Dear Dr Jessun
I am writing to raise my concerns about
Supersize vs Superskinny.
I don’t know if you are aware of the major
changes to the DSM V for Eating Disorders and I am concerned that some
participants in the programme may be suffering from a brain disorder and
require expert medical attention. As most Eating Disorders are on the Anxiety
Disorders spectrum as well, I am not sure that the format of your show
necessarily takes this into account. I
would hate for you to look back at your show, once the new DSM V is published
and find that you have treated an undiagnosed Eating Disorder patient in the
wrong way.
The first category I would like to draw
your attention to is Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder:
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake
Disorder
A. Eating or feeding
disturbance (including but not limited to apparent lack of interest in eating
or food; avoidance based on the sensory characteristics of food; or concern
about aversive consequences of eating) as manifested by persistent failure to
meet appropriate nutritional and/or energy needs associated with one
or more of the following:
1. Significant
weight loss (or failure to gain weight or faltering growth in children);
2. Significant
nutritional deficiency;
3. Dependence
on enteral feeding;
4. Marked
interference with psychosocial functioning.
B. There is no evidence that lack of available food or an associated
culturally sanctioned practice is sufficient to account alone for the disorder.
C. The eating disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of
Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa, and there is no evidence of a disturbance
in the way of which one's body weight or shape is experienced.
D. If the eating disturbance occurs in the context of a medical condition
or another mental disorder, it is sufficiently severe to warrant
independent clinical attention
The new DSM V is also including Binge Eating
Disorder for the first time:
Binge Eating Disorder
A. Recurrent episodes of binge eating. An episode of binge eating is
characterized by both of the following:
1. eating, in a discrete period of time (for example, within any 2-hour
period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat
in a similar period of time under similar circumstances
2. a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (for example,
a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is
eating)
B. The binge-eating episodes are associated with three (or more) of the
following:
1. eating much more rapidly than normal
2. eating until feeling uncomfortably full
3. eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
4. eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is
eating
5. feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterwards
C. Marked distress regarding binge eating is present.
D. The binge eating occurs, on average, at least once a week for three
months.
E. The binge eating is not associated with the recurrent use of
inappropriate compensatory behavior (for example, purging) and does not occur
exclusively during the course Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, or
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.
I think that perhaps it would be wise for you to consider carefully whether
the participants in your programme may be suffering from an undiagnosed Eating
Disorder. There are many specialised
Eating Disorder professionals who would be able to help you and, if you would like
to discuss this further, or you would like me to put you in contact with some
Professors of Eating Disorders, I would be delighted to help.
Yours sincerely
Charlotte Bevan
Charlotte, I love how you take your concerns over harmful activities and channel them immediately into action that is focussed directly at the source of that concern. That was a valuable lesson I learned as an adult. If you have a complaint, take it to the person who might actually do something about it. Of course, it also helps to rally the troops to do some complaining also!
ReplyDeleteYou is this a TV show? I am surprised why a lot of teens are falling falling victims to eating disorders. Something must be done in here. And bulimics must go to bulimia treatment center as soon as possible.
ReplyDelete