Relationship with our bodies as we age

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March 28, 2011 — Michelle Obama is writing a book on healthy eating and gardening. A recent push toward a more fit nation raises issues of body image and not just among kids and young adults. While some eating disorders begin in childhood, others begin in middle age.

67% of women over 30 are dissatisfied with their bodies while a growing number of eating disorders programs are seeing a surge in women over 40 who don’t think they’re thin enough, which can translate into not feeling good enough. Often times, this sense of self develops in adolescence, gets tucked away for a while, and then emerges later – getting in the way of a normal transition to mid-life.

Dr. Dan Gottlieb examines body image and eating disorders as we age, with Dr. Margo Maine, Jane Shure, Ph.D., and Dr. Kathryn Zerbe.

Margo Maine has written a number of books, including:Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice and The Body Myth: Adult Women and the Pressure to Be Perfect.

Jane Shure is a family therapist in Philadelphia. She co-editedEffective Clinical Practice in the Treatment of Eating Disorders: The Heart of the Matter (with Margo Maine & William Davis) and co-authored Inside/Outside Self-Discovery for Teens: Strategies to Promote Resilience, Relationships, and Positive Body Image(with Helene Feinberg-Walker & Sarah Barrett).

Kathryn Zerbe is an eating disorders specialist and author ofThe Body Betrayed: A Deeper Understanding of Women, Eating Disorders, and Treatment. She teaches psychiatry at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

For more information about eating disorders, attend a national symposium in Philadelphia, presented by A Chance to Heal. More information »