Big Ideas in Eating Disorders
I am in Washington, DC, for the 30th International Conference on Eating Disorders. Since its inception, I have looked forward to attending this meeting every spring given that research, treatment, and advocacy in this field have been core to my professional work for nearly four decades. With over 1,000 people
Dove Does It Again
It is a great irony that the beauty industry makes so many women feel just the opposite. Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign is something else. It addresses head-on the negative beauty stereotypes and standards that are created and perpetuated by the beauty industry and challenges conventional standards of beauty to connect
Chag Pesach Sameach! Happy Easter! Ramadan Kareem!
This weekend, and for the first time in over 30 years, Jews, Christians, and Muslims will be celebrating the holidays of Passover, Easter, and Ramadan on overlapping days. Whatever you might be celebrating this weekend, enjoy!
Shamrock Taschen!
The Jewish holiday of Purim and the Irish holiday of St. Patrick’s Day both landed on Thursday of this week, March 17th. As a Jewish woman with Irish ancestry, this serendipitous coincidence makes me feel a little giddy. Although the origins and traditions of the two holidays are worlds apart,
Diana
Okay. I admit it. I am one of those Americans who is irrationally beguiled by British royalty. So what better way to indulge my fascination than to watch The Crown this past year? I finished Season Four just before last week’s Golden Globes. This Netflix TV drama took home multiple
Shanah Tovah!
This evening’s setting sun ushers in Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It marks the beginning of the High Holy Days for Jews around the world, which continue for 10 days and culminate on Yom Kippur. Today is my first Five on Friday following two weeks of vacation. As I
Trouble Sleeping?
I never have trouble sleeping. Well, almost never. During this pandemic, I have actually been able to sleep pretty well, but I have also had some restless nights, some nights that I have been up until the wee hours to get extra COVID-related work completed, and some mornings that I
Sakura 2020
Sakura (桜) is the Japanese word for cherry trees and their blossoms. But the word means so much more than that. With just one word, the Japanese are talking about the beauty of nature, the renewal of spring, and the ephemeral quality of life. The cherry tree at our family home is
Recovery is a Verb
When will it end? How many more days until it is over? All of us are asking these questions every day about COVID-19. It’s natural that we do so. This is the way we typically frame our questions about ill health. Most of us think of recovery as an endpoint,
What Prince Harry is NOT Stepping Back From…
This week started with a circus of tabloid coverage about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex deciding to “step back” from their roles as senior members of the royal family. The week ended with Prince Harry making it eminently clear that one thing he is not stepping back from is
More on Eating Disorders
Five on Friday is coming to you late because I have been fully consumed for the past few days with the Eating Disorders Research Society annual meeting. The inaugural launch of this Society was in Minneapolis a quarter of a century ago. I remember well the buzz in the university
Why I Ride for Mental Health
Last Sunday, thirteen riders from our WHO Collaborating Centre for Global Mental Health team braved the downpour to bike in the Five Boro Bike Tour in support of global mental health. The Five Boro Bike Tour is a recreational ride that takes about 32,000 riders through the streets of Manhattan, Bronx,
