The-F-Word.org

Mondays are always really busy days for me, so instead of detailed commentary, I’ll just offer a round-up of headlines in the news.

According to a 2006 CDC report, the Huntington, W.V. area is the fattest town in the nation. It’s also among the poorest — its 19 percent poverty rate is much higher than the national average and only 15 percent of residents report having a college degree. By contrast, the healthiest city in America is reportedly Burlington, Vt. Here, only 8 percent of people live at the federal poverty level and 40 percent of residents have at least a college bachelor’s degree. Read more about the differences between the two cities here.

Longtime readers might remember my good real-life friend Lisa, who before undergoing weight-loss surgery last year, shared her thoughts on it with us here. A year post-op, Lisa is doing well and wanted to let folks know about a Discovery channel show called “Extreme Bodies - Super Obesity” that airs tonight at 9 p.m EST. The show follows one of Lisa’s online friends as he goes through the procedure of having the same surgery — the Biliopancreatic Diversion Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS) — as her. Writes Lisa, “A lot of people hear ‘weight loss surgery’ and assume the person has had gastric bypass. We’re hoping this show helps get the word out that there are OTHER and better surgeries out there that don’t require the patient to live a dieting lifestyle for the rest of their lives.”

Reader Smitha emailed me to let me know about this New York Times article on the effect of new so-called healthy nutrition policies are having in schools. Smitha particularly found this image clearly labeling labeling foods as “bad” and “good” very troubling — as do I.

The Darien Suburban Life features a better approach in encouraging children to make healthier decisions. Jeff Bizar started Dr. Cool and Pride 18 years ago after losing a girlfriend to an eating disorder. He uses original rap music and dancing to build children’s self confidence, discourage bullying and drug use, and to get kids moving.

And Donna Fish of The Huntington Post discusses where such an inordinate and obsessive focus on healthy eating can go unchecked.

The numbers of British children under the age of 10 admitted to the hospital with an eating disorder has increased by nearly 50 percent and a study last year found that 70 percent of 7-year-olds wanted to be thinner, reports The Telegraph. The mother of one 11-year-old with anorexia blames “healthy eating” messages that encourage kids to diet. A British documentary airing on Channel 4 this week even follows an 8-year-old as she navigates the minefields of treatment for anorexia.

Rising food costs and the faltering economy have already put a crimp in food budgets, but for people with binge eating disorders, the troubled economy has added yet even more guilt to an already stigmatized condition. Read this ABC News report to find out what field professionals are encountering.

Frieda Curtis died a year ago this month from a heart condition related to bulimia. The 19-year-old Wisconsin college student’s family now speaks out about Frieda’s last days and her battle to the death with a mere 20 pounds.

And finally, the holidays are amongst the most stressful times of the year for people with an eating disorder, but they don’t have to be with these suggestions from the eating disorder team at the University of North Carolina.

Questions? Comments? Discuss any of the above links in the comments below.