Understanding Eating Disorder Support Groups

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Don't be fooled by the misleadingly narrow focus of the title-this is actually a good comprehensive overview of eating disorders and therapeutic treatment. Fully the first half of the book is devoted to description and discussion of specific eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, compulsive-exercise disorder, and muscle dysmorphia. Diagnosis, physical and emotional effects, and influence of family and biology as well as society are thoughtfully considered. Having established the facts, Moehn turns to support and therapy, beginning with the need to ask for help and the barriers that must be overcome to begin recovery. She presents different treatment options, with an especially good discussion of choosing a therapist and/or program or facility. She devotes 14 pages to the subject of support groups, and includes online groups as well as traditional group therapy, self-help groups, and 12-step programs. The information here is somewhat superficial, in comparison with the preceding chapters. The text is full of "case studies" and unattributed quotes, presumably from the author's research and interviews. However, they lend a sympathetic touch to a difficult and often frightening subject, and will increase the book's appeal to teens. Barbara A. Moe's Inside Eating Disorder Support Groups (Rosen, 1998) has 64 pages devoted to a discussion of eating disorders in relation to support groups.-Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.