The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Talk on body image set
Speaker will discuss Tuesday the impact of eating disorders
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 18, 2007
When Kathleen MacDonald asks a classroom of Saline High School students how many know someone whose life has been impacted by an eating disorder, nine out of 10 raise their hands.
Advertisement
"Kids are so much more aware today of what's going on with body image and eating disorders," said MacDonald, who will present a seminar on the issue Tuesday for local parents. "But they don't know how to stop it."
MacDonald leaves the students with a simple message: "If they're worried about someone or themselves, they need to talk with someone that day. They shouldn't wait."
MacDonald brings to her classroom a personal account of the devastating effects eating disorders can have on a life. She tells the students of her more than 18-year battle with anorexia and how it brought her to the brink of suicide.
MacDonald starts with a memorial to people she knows who lost their life to the disease. In 2002, she told her emotional story on Capitol Hill at a congressional briefing on "Eating Disorders and Access to Care." At that time, she was in the early stages of recovery and was unsure she was going to make it. She says that day sent her life in a new direction.
"It was my wake-up call," she said. "It was the beginning of the end for me. It was awesome."
MacDonald turned to helping others who suffer from eating disorders. She became active with organizations such as The Gail R. Schoenbach F.R.E.E.D Foundation (For Recovery and Elimination of Eating Disorders). In addition, she is working on federal legislation and speaks about her experience to raise awareness of eating disorders. Next month, she is meeting with Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
"It's been an amazing full circle," she said.
At the seminar in Saline, in addition to speaking about body image and messages in the media, MacDonald will urge parents to talk with their children about anorexia and bulimia the way they might about alcohol, drugs and sex.
"I want to encourage parents to understand that this is not just a one-time conversation they should have with their kids," she said. "The most important thing parents can do is talk to their son or daughter about it, and talk healthy about themselves and their own body image."
If there is one thing MacDonald hopes parents take away from the seminar, it's an awareness and understanding that eating disorders can be deadly.
She will tell them what she tells the students when she visits classrooms.
"I tell them, we need a shift in this country and it starts with you. You have a voice."
The seminar is sponsored by the Saline Counseling Department and the parent organizations of Saline schools. It's one of six planned as part of The Positive Parenting Lecture Series. MacDonald's seminar, "What Your Child Sees in the Mirror," will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Saline High School auditorium.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
Staff Blog, "Inside The Newsroom"
TOP JOBS
