OLIVIA Newton-John has vowed to nurse her anorexic daughter back to health following years of family heartache.
The Grease star is deeply concerned for her only child Chloe Lattanzi, 21, who said her eating problems started when Olivia, 59, fell desperately ill with breast cancer 15 years ago.
But Chloe’s eating disorder spiralled out of control 18 months ago when her mother’s long-term boyfriend, Patrick McDermott, disappeared during a fishing trip and hasn’t been seen since.
Chloe said: “I’ve gone through an eating disorder. I don’t hide that. It’s nothing I’m ashamed of. Everything happens for a reason.”
She kept her anorexia secret from her famous mother for two years. Devastated Olivia said: “Did I notice? Yes. I was obviously very concerned and worried. Eating disorders are usually nothing to do with food. Parents need to be with their child to see them through it. All the therapists in the world can’t help if the parents aren’t present, loving and pro-active.”
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OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN’s daughter, CHLOE LATTANZI, is opening up about her two-year battle with anorexia in the new issue of Australia’s Woman’s Day magazine.
“I’m lucky that I got through it because it’s a fatal thing if you don’t pull through,” the 21-year-old Chloe tells the magazine. “I’m taking very good care of myself now, but I’m not going to be like, ‘Oh, I eat pizza every day!’”
Chloe has received much support from her famous mom as she continues her anorexia recovery, and there’s no better role model than Olivia when it comes to staying healthy.
“I eat well because I like to, and I like to exercise,” says Olivia. “I like to get on the treadmill. I love to play tennis.”
Olivia has had her own health issues, having successfully battled breast cancer in 1992.
via ETOnline
Without their parents’ knowledge, many adolescents with diagnosed eating disorders are visiting Web sites that encourage anorexia and bulimia, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics last month.
“Parents of pro-eating-disorder Web site users were more likely to know about these sites†– which provide “thinspiration†(images of extremely thin women) and reinforce disordered eating habits – than other parents, said Rebecka Peebles, one of the study’s authors and an instructor in adolescent medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. “Still, over half the parents of these pro-eating-disorder Web site users didn’t know their own kids were on these sites.â€
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When you’re hungry, take a nap. Shower, drink tea, numb your taste buds with teething gel, give yourself a manicure. Do anything but eat. These are some of the tips that “pro-ana,†or pro-anorexia Web sites offer to those who choose to restrict their eating.
These Web sites gained popularity the last few years as a kind of support group and community for those who have accepted anorexia as a lifestyle rather than a disorder. They have also become a source of national concern as those with eating disorders reinforce self-destructive habits and ideals through the Web sites.
Before this year, there was no actual study on the effects of viewing the Web sites, but two MU researchers, Anna Bardone-Cone and Kamila Cass, have published a pilot study in “European Eating Disorders Review.†Their larger study about the topic is being considered for publication in an eating disorder journal.
There is a format that comes with a pro-ana, mia (bulimia) or pro-ED (eating disorder) Web site. There’s the “thinspiration†section filled with pictures of rail-thin runway models and celebrities, sometimes accompanied with their measurements, “to set better goals for yourself and to keep on track,†as displayed on “Shophisticated,†a pro-ana Web site. There’s also the “reverse trigger†section, composed of pictures of morbidly obese people, greasy food and “fat†celebrities.
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CBSNews is also talking about thinspiration and sites: “Kids Learn Harmful Behavior From Pro-Eating-Disorder Web Sites And Recovery Web Sites”
Teens with eating disorders are picking up dangerous tips from both pro-eating-disorder Web sites and sites designed to treat the problem, according to a new study.
And though most of their parents know about the pro-eating-disorder Web sites, few sit down and talk to their kids about them.
The so-called “pro-Ana” Web sites — shorthand for pro-anorexia — offer tips on extreme weight loss and purging. They suggest that believing one can’t be too thin is a lifestyle choice, not an eating disorder. The sites often offer strategies for avoiding detection by parents and doctors when purging. Site forums allow teens with eating disorders to share tips and offer support.
These sites usually carry “thinspiration” pictures — sometimes shocking images of extremely thin young people.
How much do teens with eating disorders and their parents know about these sites? In an effort to find out, researchers surveyed families of patients age 10-22 treated at Stanford University’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
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