CHC Recommends — Books About Eating Disorders

Before board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Alexa Wilmarth came to CHC, she worked at a residential eating disorder treatment center for children and adolescents.

Alexa recommends the following books for those who are seeking information and support for disordered eating.

Book Recommendations

Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach

Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch

Make peace with food.
Free yourself from chronic dieting forever.
Rediscover the pleasures of eating.

The authors, both prominent health professionals in the field of nutrition and eating disorders, urge readers to embrace the goal of developing body positivity and reconnecting with one’s internal wisdom about eating―to unlearn everything they were taught about calorie-counting and other aspects of diet culture and to learn about the harm of weight stigma. Today, their message is more relevant and pressing than ever. Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch teach readers how to:

• Follow the ten principles of Intuitive Eating to achieve a new and trusting relationship with food
• Fight against diet culture and reject diet mentality forever
• Find satisfaction in their food choices
• Exercise kindness toward their feelings, their bodies, and themselves
• Prevent or heal the wounds of an eating disorder
• Respect their bodies and make peace with food―at any age, weight, or stage of development
• Follow body positive feeds for inspiration and validation

Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders

Jennifer L. Gaudiani

Patients with eating disorders frequently feel that they aren’t “sick enough” to merit treatment, despite medical problems that are both measurable and unmeasurable. They may struggle to accept rest, nutrition, and a team to help them move towards recovery.

Sick Enough offers patients, their families, and clinicians a comprehensive, accessible review of the medical issues that arise from eating disorders by bringing relatable case presentations and a scientifically sound, engaging style to the topic. Using metaphor and patient-centered language, Dr. Gaudiani aims to improve medical diagnosis and treatment, motivate recovery, and validate the lived experiences of individuals of all body shapes and sizes, while firmly rejecting dieting culture.

Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too

Jenni Schaefer

By thinking of her eating disorder as a unique personality separate from her own, Jenni was able to break up with Ed (her eating disorder) once and for all.

Inspiring, compassionate, and filled with practical exercises to help you break up with your own personal E.D., Life Without Ed provides hope to the millions plagued by eating disorders. Beginning with andJenni’s “divorce” from Ed, this book combines a patient’s insights  experiences with a therapist’s prescriptions for success to help you live a healthier, happier life without Ed.

Do you need someone to talk to? To schedule an evaluation or to get advice about your child’s or teen’s challenges, call or email a CHC Care Coordinator at 650.688.3625 or careteam@chconline.org CHC teletherapy services are available now.