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Welcome to The Renfrew Center Foundation
Webinar
We will begin shortly… 1
Founded in 1990, The Renfrew Center Foundation is the non-profit arm of The Renfrew Center
More than 30,000 professionals have received training under the auspices of the Foundation
The Foundation’s mission is to advance the education, prevention, research, advocacy, and treatment of ED
The Renfrew Center, celebrating its 30th Anniversary, has treated more the 65,000 women with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders
Facilities are located in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas
The Renfrew Center Foundation
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Kiersten Rapstine, LPC-S, CEDS-S
Clinical Supervisor - The Renfrew Center of
Texas
And in private practice
Invisible Women: Eating Disorders
and Midlife
Eating Disorders in Midlife
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It is often assumed eating disorders are a young
woman/girl’s thing.
FALSE!
Eating disorders often help women manage hard times.
Types: Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorder
Onsets: Chronic (it’s been with her for a long time), Relapse,
or Later Life Emergence
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• We are getting better at diagnosing
• Delayed treatment to focus on families, children, career
• Avoided treatment until it became acute
• Demographics – baby boomers aging
• More awareness of eating disorders & treatment
• Less stigmatized
• HAES (Health at Every Size)
• Even Weight Watchers is getting on board!
The “midlife eating disorder” is seeking
treatment in greater numbers than ever before.
Why?
The world tends to think these things about women and it’s not nice.
Lack of identity beyond role as mother, grandmother, wife
Most happy doing for others
Caretaking duties by default
Loss of sexuality
Over-reactive/emotional/irrational/depressed
Dependent (happy to have others make decisions)
“Men are assertive and women are bossy.”
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Women in Midlife
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When midlife women ask themselves…
“when will it be time for me to do something for myself?”
they can be accused of being disloyal, maladjusted,
aggressive, or worse…selfish.
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Marital strain
Divorce/Remarriage
Infertility
Chronic illness and disability
Growing old/facing mortality
Aging parents/death of parents
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Major Midlife Transitions/Triggers
Death of partner, siblings and friends
Financial stressors
Retirement
Housing Changes
Empty Nest/Cluttered Nest
Menopause and other physical changes
Body image is NOT what your body looks like.
It is your opinion of your body
impacted by your self esteem
It is how it feel to be in your skin
It is your belief of how you look
Women gain 5-10 lbs per decade of
life with body fat increasing with
each developmental milestone
Unrealistic expectations and media
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Major Midlife Physical Changes Is this a good time to talk about body image?
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“I don’t understand eating
disorders. Just eat!”
Why are eating disorders so
HARD to get rid of ?
Whether you are 17 or 75…
Self-worth tied to excessive concern with
attractiveness, thinness, and perfectionism
Body and food used to solve problems in living, to
gain control, to manage stressful life transitions
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Eating Disorders in Midlife
Pessimism due to past treatment “failures”
Medical problems more likely to be life-threatening
Fear and devaluation of older women
Unconscious envy/competition with younger generation
Stigmatized by a disease thought only to affect the young
Believe treatment will not apply to them/they will not fit into
treatment environments.
“I’ll be the oldest one there!”
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Eating Disorders in Midlife
Real Barriers to Getting Help
The “high functioning” eating disordered person can have a hard time seeing
the problem as…. Well, a problem.
The eating disorder as identity---not what I do, but who I am
May get negative feedback from supports as they ask for help and communicate
assertively
Difficulty accepting body as it moves further away from cultural ideal
Responsible for the lives of others
May see as “last chance for recovery” --> increased motivation which
is good but increased pressure which can be good and bad.
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Eating Disorders in Midlife Real Barriers to Getting Help
What I hope our clients get:
Develop optimism
Identify realistic role models
Get accurate information about sex and aging
Pursue activities that help them value their bodies and respond to their physical needs
Grieve what has been lost to allow for
forward movement.
Plan for leisure activities
Tolerate emotions without using body & food
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Life without an eating disorder could look like….
“Be careful of talking down to women in midlife or treating them
like children”
“Be careful of women who are more practiced at hiding their eating
disorder behaviors from loved ones, caregivers and themselves”
“Be cognizant of the fear of permanent impact long-term eating
disorders can have”
“Explain the reasoning behind allowing processed & sugary foods”
“Education & support for spouses and families”
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According to our clients:
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“It is never too late to be who
you might have been.”
Maryann Evans (George Elliot)
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Questions?
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Kiersten Rapstine, LPC-S, CEDS-S Clinical Supervisor at The Renfrew Center of Texas
Invisible Women: Eating Disorders and Midlife