Eating Disorders for Dummies

by Susan Schulherr

Book Overview

Do you think that you or someone you love may suffer from and eating disorder? Eating Disorders For Dummies gives you the straight facts you need to make sense of what's happening inside you and offers a simple step-by-step procedure for developing a safe and health plan for recovery.

This practical, reassuring, and gentle guide explains anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder in plain English, as well as other disorders such as bigorexia...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470225491
• ISBN13: 9780470225493
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: For Dummies
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.5" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

For Anyone with Weight Issues

I generally do not admit that I am obese and have been for most of my life nor do I write reviews. I do not think of myself as having an eating disorder as I am definitely not anorexic nor am I bulimic. However, I noticed that binge eating was included so I purchased this book. Having read it from cover to cover, I would recommend it to anyone with weight issues. At a time when the news reinforces guilt in regards to obesity, this book does just the opposite. The author is compassionate and obviously knowledgeable. She examines the issues behind the eating (or non-eating) without blame and many of her points resonated for me. I was left feeling I could find an easier way to deal with life. That it would take work and committment but not dieting or will power. It's been nearly two months since my first reading and I have found myself continuing to think about why I am eating and what I might do about why I am eating or, at least, instead of eating. I'd like to thank Susan Schulherr and let her know I'll be looking forward to another book.

Superb!

What a superb and greatly needed book this is !! Ms Schulherr has written a complete, comprehensive, thoughtful and incredibly well organized explanation and exploration of eating disorders. Her book is easy to read and anticipates every possible question one might have about all aspects of eating disorders. Although she is direct and does not soft pedal the facts, she also presents her information in a form that is digestable (no pun intended) and useable. The serious scholarship employed in writing this book is evident. Clearly, an enormous amount of research and experience went in to writing it. Yet, it is human and reassuring; you feel Ms Schulherr is holding your hand and walking you through your reading. This book is a must for anyone with concerns about eating disorders or who is concerned about someone who might be struggling with one.

Down-to-earth Wisdom on Eating Disorders

This book is not only filled with practical down-to-earth wisdom on steps to take if you or a loved one suffers from an eating disorder, but the author makes us smile and laugh in the process. For example, she compares the person with an eating disorder to a magician--"who gets us to look over here" (at the food behaviors and fixations) "when the real action is over there" (with the difficult emotions or life problems the ED person vainly attempts to soothe or solve with food). Or, "it takes a village to create and eating disorder"--the author's way of introducing us to the cultural forces encouraging women and more and more men to become thinner and thinner contributing to the rising toll of eating disorders. Or, "what happened to make us think being thin is naturally superior?" Great question! The author helps us visualize recovery as a process of integrating balanced eating without 'forbidden foods' or food restriction diets, attention to enjoyable exercise and your body's own set-point, and avoiding the mental minefield of thoughts like "everything will be better when I'm thin". She's not afraid to tell us that willpower "never works with eating disorder symptoms". As a pychotherapist who often encounters eating issues in my practice, I wholeheartedly recommend Ms. Schulherr's book to anyone who wants to find hope for recovery from an eating disorder, and also to professionals in the field who would like a comprehensive guide to eating disorder symptoms, and treatment options. Gail Woods LCSW, LMFT

A treasure-trove of information

This impressive book is a comprehensive resource for anyone, laypersons and professionals alike, interested in eating disorders. The book is organized and written beautifully, and is a cornucopia of facts, suggestions, and hope for recovery. Reading the book is like taking a graduate course in Eating Disorders! I recommend it without qualification.

A Gem of a Resource

If you're suffering from an eating disorder, care about someone who is, or even happen to be a mental health professional like myself, who'd like a state of the art sense of what's happening in the world of eating disorders, you've come across a gem of a book. Extremely comprehensive, practical, realistic, user friendly & hopeful, this book is a real find. The only thing that doesn't feel right about it is the words "for Dummies" in the title. Although she's wonderfully clear & easy to understand, the author is no dummy. And anyone who appreciates the wisdom of years of experience & even handed presentation of helpful information, as well as the wealth of resources, is no dummy. One of the many great aspects of the book is it's consciously designed so you don't have to read it from cover to cover, you can easily pick & choose what is of interest to you & feel like you've gotten exactly what you wanted from the book. If you could only select one book on eating disorders, this would be the one to choose.