1,000 Lives Plus, a program aimed at improving the quality of healthcare in Wales in the United Kingdom, has launched a new program specific to eating disorders.  It is estimated that 1,000 new cases of eating disorders develop each year in Wales, driving motivation to focus on this area.

The primary goals of the program are:

• Improve specialist advice and support to primary care, including pre-referral advice and shared care arrangements
• Improve co-ordination of assessment care, and interventions across Mental Health Services
• Improve provision of specialist eating disorder services to local communities
• Improve acute medical in-patient care for patients with anorexia nervosa

Improving treatment options and access to care for people with eating disorders is a huge need the world over.  I am happy to hear that Wales will be receiving the benefits of this program.  Do you have any experience with the 1,000 Lives Plus program or something similar?

Joining the ranks of Pinterest and Tumblr, photo-sharing site Instagram has released a new policy banning pro-eating disorder photographs from being posted.  The new guidelines state that users must not post things that glorify or promote self harm:

"While Instagram is a place where people can share their lives with others through photographs, any account found encouraging or urging users to embrace anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders; or to cut, harm themselves, or commit suicide will result in a disabled account without warning. We believe that communication regarding these behaviors in order to create awareness, come together for support and to facilitate recovery is important, but that Instagram is not the place for active promotion or glorification of self-harm."

In addition to banning photographs containing thinspiration or 'thinspo,' they have also disabled searches for hashtags such as #thinspiration, #proanorexia and #probulimia.  Anyone searching for these hashtags will receive a result containing contact information for the National Eating Disorders Association.  Searching for hashtags related to suicide and self-harm have also been disabled and will return a result connecting the user with resources for help.

What do you think of the movement to ban thinspiration on social networking sites?  Do you think it will be helpful?

Related Article:

• What Parents Need to Know About Thinspos

Researchers at the University of Minnesota recently published new research regarding triggering events for eating disorders.  They found, after interviewing 27 individuals in treatment for an eating disorder, that stressful family life cycle transitions often trigger the onset of an eating disorder.  These included life transitions such as entering middle school or leaving for college, the divorce of one's parents or the death of a family member or close friend.  Other transitions such as relationship changes, serious illness and abuse or sexual assault were also considered triggering events.

Interestingly, over half of the participants in the study reported two or more transitions as triggering events in the history of their eating disorder.  It is theorized that while most people go through stressful transitions without developing an eating disorder, that having a lack of needed support can increase the likelihood that eating and body image issues will surface.

Did you or someone you know experience a stressful transition prior to developing an eating disorder?

Related Articles:

• What Causes Eating Disorders?
• Media Influence on Eating Disorders
• Biological & Familial Influence on Eating Disorders

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Grocery shopping is a task which is often forgotten but is often a triggering and stressful experience for many people suffering from disordered eating behaviors and chronic dieting. It is something that many of my clients tend to avoid altogether - often resulting in more eating disorder behaviors. Planning ahead and getting enough support is key in making it through this task without becoming overwhelmed and generally stressed out. Consider the following article when planning for your next grocery outing:

• Six Steps for Successful Grocery Shopping

Do you have any tips for how you've survived grocery shopping?

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