UR Nursing Professor Co-Authors Book on Teen Eating Disorders
By Patrick Broadwater
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
One half of adolescent girls and one-quarter of boys are dissatisfied with their bodies, one of the most common factors associated with eating disorders. Approximately 3 percent of U.S. teens ultimately report being affected by an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and compulsive overeating, but most do not seek treatment for their specific condition. Left untreated, these disorders can lead to significant medical complications, including chronic illness, disability, even death. Recent statistics show that young people between the ages of 15 and 24 with anorexia are 10 times more at risk of death than their same-age peers.
To help combat those risks, a new book co-authored by Mary Tantillo, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, FAED, CGP, professor of clinical nursing at the University of Rochester School of Nursing, examines common eating disorder scenarios, their warning signs, and options for teens to pursue treatment.
"Understanding Teen Eating Disorders: Warning Signs, Treatment Options, and Stories of Courage" was written by Tantillo, Cris Haltom, a clinical psychologist and faculty member at Ithaca College, and Cathie Simpson, an Ithaca psychotherapist and editor, and released in March by Routledge. Each chapter focuses on a teen or tween and the factors – environmental, genetic, etc. – that contribute to his or her eating disorder, while citing the latest research in gene inheritance, brain chemistry, and treatment options.
Tantillo is renowned for her clinical work and research related to the treatment of eating disorders. She has presented and published research on relational/motivational approaches to eating disorder treatment with a special focus on the use of multifamily group therapy. She has directed the Western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders (WNYCCCED), one of three comprehensive care centers in New York State coordinating care and services for patients and families, since 2005.
Tantillo and Haltom will be joined by Michelle Morales, a parent peer mentor with the WNYCCCED, for a special World Eating Disorders Day event on Saturday, June 2 at 2 p.m. at the Barnes Noble bookstore, 3349 Monroe Avenue, Pittsford.
They will lead a panel discussion about the complexity of the issues involved in teen eating disorders and the ways in which new research and treatment options provide hope for recovery. The panel discussion will be followed by a book signing. Copies of “Understanding Teen Eating Disorders” will be available for purchase. The event is free and open to the public.
Who? Co-authors of Understanding Teen Eating Disorders, Cris E. Haltom and Mary Tantillo, will participate in a panel discussion with Michelle Morales, a parent peer mentor with the Western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders.
What? Panel discussion of warning signs, treatment options, current research, best practices
When? June 2, 2018 at 2 pm
Where? Barnes & Noble bookstore at 3349 Monroe Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618.
