National Conference on Eating Disorders 2016National Conference on Eating Disorders 2016
On Saturday the 27th February, 2016, St. Patrick’s University Hospital will be hosting the Irish National Conference on Eating Disorders 2016. The Conference will begin at 9.30 am and continue until 16.30 pm. It is for anyone who are interested in eating disorders, be it that they are affected by an eating disorder or for those who works as health-care professionals.
New developments and challenges will be discussed concerning eating disorders. Conference Networking Ireland will be hosting the day with speakers discussing the topics ‘New Technologies in the Prevention and Treatment of Eating Disorders’ and ‘Immune System Regulation of Weight/Obesity’.
Prof. Megan Jones a Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from Stanford University, California, will address the topic ‘New Technologies in the Prevention and Treatment of Eating Disorders’. Prof. Donal O’Shea a Consultant Endocrinologist from St. Vincent’s University, Dublin, will discuss the topic ‘Immune System Regulation of Weight/Obesity’.
Other programme topics for the day include:
Launch of Irish National Eating Disorders Forum
BODYWHYS: The role of the self-help organisation in eating disorders
Profile of patients with eating disorders
Obesity Policy – the race we do NOT want to win
A virtual outpatient eating disorder service in a HSE Adult Mental Health setting
Starting from ‘Ground-Zero’ – the experience of building an eating disorder community-based service in Northern Ireland
The Role of the Self-Help Organisation in Eating Disorders
Dr. Abbie Lane, Gerard Butcher and Dr. Sarah Prasad are serving on the Scientific Committee and will be there to answer any question you might have on the Irish National Conference on Eating Disorders 2016. The Conference will cost €100 and €80 for students/unwaged/retirees. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
More on Eating Disorders
There are three main types of eating disorders. They are all familiar to most of us and include Anorexia nervosa (an eating disorder where the eater won’t eat, exercises excessively and still think of themselves as overweight); Bulimia nervosa (where the eater controls her weight by overeating, but then purging afterwards to get all the food out); Binge eating disorder (extreme overeating, the eater has no control over how much she wants to eat).
There is much debate on what causes an eating disorder. It is more common among young teenage girls and women than in teenage boys or men. It can be a case of low self-esteem and the pressure caused by society’s ideals for what a woman should look like. Thin models and actresses on the front pages of every Magazine or newspaper, makes Anorexia or Bulimia look normal and desirable. Sometimes it is purely psychological or medical or because of substance abuse. Many drug addicts lose a lot of weight and this eventually also turns into an eating disorder (glamorous models on cocaine or heroin encouraging the disorder).
Having an eating disorder can cause serious health problems. It affects the organs, teeth, skin, hair, cancer of stomach and can cause infertility.
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