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In This Issue AED Leadership Updates Message from the President

AED Committee Updates Advocacy & Communications Committee Electronic Media Committee

Mensaje del Presidente Message from the Editor Greetings from the Executive Director

Medical Care Standards Committee Membership Recruitment and Retention Committee (MRRC) MRRC Member Spotlight Patient-Carer Committee (PCC) Social Media Committee Association Updates & Other News Book Review Corner Effective Communication of Eating Disorder Information to Front-line Health Professionals AED Partners with Weight Stigma Conference NEDA Update Member News Upcoming Conferences, Meetings, and Seminars Classified Advertisements

AED Leadership Updates

Message From the President

As I start writing these lines, we are still celebrating the New Year. I hope that each and every one of you are taking the time to catch up with family and friends during this wonderful season. My warmest wishes for a healthy, successful, and happy 2017! Multiple things are happening around the world and there are many political events creating a high level of concern and anxiety for some of you about the times to come. As I mentioned in a previous letter sent to our community, whatever your personal political inclinations, we need to build unity in our field to protect the most vulnerable among us and to ensure the health and safety of the communities we serve. Together we must work to be sure that national and international politics don't impede what we envision at the AED: "Global access

to knowledge, research, and best treatment practice for eating disorders," and while others talk about securing borders and building walls, we make sure to build bridges in our communities around the world. We need you to work with us to multiply the efforts to speak out against fat-shaming, mental health stigmatization, xenophobia, and racial, religious, and gender discrimination. We, your AED board of directors, volunteers and staff, are passionately and unanimously committed to pursue our strategic initiatives to ensure we reach our mission and vision. We have finished the first six months of this working year for the AED and many things have been achieved with a very busy schedule. As we start this second semester and 2017, I would like to do a brief review of all the hard work done by everybody involved in our organization. Eva Trujillo Starting this working year, as soon as we got home from a very successful ICED in San Francisco, with the second highest attendance ever for ICED at a total of 1240 delegates, with a tweet wall with over a million unique "viewers" of ICED Tweets, and a "reach" of over 12 million and having had simultaneous translation for the first time; we reviewed and conducted a joint debriefing of the conference with the aim of developing plans for all the areas of opportunities. I am sure that with all this hard work, you will be able to see these improvements in Prague!

Also, every portfolio continues to work on their many endeavors with the leadership and guidance of our Board of Directors and the support of our staff. We approved our budget for 2017 and as we start this new year, our international membership has increased to 30%; we have 31 partners, chapters and/or affiliate organizations and our committee is exploring another 35 organizations around the world that may be prospects for affiliation; we approved the Friends of AED affiliation category and we already have our first organization, NIED, from Canada and are working on a campaign to roll out a "friends" offer to 40+ patientcentric organizations around the globe; nine webinars have either taken place or are being offered by the end of the calendar year; we've issued 12 press releases since ICED; the third edition of the Medical Care Standards Guide has been finished, printed, and is being distributed and translated; we created a translation board to facilitate and systematize the translation of the AED materials from English into other languages; our website continues to be under a major renovation and development incorporating multilingual goals; and we completed the transition phase to DMG. We have a good, strong team that is dedicated to taking the AED to the next level. They work hard and have greatly improved their service to the organization. Our Board of Directors also completed a three-year review of the AED policy and procedures manual. It was reviewed by each policy holder, who provided revisions which were voted and then combined into the omnibus document. Thank you to all for this huge work! In October we started our membership renewals and new member initiatives. If you haven´t renewed, please do so! We need you! We have very good news on our advocacy and outreach efforts with the many activities being done by our volunteers. We participated in the World Eating Disorders Action Day June 2, 2016 and we are already planning for 2017; AED successfully scheduled a meeting with key officials at the FDA to discuss their approval of the Aspire Assist device and to recommend a variety of measures ranging from mandatory screening for eating disorders and training for physicians in diagnosing eating disorders, to mandatory waiting periods, a black box warning, and a registry for life-long follow up of patients that have had the procedure; we met by phone and in person with representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) to talk about strategies to address eating disorders throughout Latin America and will continue expanding efforts around this; the 12th AED Hispano Latino American Chapter Congress took place in Barcelona with a huge success and attendance, and during this event we began to identify country expert advocates to help us with this endeavor in joint with PAHO; our Executive Director is representing us with the NIMH Outreach Partnership Program and has been invited to participate in the NIMH Professional Coalition for Research Progress Meeting, which takes place in March 2017; two respected members of our AED community, Dr. Tim Walsh and Dr. Evelyn Attia, have been nominated to represent us on the National Advisory Mental Health Council; we support and participated in the passage of the 21 st Century Cures Act at the United States Congress; two of our board members participated in a very productive two day meeting at the Eating Disorders Leadership Summit; AED has also been present in conferences and/or interviews around the world such as the Chinese Global TV Network, TV and radio stations in Canada, USA, Europe, and Latin America. Our social media has also been extremely busy. As of December 2016, our statistics report a great number of followers on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Also, the AED is enrolled in the fundraising program, AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. Think about the AED when you buy on Amazon! Finally, looking into ICED 2017 in the beautiful city of Prague, Czech Republic, there are many things worth highlighting. We opened registration on September 7 th and if you haven't registered, hurry up! Early registration closes March 1st. We will repeat the success of translation in San Francisco, but this time we will have translation to two languages: Czech and Spanish. We are growing! The 2017 Scientific Committee has been doing an extraordinary job to prepare a magnificent program featuring Vikram Patel, PhD as Keynote Speaker who will talk to us about his extensive experience on Global Mental Health and how we can apply it to eating disorders. Our plenaries will explore novel approaches to treating eating disorders; atypical eating disorders; relation between food, weight, and eating science; and brain research. Besides our traditional workshops and presentations, we have co-located with the Czech Society conference with four workshops in Czech translated to English and poster session slots; and the Weight Stigma Conference is on the same floor as some of our sessions. Imagine this amazing learning experience in a spectacular city with every turn bringing something more beautiful to absorb! On a personal note, I would like to congratulate our board members Bryn Austin for assuming the

Presidency of the Eating Disorders Coalition and to Steffi Bauer and Jenny Thomas on the birth of Matti and Asher, our newest and youngest honorary board members! We hope you can join us in Prague for ICED 2017 where we could discuss in person your ideas on what needs to be done next in our field. And if you are not able to come, we are working hard to find ways to bring the Prague experience to you!

Mensaje del Presidente

Mientras empiezo a escribir estas líneas, todavía nos encontramos celebrando las fiestas de Año Nuevo. Espero que todos y cada uno de ustedes hayan podido pasar unas felices fiestas decembrinas en companía de amigos y familiares. ¡Mis mejores deseos por un año 2017 lleno de salud, éxitos y felicidad! Múltiples cosas están sucediendo alrededor del mundo y hay muchos eventos politicos que han creado un grado de incertidumbre y ansiedad en algunos de nosotros para los tiempos que vienen. Como mencioné anteriormente en una carta que escribí a toda nuestra comunidad de TCA, cualquiera que sea su inclinación política, necesitamos construir unidad en nuestro campo para proteger a los más vulnerables entre nosotros y asegurar la salud y seguridad de las comunidades que servimos. Todos juntos debemos trabajar para Eva Trujillo asegurarnos que las políticas nacionales e internacionales no impidan lograr lo que la AED ha visionado: "Acceso global al conocimiento, investigación y mejores prácticas de tratamiento para los TCA", y mientras otros hablan de asegurar fronteras y construir muros, nosotros nos aseguremos de contruir puentes en nuestras comunidades alrededor del mundo. Necesitamos que nos ayuden a trabajar en multiplicar nuestros esfuerzos para hablar en contra del fatshaming, estigmatización de la salud mental, xenofobia, discriminación racial, religiosa o de género. Nosotros, tu AED, Consejo de Directores, voluntarios y staff, estamos comprometidos apasionadamente y unánimemente para conseguir nuestros objetivos estratégicos y asegurar que cumplimos con nuestra visión y misión. Hemos terminado los primeros seis meses de este año de trabajo en la AED y han ocurrido y hemos alcanzado muchísimas cosas. Ahora que estamos empezando este segundo semestre y este 2017, me gustaría darles una breve reseña de todo el gran trabajo que han estado realizando todos los involucrados en nuestra organización. Al empezar este año de trabajo, y tan pronto llegamos a casa después de una exitosa conferencia internacional (ICED) en San Francisco, siendo la segunda conferencia con la mayor asistencia en la historia de los ICED con un total de 1240 delegados, con un muro de tweet que tuvo más de un millón de visitas a los tweets del ICED y con un "alcance" mayor a 12 millones y además habiendo tenido por primera vez la traducción simultánea al Español de muchas de las conferencias; nos dedicamos a revisar y hacer un extenso análisis de la conferencia con la idea de desarrollar planes para todas las áreas de oportunidad. ¡Estoy segura que después de este gran trabajo, ustedes podrán ver reflejadas todas estas mejoras en Praga! Además, cada portafolio continúa trabajando en sus muchos y diferentes proyectos con la guía y liderazgo de nuestro Consejo de Directores y el apoyo de nuestro staff. Entre nuestros muchos avances, ya aprobamos el presupuesto para 2017, nuestra membresía internacional se ha incrementado un 30%; tenemos 31 organizaciones asociadas, afiliadas o capítulos y nuestro comité está explorando con otras 35 organizaciones alrededor del mundo que pueden ser prospectos para afiliarse con nosotros; aprobamos una nueva categoría de membresía, los Amigos de la AED, y ya tenemos nuestra primera organización inscrita, NIED, de Canadá y estamos ya trabajando en una campaña para invitar más de 40 organizaciones centradas en el paciente, alrededor del mundo; para finales de este año se habrán impartido 9 seminarios en línea; hemos realizado 12 comunicados de prensa desde la conferencia en San Francisco; la tercera edición de la Guía de Cuidados Médicos de la AED ha sido terminada, impresa y está siendo distribuida y traducida; creamos un Consejo de Traducción para facilitar y sistematizar la traducción de los materiales de la AED de Inglés a otros idiomas; nuestro sitio web continúa en renovación y desarrollo, incorporando objetivos multilenguajes; y finalmente, hemos completado la transición a DMG. Tenemos un equipo de staff muy bueno y sólido dedicado a llevar a la AED al siguiente nivel. Trabajan muy duro y han mejorado muy considerablemente su servicio a nuestra organización. Nuestro Consejo de Directores ha terminado una revision de tres años del manual de políticas y procedimientos de la AED. Fue revisado por cada uno de los directores del Consejo, quienes dieron sugerencias que fueron votadas para luego crear un documento maestro. ¡Muchas gracias a todos por este gran trabajo! En Octubre iniciamos la renovación de membresías y las iniciativas para nuevos miembros ya están en proceso. Si no has renovado tu membresía, ¡hazlo cuanto antes por favor! ¡Te necesitamos! Tenemos también muy buenas noticias en nuestros esfuerzos de promoción y difusión por todas las diversas actividades que hacen cada uno de nuestros voluntarios. Participamos en Junio 2, 2016 en el World Eating Disorders Action Day y ya nos encontramos planeando el del 2017; representantes de nuestra organización nos reunimos con oficiales de la FDA para discutir su aprobación por el dispositivo Aspire Assist y para recomendar una serie de medidas que iban desde un cribado mandatorio para TCA y entrenamiento a médicos en el diagnóstico de los TCA hasta tiempos de espera obligatorios, advertencia de efectos adversos por la FDA y un registro para seguimiento de por vida de pacientes que tuvieron el procedimiento; también, nos reunimos vía telefónica y en persona con representantes de la Organización Pan Americana de Salud (PAHO/OMS) para hablar de estrategias para abordar los TCA en todo Latino América y continuaremos nuestros esfuerzos alrededor de esto; se llevó a cabo el 12vo Congreso del

Capítulo Hispano Latino Americano de la AED en la ciudad de Barcelona, España con un gran éxito y asistencia, y durante este evento donde estuvimos representantes de la AED, empezamos a identificar expertos de cada país que nos puedan ayudar en este proyecto conjunto con la PAHO; nuestro Director Ejecutivo, Lisa Myers, nos representa en el NIMH Outreach Partnership Program y ha sido invitada a participar en el Congreso NIMH Professional Coalition for Research Progress que se llevará a cabo en Marzo 2017; dos respetados miembros de nuestra organización, el Dr. Tim Walsh y la Dra. Evelyn Attia, han sido nominados para representarnos en el National Advisory Mental Health Council; apoyamos y participamos en la aprobación de la Ley Siglo 21 en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos; dos de nuestros miembros participaron en la Cumbre de Liderazgo de los Trastornos de la Conducta Alimentaria; apoyamos la aprobación de Ley por el reconocimiento de los TCA en el Congreso de México, así como muchas otras actividades más de nuestros voluntarios como presentaciones en conferencias y/o entrevistas alrededor del mundo como para la Red de TV Global China, estaciones de TV y radio en Canadá, Europa, Estados Unidos y Latino América. También nuestras redes sociales han estado muy ocupadas. Hasta Diciembre 2016, nuestras estadísticas reportaban un gran número de seguidores en Facebook, Twitter y LinkedIn. Además, la AED se ha inscrito en un programa de recaudación de fondos, Amazon Smile. Este programa Amazon Smile es una forma muy simple y automática de apoyar tu organizacion de caridad favorita cada vez que compras, sin ningún costo para tí. Cuando compras en smile.amazon.com, encontrarás exactamente los mismos precios, selección y experiencia de compra que en Amazon.com, pero además Amazon donará una parte del precio de tu compra a tu organización favorita. ¡Piensa en la AED cuando hagas tus compras por Amazon! Finalmente, ya viendo hace el ICED 2017 en la bella ciudad de Praga, República Checa, hay muchas cosas que vale la pena destacar. Hemos abierto la inscripción en Septiembre 7 y si aún no te has registrado, ¡Apúrate! El descuento por registro temprano termina en Marzo 1o. Repetiremos el éxito de la traducción simultánea en San Francisco, sólo que esta vez tendremos traducción a dos idiomas: Checo y Español. ¡Estamos creciendo!. Además, el Comité Científico 2017 ha hecho un trabajo extraordinario para preparar un majestuoso programa teniendo como orador principal a Vikram Patel, quien nos hablará acerca de su amplia experiencia en Salud Mental Globalizada y cómo aplicarla a los Trastornos de la Conducta Alimentaria. Nuestras sesiones plenarias explorarán abordajes novedosos para el tratamiento de los TCA; trastornos alimentarios atípicos; relación entre comida, peso y la ciencia del comer; e investigación neurológica. Además de nuestros tradicionales talleres y presentaciones, hemos implementado en conjunto con la Conferencia de la Sociedad Checa de TCA la presentación de 4 talleres en Checo que serán traducidos al Inglés además de una sesión de pósters; y no solamente eso, sino que también nos unimos a la Conferencia de Estigma hacia el Peso que tendrá sus sesiones en el mismo lugar que las nuestras. ¡Imaginen esta increíble experiencia de aprendizaje en una ciudad espectacular donde a la vuelta de cada esquina hay algo todavía más bello que conocer! En una nota personal, me gustaría felicitar a nuestros miembros del Consejo de Directores por sus triunfos personales: a Bryn Austin por asumir la Presidencia de la Eating Disorders Coalition y a Steffi Bauer y Jenny Thomas por el nacimiento de Matti y Asher, ¡nuestros miembros honorarios del Consejo más nuevos y jóvenes! Espero que nos puedan acompañar en Praga para el ICED 2017 donde discutiremos en persona sus ideas de cuáles deben de ser los siguientes pasos para nuestro campo. Y si no pueden ir a Praga, no se apuren, ¡estamos trabajando intensamente para tratar de llevar la experiencia de Praga hasta cada uno de ustedes!

Message from the Editor

Welcome to your latest issue of the AED Forum! As always, it is full of impressive updates and information from AED committees, members, and partner organizations. Some highlights from this edition of the Forum include-The Medical Care Standards Committee has completed the 3 rd edition of the AED Medical Care Guidelines, which you can download here in English and Spanish; the Social Media Committee discusses their findings from a recent survey assessing AED member's social media use and how to best channel AED social media efforts; NEDA discusses plans for #NEDAwareness Week, which is Februrary 26-March 4; and your AED Book Reviewer Peter Doyle reviews the book Innovations in Family Therapy for Eating Disorders: Novel Treatment Developments, Patient Insights, and the Role of Carers. Jessica Baker

As always, I would like to thank all of the individuals who submitted articles for this issue of the Forum. I encourage interested readers to submit articles, letters, and announcements for the next issue of the Forum. Please submit your contributions and suggestions to [email protected]. The next edition of the Forum will be the annual ICED, print edition. The deadline for submissions is April 1, 2017.

Greetings from The Executive Director

Virtually since its inception, the Academy has been intended to be a global association with a free exchange of ideas and experiences, theories and proofs, between professionals around the world. Many associations call themselves international, but a quick glance at the domiciles of their board and committee members; a review of the speakers at their conferences and the contributors to their publications, demonstrates that while they may touch colleagues outside of the US, they are in fact US associations. AED currently enjoys members from 48 countries. We have partners, chapters, and affiliates in 25 countries. But I wanted to see just how inclusive we were in our leadership and in our educational content.

Elissa Myers

It was easy to sort the committee and board members-of the 242 individuals currently serving on AED committees, 70, or 29% are from outside the US, and 33% of the 2016-2017 Board is from outside the US. But how about the content of our educational workshops and presentations for the upcoming ICED? I was delighted to discover that fully half of the presenters in Prague will be from outside the US, representing at least 14 countries. I don't mean to diminish the presentations from our US members-who currently represent 70% of the membership. They are remarkable, and you will find detailed descriptions of all of them on the AED website But for the purposes of exploring our internationality, I created a separate list of those workshops that have one or more non-US speakers. I was excited to discover that 26 of the 33 workshops include outstanding presenters from outside of the US-from Austria to Australia; from the UK to Canada; on to Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, the Czech Republic, Argentina, Israel, Italy, Greece, and more! It may sound a bit obvious, but the International Conference truly IS an international conference! Wherever in the world you are, I hope you will join us in Prague, June 7 - 10, 2017. We will have many sessions translated from English to Spanish, English to Czech, and from Spanish or Czech to English. We recognize that it's hard for those who aren't fluent in English to follow the sessions and to fully network with colleagues. But we are deeply committed to continue to break down the barriers of communication and geography to unite the best knowledge in this field around the world. There are a couple of especially exciting components to this year's conference: We are co-locating the conference with the Weight Stigma Conference presenting a unique opportunity to sample programming from other organizations. Thanks to the great work of Hana Papazova, we are also partnering with the Czech Society of Eating Disorders to co-locate their conference with the ICED. We are convening, thanks to the leadership of Umberto Nizzoli, President of the Italian Society of Eating Disorders, a meeting of leaders and members from the national societies in Europe, to propose the creation of a European Chapter of AED. The Hispanic Latin American Chapter of the AED has graciously shared information on their organization and activities to use as a potential source of models, as has the Australian Society. If you represent a European Society we encourage you to participate in this discussion in Prague. The AED is more than just a yearly conference-we are a year-round professional community and so much is going on. We are gaining strength in identifying the uniquely national challenges of our members, as well as the challenges that transcend our borders. We are offering webinars "on-demand" and in multiple languages. We have created a translation board to help translate both AED and industry news as well as scientific literature. We are building resources to offer training to individuals in parts of the world where expertise and experts are scarce, and awareness and treatment is scarce. We need your help. We need you to talk to your colleagues about the AED and about ICED and get them interested and involved-bring them into the community. We have created an Ambassadors Program for ICED, where if five members indicate that they were convinced to attend thanks to you, you will get your registration for free. We have pricing that reflects the relative economic strength of various countries based on WHO data, and that reflects where you are in your career. This is an important moment in time. We are on the cusp of a revolution in recognition for eating disorders. Join us in the important work being done!

AED Committee Updates

Advocacy and Communications Committee Emily Pisetsky

December 2016 was an important month for US rulings and legislation affecting eating disorder treatment. The Advocacy and Communications Committee (ACC) issued the following press releases: Judge Paul Armstrong from Morristown, New Jersey, made headlines in December by ruling that a 29-year-old woman with anorexia nervosa had the right to choose palliative care. The AED took action, issuing a press release highlighting the need for early intervention and the importance of access to specialty care for all individuals with eating disorders. Read the full press release here. On December 7, 2016, the United States Congress passed the first-ever eating disorder legislation, The 21st Century Cures and Mental Health Reform Act. Former President Obama signed it into law on December 13 th . The 21st Century Cures and Mental Health Reform Act includes provisions from the Anna Westin Act, which are focused on strengthening and clarifying the current mental health parity law as it relates to eating disorders, enforcing reimbursement for eating disorders treatment by insurers, providing education and training for healthcare professionals, and increasing public education resources in areas of early intervention and prevention. The AED is hopeful that improved legislation will help to address existing and inadequate gaps in treatment for eating disorders. Read the full press release here. Additionally, in January, the ACC issued a press release highlighting exciting new research published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. Researchers found that the age of onset of anorexia nervosa appears to be decreasing, resulting in more children being diagnosed with eating disorders. Further, the study revealed two distinct patient groups, with one group exhibiting features most closely resembling anorexia nervosa and the other group exhibiting features most closely resembling the newly added DSM-5 diagnosis of avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder. Read the full press release here and the journal article here. The ACC provides regular Forum updates concerning initiatives related to public awareness and advocacy. For more information, feel free to email Kristine Vazzano ([email protected]) or Alli Spotts-De Lazzer ([email protected]), ACC Co-Chairs.

Electronic Media Committee (EMC) Suzanne Dooley-Hash

The EMC is happy to announce the release of the AED Online Community User Guide. The guide is designed to help our members update their AED Member profiles, and sucessfully navigate the Online Community. The Online Community provides many opportunities for interaction between members. Please take a few moments to download the Guide, update your AED Member Profile, the Online Community profile and explore the Community. We believe you will find it a valuable tool. As always, suggestions on how to improve and streamline the website are always welcome! If you have suggestions, feel free to select the "AED Website Change/Edit Request" link at the bottom of every AED website page.

Medical Care Standards Committee (MCSC) Suzanne Dooley-Hash and Michael Spaulding-Barclay

The Medical Care Standards Committee has completed the 3 rd edition of the AED Medical Care Guidelines, now titled "Eating Disorders: A Guide to Medical Care, 3rd Edition." Currently, the guide is available in English on the AED website and in PDF format, (under the "Publications" tab on the AED Website). Expanded to 20 pages, the guide now also includes specific information for numerous medical specialists including cardiologists, gastroenterologists, emergency department providers, and more, and includes references for further exploration. Please also see the article below "Effective Communications of Eating Disorders Information to Frontline Health Professionals," which describes a 2015 research study the AED commissioned to determine the effectiveness of the AED Medical Care Standards Guide. Future projects of the committee include translation of the guide into numerous languages, endorsement by partner organizations, and dissemination of the guide via webinars (currently in English and Spanish) and more. Join us at the International Conference on Eating Disorders, June 8-10, in Prague where members of the committee will present an explanation and an in-depth exploration of the guide. We hope to see you there.

Member Retention & Recruitment Committee (MRRC)

Susan Kleiman

As we kick off 2017, the MRRC continues to actively support initiatives to expand AED membership. Since ICED 2016, we have welcomed 102 new members to the organization, including 30 new international members. With ICED 2017 in Prague on the horizon, we will continue to support AED's 2017 objective to expand international membership by 20%. As part of the ongoing Expanding AED Today (EAT) Initiative, current AED members who refer new members are eligible for prize drawings of free or discounted ICED registration and books-please encourage your colleagues, students, etc. to join AED in 2017! The AED Board has also recently approved a new membership category, "Friends of AED," which aims to attract non-professional, non-profit patient/carer groups that align with AED values. This organizational membership category includes two individual memberships for the group, and the AED is in the process of inviting approximately 200 organizations from around the world to apply for this new membership. A special welcome to the Canadian National Institute on Eating Disorders, our first new member under this initiative! More information and a membership application can be found on the AED website. With preparations in full swing for ICED 2017, the MRRC will again be sponsoring the Mentorship Program on Thursday, June 8 th from 7:30-8:45am. In order to facilitate mentoring relationships between junior and more seasoned AED members, participants are paired with a mentor/mentee based on shared interests and invited to a breakfast event at ICED. This event provides an opportunity for short-term (and potentially) lasting mentorship, and engages experienced AED leaders with up-and-coming professionals who will be the future of the AED. ICED registrants can expect to receive an email survey soon about participation in the Mentorship Program and to gauge interest in connecting with your mentor/mentee prior to the conference. We look forward to seeing many of you at the event!

MRRC Member Spotlight Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher

Meet AED member Hana Papezova 1) Who are you? My name is Hana Papezova. I am a professor of psychiatry, the founder and the president of the Czech Eating Disorder Association (CZEDA), and a member of the Czech Psychiatric Association. I represent the CZEDA in PCAC. 2) Where do you live and go to school/work? I live at the same place in Prague (close to the place of ICED 2017) for almost my whole life, except for 2 years I studied in secondary school and lived in Paris, France and for 2 years I worked in Nathan Kline Institute, NYU, US (1993-5). 3) What is your discipline/major/area of focus? Since 1989, I have been involved in the research, education, and the treatment of eating disorders in the ED Unit at Psychiatric Department of the First Medical School of Charles University in Prague. I am a psychiatrist and trained psychotherapist. Since I started to be involved in the eating disorders field, I initiated the formation of professional and Hana Papezova self-help organizations and day care centers for eating disorders. Currently, I am the Head of the Eating Disorder Center with 12 beds for inpatients, a day care center, and an outpatient program. Our inpatient unit is the oldest one in Central Europe, with the first treatment of eating disordered patients documented in 1982. In 1997, we organized the first conference on eating disorders and obesity and since then we have biannual conferences with international attendance (this year the 11th conference will be associated with the ICED conference in June). Our work for decades was substantially supported by European multicenter studies coordinated by Heidelberg Center for Psychotherapy Research (COST B6, INTACT, ProYouth). Our relationships with Hans Kordy and Steffi Bauer and other national European teams became very friendly during the years. 4) Why are you interested in eating disorders? I started with eating disorders partially by chance. After my board examination in psychiatry I was allowed to stay at the unit (no more clinical rotations needed) and as the field was lacking of professionals, specialized organizational frames, and was underserved, it seemed to me to be a meaningful field to contribute in research, treatment, and education. Also, the psychosomatic character of the illness and interdisciplinary collaboration remains challenging for me. 5) What's one thing most people don't know about you? I just very recently became a grandmother. I do very much enjoy this new role. 6) Why did you join the AED? I was admitted as a full member of the AED in 1998. I wanted to keep the valuable professional contact with US research and clinical concepts in the field after my return from the US. 7) How do you/would you like to contribute to AED's Vision & Mission now or in the future? I am looking forward to being an active part of the PCAC communication about actual clinical and research issues and also about the health care organization and problems in realization of evidence-based concepts in different parts of world. We have experiences of mutual support from European multicenter studies, which could help us bring new members to our global goals. I also look forward to seeing all members in Prague, the heart of Europe.

Patient-Carer Committee Leah Dean

Happy New Year from the AED Patient-Carer Committee (PCC)! In the spirit of beginnings, we want to acknowledge our purpose within the AED and invite all of you to work with us to help achieve our goals. As stated by the AED board, "The full integration of the experience, wisdom, and knowledge of patients and carers results in the highest quality eating disorders research, treatment, education, and prevention, which aligns with the mission of the AED. The objective of the PCC is to foster this integration throughout AED programs and services." In the coming year, we hope you will take the opportunity to get to know our members and their interests better. One way to do this is to attend our 2017 ICED workshop titled: A Triple Perspective on Barriers to Eating Disorder Treatment, where three members of the PCC-a clinician, a former patient, and a parent-carer-will offer unique, multi-perspective insights into (perceived) barriers to treatment and recovery, in order to spark a dialogue on efforts to improve patient care, strengthen family and community support services, and empower parents to be effective and engaged caregivers. The PCC is currently interested in giving more exposure to the AED Worldwide Charter for Action on Eating Disorders. This document has helped lay the foundation for advocacy initiatives such as the 'Nine Truths' and "World Eating Disorders Action Day." We will be working through social media, and at ICED to re-introduce this charter to the AED Membership and offer ideas for integrating its principles into eating disorder education and treatment. On another front, the PCC applauds the AED Board for implementing a new initiative: "Friends of the AED." This program allows non-professional, eating disorder advocacy and support organizations to join the AED in an affiliate capacity, overseen by the PCC Committee. We hope to welcome several new patient and carer advocates to the AED through this initiative and help them get involved as active volunteers throughout the AED. Please look for us at Prague!

Social Media Committee Abby Matthews

Within the AED, social media facilitates the rapid dissemination of cutting edge news, research, and education opportunities. As such, the Social Media Committee (SMC) uses a variety of platforms to engage members, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn presence, TweetChats, and promoting AED's webinars. In October 2016, the SMC conducted a survey to assess members' social media usage and platform preferences, to determine how to best channel SMC efforts. Sixty-one members, across disparate disciplines, completed the survey. Social media was perceived to be a useful communication channel for AED members, with Facebook posts perceived as the most informative platform. Whereas respondents indicated personal usage of multiple platforms, Facebook was by far the most utilized (61.2%), followed by Twitter (11.8%) and Instagram (10.2%). Sixty percent of respondents knew of AED TweetChats, yet only 18.3% had participated, citing time constraints and not using Twitter as reasons for not engaging. Time constraints also limited respondents' participation in webinars, with 45% indicating a willingness to participate if webinars could be watched at members' convenience. However, members do have the ability to go back and watch webinars at their convenience through the AED website. In summary, the SMC survey findings reinforce the importance of ongoing use of social media platforms to facilitate the dissemination of information, promotion of discussion and collaboration, and education within the AED. Facebook clearly casts the widest net in terms of member outreach. Embedding videos of webinars in YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter and offering flexible times for TweetChats may be a viable option to satisfy time constraints voiced. The SMC strives to integrate this information into its efforts, with the goal of engaging AED members.

Association Updates and Other News

Book Review Corner

Peter Doyle, AED Book Reviewer

Innovations in Family Therapy for Eating Disorders: Novel Treatment Developments, Patient Insights, and the Role of Carers, edited by Stuart B. Murray, Leslie Karwoski Anderson, and Leigh Cohn (Routledge, 2016, 334 pages) In our field, we often hear of and speak about the importance of collaboration and connection. Whether it be between different research groups or efforts to bring together groups like clinicians and carers, broadening beyond our own perspective has been the zeitgeist in recent years. In Innovations in Family Therapy for Eating Disorders, this notion influenced both how the book came into being and how it was cultivated to draw from the continuum of perspectives on eating disorders and their treatment. Members of the editorial team, inspired in part by their experiences at a conference designed around innovative approaches to treatment, had originally spearheaded the publication of a Special Edition of Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, which centered around novel applications and approaches in family therapy for eating disorders. The original articles from that issue of the journal are here, with an additional fifteen chapters included to more completely encompass new directions and advances in family therapy for eating disorders. And while the well-known Family-Based Treatment (FBT) model for treating adolescents (sometimes referred to as the "Maudsley Method") is woven throughout this volume, the ideas and discussions presented go deeper and further into their exploration of including families in treatment of eating disorders. The first of five sections, Part I includes chapters focused on the latest innovations in treatment using family therapy for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Many of the standard practices in manualized FBT are turned on their heads and the research on these changes and the positive results found are discussed. Meeting with a single family, having parents and their children together during sessions, and delivering family therapy in an outpatient setting are among the strategies set aside in recent iterations of family therapy for eating disorders. This section provides the rationale and research for each change. The "Special Topics" section, Part II, highlights important considerations and questions about how to implement and disseminate forms of family therapy to audiences both broad and specific. The section begins with a thoughtprovoking chapter by James Lock examining whether FBT is a preferable treatment approach to a generic form of family therapy. By comparing data on common factors such as treatment expectancy, therapeutic context, and response trajectories, Lock makes the case for consideration of FBT as a specific treatment. The section continues with a review of dissemination of FBT, discussion of the importance of collaboration between treatment team providers, and the inclusion of broader family therapy practices into FBT, as well as new directions for families of adolescents with additional psychopathology. One of the most significant contributions of this edited volume is the decision to include two sections (a total of 12 chapters) devoted to the perspectives and experiences of those with eating disorders and those caring for and supporting them. Part III presents research on involving partners in the treatment of adult eating disorders, as well as how interventions targeting families, parents, and other carers can enhance the treatment of those with eating disorders. Part IV is aptly titled "Tales from the Trenches" and offers the reader a look into the experiences of parents helping their son or daughter, as well as those of adolescents and transition-aged youth who are in treatment themselves. The section is anchored by a riveting account by Harriet Brown and her daughter, Anna, of Anna's relapse and re-entry into treatment. With the truth, wit, and insight that are hallmarks of Brown's past works, this chapter-presented as alternating quotes from mother and daughter-brings us into their very personal struggle and the journey toward recovery. Part V is entitled "How I Practice" and includes three chapters presenting clinician perspectives on the challenges of working with eating disorders and ideas for interventions to include in a clinician "toolbox." Some tools may be more familiar, like behavioral contracts and circular questioning. However, many of the tools presented in Chapter 23, "The Venus Flytrap and the Land Mine," are novel ideas developed as the field has integrated a better understanding of the neurobiology of eating disorders. By taking into account what is happening on a chemical level as people struggle to avoid restriction, for example, new strategies have been developed to help everyone involved in the treatment to be more effective. No matter the perspective that brings you to eating disorders, this book should be on your shelf. Rather than staying fixed in one narrow viewpoint, Innovations in Family Therapy for Eating Disorders helps the reader to push the boundaries of their own approach and hopefully to see a future that is, to borrow a phrase from the editors, "brighter, broader, and more diverse than ever before."

Front-line Health Professionals Elissa Myers

In 2015 AED commissioned a study to determine the effectiveness of the AED Medical Care Standards Guide as a tool in helping front-line medical and health care practitioners identify eating disorders and to know what to do if they believe a patient has an eating disorder. The results of the study, carried out by Holly C. Gooding, MD, M.Sc, Elizabeth Cheever, M.Sc, Sara F. Forman, MD, and others, has just been published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, under the title Implementation and Evaluation of Two Educational Strategies to Improve Screening for Eating Disorders in Pediatric Primary Care. You can click on the article title to see the abstract.

The key finding was that "print material alone is unlikely to change provider behavior and impact patient care. Multifactorial programs that use cognitive science principles and include commitments to shared learning and improvement are increasingly important in continuing medical education." AED is working to develop a multicomponent communications plan, including disseminating the guide on line and in print, but also including webinars and in-person seminars and training. If you are interested in participating, your help would be most welcome. Contact Elissa Myers at [email protected].

AED Partners with Weight Stigma Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, June 6 - 10, 2017 The Academy for Eating Disorders and the Weight Stigma Conference are joining forces to offer their 2017 annual conferences back-to-back in one location. The 5th Annual Weight Stigma Conference and the International Conference on Eating Disorders are being held at the Prague Congress Centre, in Prague, Czech Republic June 6-7, and 8-10, 2017 respectively. The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) 2017 International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) has an outstanding line up of speakers and workshops, headlined by keynote speaker Vikram Patel, PhD. Early-bird registration for ICED 2017 ends March 1st. For more information about the conference, please visit: http://www.aedweb.org/index.php/conference/iced-2017 The Weight Stigma Conference, taking place June 6-7, 2017, is now accepting abstracts for oral presentations and posters, as well as session proposals including brief symposia, round tables, debates, and workshops. They are also interested in non-traditional submissions (e.g. media, performance, art). For more information about the conference, please visit: stigmaconference.com. Abstract submission deadlines for the Weight Stigma Conference ONLY are: Oral presentations and Session proposals March 1st; Posters April 1st.

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Update Diana Denza

The National Eating Disorders Association is preparing for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (#NEDAwareness), our largest annual awareness event. In 2016, over 44,000 people took our online eating disorders screening (myneda.org/screening) and we hope to far surpass that number this year through outreach during the 2017 campaign. This year, NEDAwareness Week will run from February 26-March 4, 2017. Our 2017 theme, It's Time to Talk About It, aims to open up the conversation about eating disorders to everyone by framing eating disorders as a public health crisis that affects all kinds of people, many of whom are in the dark or misinformed. By starting conversations, busting myths, highlighting our eating disorders screening, and framing eating disorders in a more holistic way, NEDA will be able to engage new audiences and share diverse stories. Follow NEDA's blog and social media channels for updates.

Member News Dr. Margo Maine, PhD, FAED, CEDS, an award-winning author and internationally recognized expert in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders, was recognized by the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame as a Women's Wellness Honoree. Their mission is to "honor publicly the achievements of Connecticut women, preserve their stories, educate the public and inspire the continued achievements of women and girls." Dr. Maine's achievements, over 40 years as an eating disorders activist, advocate and psychotherapist, exemplify the stellar qualities which distinguish these Honorees. At the induction ceremony, each Honoree had 20 seconds to answer the question: What is the single most important thing a woman can do to increase her well-being? Her reply deeply informs the spirit of her work: "The most important relationship in a woman's life is her relationship with herself. Our self-talk can diminish or empower us. In a culture so demanding and dismissive of women, we need to rebel and stop apologizing for not being perfect, and start telling ourselves we are good enough as we are-simply good enough!"

Upcoming Conferences, Meetings, and Seminars

Continuing Education Training Opportunities AED Offers Three New Online CE Opportunities The AED has released three new CE opportunities from the March 2016 issue of the IJED. As a member of AED you are already receiving and reading your International Journal of Eating Disorders. However, did you know that you can turn that reading into Continuing Education Credits through links on the AED website? To obtain CEs, you will be asked to create an account on CE-Credit.com to read the article, take the exam, and pay the fee.The individual exam fee for each course is $6.97, or you can purchase a package of ten or more exams at increasingly discounted rates. When the site prompts you to create a member log-in on CE-Credit.com, please note that it is separate and distinct from your AED membership.

Upcoming Conferences and Meetings March 2017 Italian Congress on Eating Disorders Rome, Italy March 9 - 11, 2017 The X National Congress of the SISDCA that will be held in Rome, March 9-11 2017, will be an opportunity to give a voice to different professionals and experts in the field with a multidisciplinary approach. Psychiatrists / psychotherapists, nutritionists, dietitians will exchange views about the necessity to find valid solutions to the problems that emerge in the clinical practice and to obtain a better management of patients. For this purpose, joint sessions with other scientific societies dealing with some common aspects of ED&O will be organized. Follow this link for more information. iaedp 2017 Henderson, NV USA March 23 - 26, 2017 Improving the Odds: Clinical Competency in Eating Disorders Treatment - iaedp Symposium 2017's program is being created by a group of professionals like you who work in therapeutic settings with patients. It is our goal to provide an exciting, quality program that is applicable to your needs when working with patients. Keynote and Pre-Cert Course information is below, along with registration, hotel, and transportation information. ANZAED Noosa, Queensland, Australia March 24 - 25, 2017 We are really excited to announce that the 2017 Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED) Autumn Workshop Series is being held in gorgeous Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Queensland Friday 24th and Saturday 25th March. Noosa has world famous beaches, tranquil natural beauty, and fantastic shopping and dining options on Hasting Street. The program isSubmissions are invited for the 15th annual conference of the Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders being held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Sydney Harbour. Abstracts are sought for 15-minute oral presentations, posters, and 90 minute in-conference workshops. All submission info is on the conference website. Please note the following closing dates: * Workshop submissions close Friday 24th, March 2017 * Oral and poster submissions close Friday 7th, April 2017 International submissions are particularly welcome, with the conference theme: Creating Connections: Harboring Knowledge. For any inquiries, please contact [email protected], or +612 8007 6875. June 2017 World Eating Disorder Action Day June 2, 2017 World Eating Disorders Action Day (#WeDoAct) is a grassroots movement designed for and by people affected by an eating disorder, their families and the medical and health professionals who support them. Uniting activists across the globe, the aim is to expand global awareness of eating disorders as genetically linked, treatable illnesses that can affect anyone. The inaugural #WorldEatingDisordersDay, a predominately virtual event, will take place on June 2, 2017, with many countries carrying out local "live" activities. Weight Stigma Conference Prague Congress Center Prague, Czech Republic June 7 - 8, 2017 The Weight Stigma Conference is an inter-disciplinary event that brings together scholars and practitioners from a range of backgrounds (e.g., psychology, medicine, public health, sociology, allied health professions, education, sports and exercise, social sciences, media studies, business, public policy, law) to consider research, policy,

rhetoric, and practice around the issue of weight stigma. The conference is taking place in the same location as the International Conference on Eating Disorders, giving attendees the opportunity to attend two great conferences over 5 days in the same location. Abstracts are currently being accepted for oral presentations and sessions until March 1st; poster abstracts are being accepted until April 1st. International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) 2017 Prague Congress Center Prague, Czech Republic June 8 - 10, 2017 Don't miss this amazing opportunity to meet colleagues and gain insight on emerging science in the eating disorder field, all the while basking in the whimsical grandeur of one of the oldest cities in the world. Clinical Teaching Day/Research Training Day, June 7th. Visit www.aedweb.org for additional information. 11th Conference Czech PPP Prague, Czech Republic June 9 - 10, 2017 Psychiatric Clinic, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University Can Reform Improve Psychiatric Care for Eating Disorders? This conference is held in conjunction with the International Conference on Eating Disorders and is only a short walking distance from the Prague Convention Centre. August 2017 Annual Eating Recovery Foundation Conference Denver, CO August 4 - 5, 2017 Across two days in Denver, Colorado, the 9th Annual Eating Recovery Foundation Conference will explore practical applications in prevention, detection, treatment, and patient outcomes for eating and related disorders. Esteemed experts and emerging thought leaders in behavioral healthcare will discuss ideas worth spreading and future directions in eating disorder treatment across several formats, including general sessions, panel sessions, and small-group breakout sessions.

Classified Advertising The Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders at the University of North Carolina is accepting applications for their summer research fellowship. These positions are open for competitive applicants interested in an 8-week, 40hours a week research experience working in the Center. Those accepted to the program receive a $2,500 stipend. Fellows are given project and mentor assignments based on their experience and interests. Fellows also attend our weekly research meetings, journal club, and didactic research seminars, shadow clinical care in our inpatient and outpatient programs, and attend an expert lecture series offered by Center faculty. More information and the application materials can be found here. Applications are due April 1st.

Academy for Eating Disorders [email protected] www.aedweb.org