Treating anorexia, which is characterized
as self-starvation and an inability to main-
tain adequate body weight, seems simple
at the surface: Eat and gain weight. But it’s
much more than that, especially for tweens
and teens. More than 10 million Americans
have eating disorders, which have a 10 per-
cent mortality rate, the highest of any psy-
chiatric illness, according to the National
Institute of Mental Health.

Social media can also be a source of
distress for people with eating disorders,
Garrold says.

“All of the (poster) workshops start
with this interactive and educational
piece, where I talk to students about
social media and about how we develop
our perceptions about body image at a
very young age,” she says. “Some of the
places that they are receiving these neg-
ative messages from social media are
kind of sneaky and sinister. It’s mar-
keting and the way it is implemented in
their lives and how all those things por-
tray this idea for students to be unhappy
about themselves.”
That’s where programs such as “Love Your
Tree” come into play. “Their body image and
self-esteem are critical to healthy develop-
ment,” Garrold says. And it’s important
to teach that lesson as early as kindergar-
ten since self-perception can change day to
day, minute to minute, she adds. Kids need
to know what positively aff ects it and what
negatively aff ects it.

More than 10 million
Americans have eating
disorders, which have a
10 percent mortality
rate, the highest of
any psychiatric illness,
according to the
National Institute of
Mental Health.

After this educational piece, Garrold intro-
duces art into the mix and the idea of having a
nonverbal outlet for creative expression and
self-esteem. And the kids get it.

“Art is a cool vehicle to share your mes-
sage with people,” she says, adding that once
kids show their artwork, it can have a ripple
eff ect that can both inspire and heal.

“If somebody sees your poster about what
you like about yourself, it might inspire
somebody else to then try and embrace what
they like about themselves or what they feel
positive about,” Garrold says.

A special reception for participating
artists and their families will be held in
March, where many posters will receive
awards and recognition.

“Every student gets their artwork rec-
ognized as an actual artist would,” Garrold
says. “We select one poster, and we try to
call it an overall selection versus a winner.

It is reproduced on a postcard that we use
as a mailer at the center. Having that stu-
dent’s message of self-esteem and healthy
body image put on this postcard is like a
little beacon of hope for people.” ■
Art as Therapy
Patients who struggle with
eating disorders often find it
diff icult to use words to describe
their experience. Art therapy
provides a creative outlet for
these pent-up emotions. Some
techniques used at the Center
for Eating Disorders are:
• Expressive therapy, which
includes art, writing, music,
gentle movement and guided
imagery; Expressive therapy can
also play an important role in
addressing body-image distortions
and fears of body changes.

• Body tracings — this provides
a visual tool that patients can
safely use throughout their
progress in treatment to challenge
and discuss negative or distorted
beliefs they may have about
their bodies. ■
More than 270 students entered this year’s poster contest.

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