New Studies Reveal Importance of Educated Treatment Options for All Cultural Backgrounds

A new study on the impact of eating disordered populations has revealed much about the demand for treatments that do not operate from a dominant culture perspective. Researchers from Wesleyan University in Connecticut studied data taken from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and determined that there is a parallel between Native American women and ethnically white women when considering the prevalence of binge eating, purging and "ever having been diagnosed with an eating disorder." The International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Foundation (iaedp), has long argued that treating disordered eating amongst ethnic populations requires dedicated triaging and has taken this study as further evidence of the necessity for their specialized seminars. This year the group has invited Dr. Divya Kakaiya to speak on the subject at this year’s iaedp Symposium, which will take place March 3-6, 2011 at The Pointe Hilton at Squaw Peak in Phoenix, Arizona.
“This study is the first step to a clear understanding of the ubiquitous nature of eating disorders in spite of cultural background,” says Bonnie Harken, managing director for iaedp. “Professor Ruth Striegel-Moore and her team have found evidence there is no significant difference in eating disorder prevalence between Native American and ethnically white populations, both male and female. However, cultural backgrounds still affect how a patient should be treated, which is why we’ve invited Dr. Kakaiya to speak on the subject.”

The research, published in The International Journal of Eating Disorders, provides new insights into the extent to which Native American populations experience eating disorders. Over 10,000 men and women were questioned with an average age of 22. Of these, 236 women and 253 men were either Native American or Inuit.
"Little is known about eating disorder symptoms in Native American populations for several reasons," said Striegel-Moore. "Even though the U.S. government recognizes over 500 NA tribes one of the biggest research challenges is to find an adequate sample size. Our aim was to examine prevalence of behavioral symptoms of eating disorders in a public access data base to get an initial estimate of the extent to which young NA adults experience such problems."
iaedp has long offered training for treatment amongst various ethnic groups. At this year’s iaedp Symposium Dr. Divya Kakaiya, one of the foremost seasoned experts in the field of family therapy and cultural issues with eating disorders, will present on “Family Therapy with Ethnic Families.” Native families are among the seven groups that will be discussed.
“Dr. Kakaiya is an incredible resource for those who want to learn more about how eating disorders and culture interrelate,” said Harken. “Her seminar will provide treatment professionals with an incredible amount of clinically applicable information on treating eating disorders among different ethnicities; it’s a must-see part of the program in my opinion.”
Over 23 hours of continuing treatment education is scheduled to occur during the 2011 iaedp Symposium, from the informative presentations to the excellent and exclusive networking opportunities, including the red carpet premiere of Darryl Roberts’ new film America the Beautiful: BMI Sequel. Attendees can also choose to extend their time at the conference by signing up for pre-conference sessions. A workshop faculty of thought leaders will lead presentations and interact with attendees on the state of the field as well as emerging research and treatment trends. For more information about 2011 iaedp Symposium registration, go to: http://www.iaedp.com

About iaedp:
Since 1985, the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals has provided education and training standards to an international and multidisciplinary group of various healthcare treatment providers and helping professions.

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This release was published on openPR.