We all know someone. More importantly, a lot of us have been that someone someone who struggles or has struggled with an eating disorder.

According to the Oxford dictionary, eating disorders include a range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits. This can include bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa and orthorexia the obsessive pursuit of a healthy diet often combined with excessive exercise.

These unhealthy habits can look like the person masked their skipped meal by an inconvenient class schedule, woke up a little too early to get to the gym for just the wrong reason, binged on snacks meant to last a full week, looked in the mirror a few minutes too long tearing apart their beautiful reflection the list goes on.

If any of this strikes a chord for you or if youve known or seen someone around you struggle with this its likely because the prevalence of eating disorders in college has steadily increased over the past few years, rising to 32 percent of females and 25 percent of males, according to data from the National Eating Disorder Association.

Colleges are often a breeding ground for eating disorders due to high pressures to fit in, the idealization of thinness and societal emphasis on weight as the primary indicator of health. Combined with a busy schedule, increased stress and frequent comparison, there are many factors that make people much more vulnerable to eating disorders as a means of control.

This year, National Eating Disorder Awareness Week falls from Feb. 24 to March 1 and aims to bring attention to an epidemic thats affecting millions, spanning all shapes, sizes, genders and races. Although eating disorders are often associated with females, many males also struggle with body image and eating disorders, and 16 percent of transgender college students have reported having an eating disorder.

NEDAs slogan for 2020 is Come As You Are acknowledging there is no one type of person who develops eating disorders while also encouraging those who either previously had or currently have an eating disorder to embrace where they are and who they are. All eating disorders are different and require different recovery processes, and where everyone is in their recoveries also differs. Universally, there are some things we can all do to be an ally to those with eating disorders.

To start, if you notice someone around you has a negative relationship with food such as thinking about food constantly, thinking about body image or weight obsessively or feeling any kind of shame in relation to either of these categories let that person know you care.

Remind those around you there is more to their life than their body or what they do or do not eat. Our culture is obsessed with discussing body image, weight, workouts and even what you ate for dinner last night. While these questions may not be asked with ill intentions, for those struggling with eating disorders, the impact can be broader and more triggering than you may think. This unhealthy obsession thinking about food every waking moment of the day is not a fun thing to go through, and I speak from experience here. Lets work hard as a community to lift each other up about things that arent our diets or next workouts.

In a similar regard, avoid making accusations about other peoples diet, exercise or body. Telling someone suffering from an eating disorder to just eat more is not helpful. If the person felt they could do that, they would have already. An eating disorder is not a choice it is both a mental health disorder and an addiction.

There's a difference between eating and moving because it feels good and because you are forcing yourself to. I know I never wanted to admit I had a problem, and thats an issue in and of itself. The stigma behind eating disorders stretches far beyond a number on a scale or a reflection in a mirror. It, like depression or anxiety, is mental a constant fight between mind and body.

As an ally, it can be difficult to watch someone you know go through these challenges, but taking the time to gain awareness and understand how you can help can make all the difference. You have the power to help those suffering feel seen and heard which can encourage them to reach out for help. Recovering in college is possible and worth it because above all, we are all worth it.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please reach out for help. The Elson Student Health Center has an eating disorders consultation and treatment team, which includes a number of trained nutritionists, psychotherapists, medical providers, and more. You can also text NEDA to 741741 or visit the National Eating Disorders Association website for additional resources.

More:
How to be an ally to those with eating disorders - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily

Lauren Mayfield, 34,of Montgomery, N.Y., lost 85 pounds onWW (formerly Weight Watchers). This is her story in her own words.

I had been a yo-yo dieter my entire life. When I was younger I had less to lose, but Id tend to go up and down a lot. As I got older, the amount that I kept losing and gaining steadily increased. My last gain was during my second pregnancy. I had lost 50 pounds after having my first son, and I was excited to try to stay as healthy as possible throughout my second pregnancy. Unfortunately, my dad lost his battle with esophageal cancer when I was 4 months pregnant, and I fell right back into old habits and had gained 80 pounds by the end of it.

I was at my heaviest at 32 years old, and I weighed 240 pounds.

By the end of the day, my entire body would ache. I remember lying awake at night and crying because my hips hurt so badly. It was also really hard to do basic things, like get on the floor and play with my son or carry both of them up stairs without being completely out of breath. I knew that I didnt want my children to go through the pain of losing a parent at a young age like I had. That really motivated me more than anything, and still does nearly two years later.

Related: I Lost 106 Pounds and Ditched Fad Diets After the Birth of My SonA WW Success Story

My second son was born on February 16, 2018, and I can remember sitting in my hospital room looking at my brand new baby and deciding then and there that I had to do something about my weight. I was only 32 years old, and my grandfather died of a heart attack when he was only 19 years older than I was at that point. I wanted to give my babies way more time with me than that. That morning I downloaded the WW app and I havent looked back!

This program is amazing because nothing is off-limits. I dont have to cut out a major food group. I can go out to dinner with my girlfriends or go to a party, and still make it work. Previously, when I did WWI had been on and off WW for almost 20 yearsId lose the weight and then stop tracking. Now, I realize that I need the structure and support of this plan forever. Im now a lifetime member of WW, which I truly believe will allow me to keep the weight off for good.

I LOVE breakfast! I generally have 2 eggs over easy on a light English muffin with some fruit. I also make a really delicious quiche using a low carb tortilla as the crust (check #quichelaurin for more deets!), or have a Built bar and a banana.

I have low-sodium ham or turkey and ultra-thin cheese on light bread or a low carb wrap, with some pretzels, carrot sticks or fruit.

A Fiber One brownie, veggies with a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, WW snack bars/chips, pretzels, air-popped popcorn.

Turkey meatballs with Ronzoni 150 pasta and homemade sauce, air-fried Shake and Bake chicken tenderloins with some tater tots and a veggie or naan pizza. (I use low point naan as the crust with homemade sauce and fat free cheese.)

Greek yogurt mixed with powdered peanut butter and drizzled with a little sugar-free caramel sauce, Greek yogurt ice cream bars or a Fiber One brownie with a little chocolate PB2 on top.

When it comes to exercise, I am very active without even trying just from running around after two toddlers. I aim to get 10,000 steps a day, and I generally hit that target without much effort. My weight training comes in the form of lifting a 25-pound baby all day!

Related: I Lost 185 Pounds, Beat Diabetes and Became a VegetarianA WW Success Story

Ive lost 85.6 pounds in a year and 9 months.

What sets this journey apart from previous ones is that this time I wasnt in a rush. I just chipped away at it every week. I finally stopped focusing on perfection and just worked on making small changes that eventually added up to big results. I also realized that I cant do this alone. I created an Instagram account (@laurin_ww) to document my journey, and I have created an amazing community for myself there. Having the support of other people who are going through the same things as me has been incredibly motivating and helpful.

I also started focusing on other areas of wellness, like my mental health, and began going to therapy once a week. That has taught me ways to deal with stress and my emotions without needing to turn to food. Its still something Im working on, but Ive made a ton of progress with it so far. Overall, having a plan like WW that makes it easy to make great food choices, having the support of a community, and focusing on overall wellness has helped me make this a lifestyle, rather than a diet.

Check out 100+ WW recipes with points.

See the rest here:
WW Success StoryLosing 85 Pounds of Baby Weight on Weight Watchers - Parade

When Sour Patch Kids, Hot Pockets, and chicken fingers dont quite seem likea balanced diet

The Hill:

President Trumps former doctor reportedly hid cauliflower in his mashed potatoes in an attempt to improve the presidents diet.

Former White House physician Ronny Jackson toldThe New York Timesthat he regretted leaving his position before he could implement the diet and exercise regimen planned for Trump.

The exercise stuff never took off as much as I wanted it to, he said. But we were working on his diet. We were making the ice cream less accessible, we were putting cauliflower into the mashed potatoes.

Do you need any more evidence that our pr*sident is a child? And a not particularly bright one at that.

I cant help but be reminded of this Office quote from Kevin Malone, who was stressing about his New Years resolution: Well, I said that I would eat more vegetables, and I havent yet. But its okay. I still have time, since last yearI ate none.

Why do I get the feeling that the only green thing Trump ever eats is a lime gummy bear? And the exercise regimen never took off? Thats because Trump thinksretrieving long-forgotten french fries from his adipose foldsis a brisk cardio workout.

And this is the guy were counting on to nip COVID-19 in the bud. Yikes.

Is Trump still chafing your arse-cheeks?ThenDear F*cking Lunatic: 101 Obscenely Rude Letters to Donald Trumpandits boffo sequelsDear Pr*sident A**clown: 101 More Rude Letters to Donald TrumpandDear F*cking Moron: 101 More Letters to Donald Trumpby Aldous J. Pennyfarthingare the pick-me-up you need!Reviewers have called these books hysterically funny, cathartic, and laugh-out-loud comic relief. And theyre way,waycheaper than therapy.

then let us make a small request. AlterNets journalists work tirelessly to counter the traditional corporate media narrative. Were here seven days a week, 365 days a year. And were proud to say that weve been bringing you the real, unfiltered news for 20 yearslonger than any other progressive news site on the Internet.

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More:
Former White House physician hid cauliflower in Trumps mashed potatoes to improve his diet - AlterNet

It has long been known that restricting food intake can extend lifespan however researchers have now provided new insight into why, with implications for how diets could benefit humans in terms of slowing ageing and the onset of age-related disease.

New research from the University of Sheffield has discovered that switching to a rich diet after eating a restricted diet can decrease life expectancy and have negative effects on health.

It has long been known that restricting food intake can extend lifespan however researchers have now provided new insight into why, with implications for how diets could benefit humans in terms of slowing ageing and the onset of age-related disease.

Experts, from the Healthy Lifespan Institute at the University of Sheffield and Brown University in the USA, tested the existing evolutionary theory that dietary restriction - a reduction of particular or total nutrient intake without causing malnutrition - triggers a survival strategy in animals. The theory suggests that this is because animals invest in maintaining and repairing the body in times of low food availability, to await times when food availability increases again.

However, the new findings have challenged this theory. Fruit flies (Drosophilia melanogaster) fed a restricted diet who were then returned to a rich diet were more likely to die and laid less eggs compared to flies that spent their whole life on a rich diet. This demonstrates that rather than waiting for food availability to increase in the future, the flies were essentially waiting to die on a restricted diet.

The researchers suggest that instead of dietary restriction increasing repair and maintenance mechanisms, it could actually be an escape from the damaging effects of a rich diet. This new interpretation can help us to understand why and how diet can have such profound effects on health.

The findings also suggest that changing diet repeatedly or abruptly could be harmful to health in certain situations.

PhD student Andrew McCracken, from the University of Sheffields Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, who led the study said: Dietary restriction is an unusual paradox which has attracted a great deal of interest within the field of ageing. Our results have now pointed us towards a more refined explanation of why it occurs, and have the potential to wholly shift the focus of future research.

Our most surprising finding was that under certain circumstances, restricted diets can also be the origin of particular types of damage to the individual. This enhanced understanding of the penalties and benefits of certain types of diets, will expedite the quest to identify pharmaceutical interventions which mimic dietary restriction.

Dr Mirre Simons, from the University of Sheffields Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, said: The effects of diet on health are huge, but we understand little of the exact mechanisms. Our work has now uncovered a surprising property of dietary restriction, in that it makes flies ill-prepared for rich diets. This was contrary to our expectations and contrary to current evolutionary theory. In the biology of ageing field evolutionary biology has been highly influential in guiding interpretation of more mechanistic research. Our work thereby contributes to the broader understanding of dietary restriction and the efforts to translate its benefits to humans.

The research was funded by the National Environment Research Council (NERC), Wellcome, the American Federation of Ageing Research & the National Institute on Ageing.

The work forms part of the research of the Healthy Lifespan Institute at the University of Sheffield. The Institute brings together 120 world-class researchers from a wide range of disciplines with the aim of slowing down the ageing process and tackling the global epidemic of multimorbidity the presence of two or more chronic conditions in a bid to help everyone live healthier, independent lives for longer and reduce the cost of care.

For further information please contact: Emma Griffiths, Media and PR Assistant, University of Sheffield, 0114 222 1034, e.l.griffiths@sheffield.ac.uk

Read the original:
New research challenges long-standing theory explaining the effects of diet on lifespan - University of Sheffield News

On a family farm in Mills County, step inside the red bars dotting the property, and you'll get quite the greeting from the hundreds of pigs who just moved in. "So there's 500 in this building. There's 200 out north," said Dane Kruse. Dane, 23, and his sister Kelsey Kruse, 26, both work on the farm."My brother and I, we are the 6th generation family farmers here," Kelsey Kruse said. Their father still works alongside them, but this sibling duo plans to keep farming in their future. According to numbers from the USDA 2017 Census of Agriculture, the average age of all agriculture producers is 57.5. Those statistics put Dane and Kelsey in a unique category, and that is exactly what landed them in a national ad for Chipotle, focusing on young farmers. "We never would have expected any type of marketing publicity at a little farm in southwest Iowa," Dane Kruse said. The Kruse family raises hogs for Niman Ranch, which they said sells to places like Chipotle and Panera Bread. The company has strict standards. On the Kruse farm, the family said hogs are anti-biotic free, naturally raised with more room than standard confinement and fed a vegetarian diet. From the barn, to your bowl, the Kruse's said it's all part of farming's future: niche markets and knowing what customers want. "Consumers, more than ever, and we're definitely aware of it, they care more about where their food's coming from," Kelsey Kruse said. Not only is Chipotle sending a message about where its food comes from, it is also throwing financial support behind young farmers. The Kruse's know they're fortunate to have a family history in farming, but they said financial barriers still exist."Both my brother and I have to work off the farm," Kelsey Kruse said, "We work full-time jobs for retirement benefits and benefits in general." Even so, these siblings said farming and producing food is a passion."You could say it's in my blood. You could say I'm crazy, but I just like farming," Dane Kruse said. Chipotle, along with the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation and the National Young Farmers Coalition, is accepting seed grant applications aimed at helping young farmers grow their businesses. Through March 29th, individuals can apply to be one of 50 farmers selected to receive a $5,000 grant and a one-year membership to the National Young Farmers Coalition.

On a family farm in Mills County, step inside the red bars dotting the property, and you'll get quite the greeting from the hundreds of pigs who just moved in.

"So there's 500 in this building. There's 200 out north," said Dane Kruse.

Dane, 23, and his sister Kelsey Kruse, 26, both work on the farm.

"My brother and I, we are the 6th generation family farmers here," Kelsey Kruse said.

Their father still works alongside them, but this sibling duo plans to keep farming in their future.

According to numbers from the USDA 2017 Census of Agriculture, the average age of all agriculture producers is 57.5.

Those statistics put Dane and Kelsey in a unique category, and that is exactly what landed them in a national ad for Chipotle, focusing on young farmers.

"We never would have expected any type of marketing publicity at a little farm in southwest Iowa," Dane Kruse said.

The Kruse family raises hogs for Niman Ranch, which they said sells to places like Chipotle and Panera Bread.

The company has strict standards. On the Kruse farm, the family said hogs are anti-biotic free, naturally raised with more room than standard confinement and fed a vegetarian diet.

From the barn, to your bowl, the Kruse's said it's all part of farming's future: niche markets and knowing what customers want.

"Consumers, more than ever, and we're definitely aware of it, they care more about where their food's coming from," Kelsey Kruse said.

Not only is Chipotle sending a message about where its food comes from, it is also throwing financial support behind young farmers.

The Kruse's know they're fortunate to have a family history in farming, but they said financial barriers still exist.

"Both my brother and I have to work off the farm," Kelsey Kruse said, "We work full-time jobs for retirement benefits and benefits in general."

Even so, these siblings said farming and producing food is a passion.

"You could say it's in my blood. You could say I'm crazy, but I just like farming," Dane Kruse said.

Chipotle, along with the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation and the National Young Farmers Coalition, is accepting seed grant applications aimed at helping young farmers grow their businesses.

Through March 29th, individuals can apply to be one of 50 farmers selected to receive a $5,000 grant and a one-year membership to the National Young Farmers Coalition.

More here:
Young farmers from southwest Iowa featured in national ad campaign - KETV Omaha