Winner of the 2008 National Parenting Publications Honors Award

Here is the first book written by a nutritionist that addresses childhood and teenage eating disorders - with an emphasis on home-based recovery. Herrin focuses on early detection and intervention with effective solutions that begin in the home, at virtually no cost other than a healthy investment of time, effort, and love. This second edition includes new information on family communication, medical consequences, advice for siblings, relapse prevention, food plans, and boys at risk.

Unique to this version are four chapters devoted to the Maudsley approach, the highly-successful, parent-assisted method for normalizing eating. Also, the parent of one of the author's anorexic patients contributed a chapter about her family's experiences in recovery using the techniques described in this book.

THE MAUDSLEY METHOD and PAMS

Here the authors introduce the highly effective and relatively new treatment, known as the Maudsley method, which coupled with detailed food and exercise plan form the therapeutic heart of the book. Studies have shown that the Maudsley approach is one of the most effective treatments for adolescent anorexia and touts a 90 percent recovery rate five years after completion of the standard treatment of six months to a year.

In essence the Maudsley method puts parents in charge of all refeeding efforts through the use of coached family meals. The approach shifts the focus from actively unearthing the causes of eating disordered to actively engaging in behavioral recovery that will get the child to eat normally again.

Inspired by the overwhelmingly positive results of incorporating the Maudsley method in her own practice, Herrin went on to develop a nutritional-focused take on the treatment, which she calls Parent-Assisted Meals and Snacks (PAMS). Combining the use of PAMS with Herrin’s easy to follow Food Plan – a detailed blueprint for daily meals and snacks – will over time normalize a child’s eating and ensure that she/he is getting enough nutrients from the five major food groups.

CONTENTS:

Foreword vii
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Marcia’s Story xix

Part One: Identifying an Eating Disorder
1 – At Risk: Recognizing an Eating Disorder and Spotting Early Warning Signs
2 – Bad Habit or Dangerous Behavior? When to Worry About Disordered Eating
3 – Prevention: The Power of the Preemptive Strike
4 – The Family on the Front Lines
5 – Boys at Risk
6 – Medical Consequences of Eating Disorders

Part Two: Taking Action
7 – Breaking the Ice: How to Open the Discussion
8 – Avoiding Parent Traps: How Improving Your Relationship to Food and Your Body Can Help Your Child
9 – Beyond the Family Circle: Friends, School, and Summer Camp

Part Three: Using Maudsley Methods
10 – The Maudsley Approach: Treating Anorexia Nervosa
11 – Parent-Assisted Meals and Snacks (PAMS): A Nutrition-Oriented Interpretation of the Maudsley Approach to Anorexia
12 – Using PAMS and the Maudsley Approach to Treat Bulimia and Binge-Eating Disorder
13 – A Mother’s Account: How PAMS Tipped the Balance in My Daughter’s Fight Against Anorexia

Part Four: Healthy Eating Guide
14 – Normalizing Eating with a Food Plan
15 – Getting the Most Out of the Food Plan
16 – Normalizing Exercise
17 – Managing Relapse
18 – When You’ve Done All You Can: Professional Resources and How to Use Them
19 – In Closing
Bibliography
Index

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Marcia Herrin, EdD, MPH, RD, is the founder and co-director of the Dartmouth College Eating Disorders Prevention, Education, and Treatment Program. She runs a private practice specializing in eating disorders and obesity based in Lebanon, NH. Dr. Herrin received her doctorate in nutrition from Columbia University. She lectures widely, has been featured in People magazine and has appeared on The Today Show, among other publications and television shows. Dr. Herrin, a recovered anorexic and binge eater, is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband in New Hampshire.

Nancy Matsumoto is a freelance journalist. She has been a contributor to Time, The New York Times, Newsweek, People, and The Los Angeles Times, among other publications. She lives with her family in New York City.

REVIEWS:

“This book takes parents by the hand and guides them through one of the toughest parenting challenges out there...This is the definitive encyclopedia for parents who are concerned about their children’s eating or weight.”
—Cynthia M. Bulik, PhD. FAED, Director, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eating Disorders Program, co-author, Runaway Eating: The 8-Point Plan to Conquer Adult Food and Weight Obsessions

“An impressive contribution to the field. These two experienced authors have produced a scientifically rigorous, practical guide for achieving recovery from an eating disorder. A ‘must read’ for parents, patients and professionals dealing with these illnesses.”
—Craig Johnson, PhD, Director, Eating Disorders Program at Laureate Psychiatric Hospital, past president, National Eating Disorders Association

“I cried as I read excerpts to my husband remembering how different it was for us when our daughter struggled just seven years ago and I celebrate Marcia and Nancy’s respect for parents as an ‘essential resource in successful treatment.’”
—Kitty Westin, Founder and President of the Anna Westin Foundation, a non-profit foundation started by Anna Westin's family after her death from anorexia nervosa in 2000.

“Easily accessible, well-researched, practical and common-sense. If your child has an eating disorder- read this book! This much-needed book will show you what to do to assist your child in acting his or her way out of an eating disorder and when to seek professional help.”
—Angela S. Guarda, MD, Director, Johns Hopkins Eating Disorders Program, Baltimore, MD

“Here’s a book I happily recommend for parents...and their children with eating disorders...well-organized, easy-to-read, very current and well-referenced.”
—Joel Yager; MD, Editor-in-Chief, Eating Disorders Review

“Herrin and Matsumoto bring a nutritionist's expertise and a parent's perspective to this resource to help parents recognize eating disorders and help their children overcome them. Drawing on research, Herrin's own practice, and interviews with parents and children, the authors present clear definitions of various eating disorders, symptoms and possible causes, and methods of treatment.”
—Vanessa Bush, Booklist

“An excellent guide to children's eating disorders...This is highly recommended for public libraries.”
—Linda Beck, Library Journal

Click here to read an Excerpt of The Parent’s Guide to Eating Disorders

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