Values are statements or expressions about how you wish to behave, about what really matters to you, about what is most important. Like a compass, values give us direction.

With a heavy heart, I read a recent New York Times piece called “Food My Frenemy” by Jen Gunter. In the piece, Ms. Gunter shares her agonizing struggle with a lifetime of binge eating - and the self-loathing and shame that can come along with it. She also references her ongoing battle with weight management in the shadow of her binge eating disorder.

It’s no secret that ballet culture celebrates a long, lean figure. The pressure on ballet dancers to maintain this aesthetic is constant and for many can lead to battling food/body struggles throughout ones’ career.

The effects of weight stigma include poor body image, low self-esteem, binge eating, extreme weight control measures, and psychological problems such as depression and eating disorders. Those who experience bullying as a result of weight bias are likely to experience one or more of these issues.

Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for children and adolescents with eating disorders has proven to be the most efficacious intervention.