cannot begin to tell you how refreshing that is.

This is a book that demands a place in the home of every parent trying to help their son or daughter caught in the misery of an ED. It offers not just hope, but solutions.

Must read for parents of ED Sufferers
Excellent advice by leading researchers at Stanford and U of Chicago in eating disorders. The authors offer practical advice on helping your child recover from this strange disease.

The commonsense approach of "supported nutrition" also known as the "Maudsley method" has been clinically proven more effective than the tradition therapy approaches.

There is much "psycho-babble" about the causes of this disease which can lead to many deadend approaches to treatment.

You cannot afford to wait. Get your child treatment today and read this book. Another highly recommended is "Eating with your Anorexic" by Laura Collins which is more of a journal of her families odessy with ED treatment. Check out her site (...)

-Parent of a 12 year old anorexic

Very Helpful Book
I bought this book last summer (July 2005) just before my daughter was hospitilized with an (ED)eating disorder. I tried outpatient counseling, visiting a dietician,(begging too)and encouragement. I was depressed, frustrated, sad, and angry that my daughter was not improving despite my efforts to help her--and I realized she had an ED early. I

This book gave me insight and understanding to circumstances that may cause an ED and anecdotes that may relate to your child or family. It does not parent-bash, blaming failure on the parent. I shared this book with other parents with kids in ED treatment--and many bought it after looking at the content. I am grateful for the book and the treatment she received. The treatment was family-centered (mentioned in book) and involved the entire family. Treatment was difficult and necessary to save my child's life.


Parents, watch out for the internet: xanga, my space, House_of_sins.com--and other sites. There are communities of so- called "Ana and mia's",giving advice, and thinspirations to help your child continue their sickness.

This book is the best book on the market. It is not a manual for treatment alone, but an aide to understand and get help.