Mission Statement

The Harris Center at MGH focuses on education and advocacy in eating disorders. Through interdisciplinary research, we seek new knowledge to better understand eating disorders, their detection, treatment and prevention — and we strive to share that knowledge with the community at large.

www.harriscentermgh.org

Massachusetts General Hospitalfor Education and Advocacy in Eating Disorders at HArris CEntErtH

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Matina S. Horner, Ph.D. FellowsFor more information, see page 10

insiDE tHis issUE

Beauty and Health Campaign…………….…....2

Annual Update: Fall, 2010

the Heart of the Center……………………….….4

Greetings from Dr. Franko………………….…... 5Update from Dr. Eddy ……………………….…...5Director of Development named…………….…5

sharing Our Knowledge…………………….…...8

Our special thanks……………………………..… 4

seeking new Knowledge…………………….…. 6

Training Tomorrow’s Scientists …………….…….10

staying in touch………………………………..….4

Acknowledgments…………………………….…...11

On the Advocacy Front……………………….….9

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n IMAGEs OF rAiL-tHin FAsHiOn MODELs are believed to play a role in the development of disordered eating. Girls and women need healthy representations with which to identify, and the Harris Center has called upon the American fashion industry to help make this happen.

In this section of our newsletter, you will learn about our dialogue with leaders of the fashion industry aimed at changing female size standards from those that tout ultra-thinness to those that support health.

Over 700 people — students, parents, educators, and members of the press — joined us on March 22, 2010 at Harvard Business School for our Public Forum, “Health Matters: Weight and Wellness in the World of Fashion.” Moderated by Dr. David Herzog, this Forum was the 13th in our annual series of events designed to educate our community about eating disorders and encourage discussion.

The program opened with a film illuminat-ing the efforts currently under way in the fash-ion industry to promote healthy body images. Following this, the spotlight fo-cused on Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, who explained how a Health Initiative created by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 2007 is breaking the fashion industry’s long-standing “code of silence” surrounding the topic of underweight models. After detailing the CFDA’s actions, Wintour called for an industry-wide “celebration of all body types” and added that Vogue will help lead the way.

Next, prominent American fashion designer Michael Kors pledged to follow the CFDA Health Initiative’s recommendation to stop hiring models under 16 years old. He is the first leading U.S. designer to commit to this reform in front of a public audience. The age requirement, which Kors feels “must be a priority,”reflects the belief that body dissatisfaction among models may be partly due to the high percentage of girls who launch their careers when they are too young to cope with the competitive fashion world.

The third speaker — Russian model Natalia Vodianova — described how her increasing concerns about the size and shape of her body spiraled into anorexia in 2002 and how psychotherapy played a key role in her recovery.

Vodianova’s courage to seek help for her eating disorder at a time when these illnesses were not openly discussed by the fashion industry made her

story all the more compelling.

After addressing questions from the audience, the program closed on an optimistic and energetic note. Dr. Herzog commended all three panelists for the passion and insight they brought to our

Forum and for their initiatives in promoting healthy body images. “The fashion industry needs your leadership,” he emphasized.

The Forum drew enthusiastic reviews in a number of publications, including The Boston Globe, Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, The Harvard Crimson, and Boston magazine.

Since the Forum, the Harris Center has continued to collaborate with the CFDA and its President, Diane von Furstenberg, to address beauty and health.

We extend grateful appreciation to our 2010 Forum Advisory Committee: Maura Callahan, Meghan Canal, Diana Dinescu, Joy Eber, John Grady, Nancy Harris, and Jill Karp.

HiGHLiGHts OF tHE 13tH AnnUAL PUBLiC FOrUM: “OH, WHAt A niGHt”

2010 Harris Center Public Forum — Left to right: Dr. Herzog, Natalia Vodianova, Michael Kors, Anna Wintour

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“ The Forum made me think twice when I look in the mirror and judge myself.”

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These are just a couple of examples of the feedback we received about our Public Forum from high school students who attended the event. All of them were excited about the initiatives undertaken by the fashion industry to provide healthy role models. A number of the students reported that their favorite part of the evening was meeting Anna Wintour, Michael Kors, and Natalia Vodianova, who — as one young

woman reflected — “gave us some really good advice about body image and self-confidence.”

Not only did these young people learn from the Forum, they are also using their knowledge to help raise eating disorder awareness among their peers. One student won a national leadership award based partly on her presence at our Public Forum. Another talented member of the group wrote an article for her school newspaper. To all the teens who attended the Forum, we send a heartfelt “thank you.”

FOrUM rEACHEs OUt tO HiGH sCHOOLs

tHE BEAUtY OF HEALtH: rEsizinG tHE sAMPLE sizE On February 9, 2010, Dr. David Herzog served as moderator for a panel discussion titled “The Beauty of Health: Resizing the Sample Size.” Hosted in New York City by The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), this event convened nearly 150 leaders of the fashion industry to address concerns about the increasing number of unhealthy, too-thin models. Six speakers offered valuable perspective on the size zero standard — its evolution, its adverse impact on models, its negative consequences for many facets of the fashion industry, and — despite these effects — its persistence.

Next, members of the audience joined Dr. Herzog and the panelists in a debate about what would help improve the well-being of models. The outcome of the discussion was the CFDA recommendation that models must be at least 16 years of age. The event was terrific, not only because it paved the way for future dialogue, but also because it exuded passion and energy surrounding the topic at hand.

Each year, Harvard Business School (HBS) hosts a fashion show to benefit a selected cause. The Harris Center was honored to be the organization HBS chose to support for its April 13, 2010 show, “Life’s a Runway,” which took place at Mantra, a Boston restaurant, in front of an audience of over 400 people. We are deeply grateful to HBS for producing this successful fashion event on behalf of our Center.

Life’S a Runway

Left to right: Michael Kors, Anna Wintour, Isabel Farrington, Holly Heffernan, Callie McLaughlin

“ Attending this Forum meant a lot to me since many of my classmates are affected by eating disorders.”

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rWe extend profound gratitude to Maura Callahan and Meghan Canal of Partners HealthCare for their strong commitment to our mission and for their creativity and tireless energy in spreading the word about our work.

OUr sPECiAL tHAnKs

In addition to the millions of Americans who currently suffer from eating disorders, many others are at risk of developing them. We are delighted that a number of teens are reaching out among their peers to help prevent these serious illnesses.

In April, Emily Kandarian, a seventh-grader, interviewed our staff and sent us her excellent report, “How Bulimia Affects Women,” after presenting it to her classmates. One of Emily’s final paragraphs highlights what she learned from her research: “It opened my eyes to how much hard work a person with bulimia needs to go through in order to recover; this gave me a lot of respect for those brave enough to seek help and get through it.”

Also remarkable is 16-year-old Ava Moreno, who wrote a story in which a key character develops an eating disorder. In

preparation for this challenge, she researched the topic of

anorexia and interviewed Dr. David Herzog. “I wanted to make

my character realistic,” said Ava, who has now completed her story and shared

it with her classmates. “My objective was to understand the psyche of a person with anorexia, to learn what goes on in her mind.”

We are grateful to Emily and Ava for their outstanding work aimed at reducing the risk of eating disorders. Both of these young people are educating others about eating disorders and about the difficulties inherent in living with and recovering from these painful conditions.

What do you think of our Beauty and Health campaign? If you attended our 2010 Public Forum, what did you like or disike about it? What topics or speakers would you suggest for our future Public Forums?

Have you visited our Web site lately? Was it helpful? Why or why not? What can we do to improve the site?

Tell us what you think by emailing harriscentermgh@partners.org

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FFGrEEtinGs FrOM Dr. FrAnKO

Harris Center Associate Director Debra L. Franko, Ph.D., is instrumental in moving our mission forward and leads a number of key Center activities. She coordinates the Matina Horner Fellowship Program, works with the research assistants on grant submissions and conference presentations, and publishes in a variety of areas, including prevention, the role of ethnic and cultural differences, and adolescent health.

Dr. Franko is a licensed clinical psychologist and also a Professor in the Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology at Northeastern University. There, she is currently investigating how eating disorders present themselves in ethnically diverse populations. In another grant-funded project, Dr. Franko and her colleagues have tested an online health promotion program called Bodimojo with over 300 high school students.

DirECtOr OF DEvELOPMEnt nAMEDDr. David Herzog has announced the appointment of Nora Frank as the Harris Center’s Director of Development. Working with Dr. Herzog, Frank Soldo in the Office of Development at MGH, and other key individuals, Nora — who joined our team in September — coordinates and implements our comprehensive fundraising program. She is a development professional with 20 years of experience. As Director of Philanthropy at the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Nora played a leadership role in a comprehensive $55 million, five-year fundraising campaign and supervised multiple capital campaigns for land acquisition, building projects, and endowment. She has also served as Director of Marketing and Development at Germaine Lawrence, a nonprofit residential treatment facility for girls.

Yet, Nora is not new to the Center. In 1987, when Dr. Herzog embarked on his landmark study to examine the long-term course and outcome of eating disorders, Nora was among his first clinical interviewers. Her knowledge of our longitudinal data will be invaluable in her work as our Director of Development.

UPDAtE FrOM Dr. EDDYKamryn T. Eddy, Ph.D., was the Harris Center’s first postdoctoral fellow (2007-2008). At the end of her fellowship, we invited her to continue her research and clinical work here at the Harris Center. Now in her second year as a Staff Psychologist at MGH and Instructor in Psychology (Psychiatry) at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Eddy is an accomplished researcher and a talented clinician.

In 2009, Dr. Eddy received a two-year NIMH-funded National Research Service Award that allowed her to expand her research on the diagnostic classification of eating disorders. She continues to examine how accurately the current diagnostic system, which includes anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS), “fits” individuals with disordered eating. Dr. Eddy is an upcoming leader in the field of eating disorders and it is wonderful to have her on our team!

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nEWEst rEsEArCH COLLABOrAtiOns

The Harris Center was founded based on our belief that interdisciplinary research is critical to understanding and treating eating disorders.

The following provide a taste of our current collaborations:

With investigators at Drexel University in Philadelphia, we are studying patterns of weight loss and regain in patients with bulimia nervosa. During the last two years, this research collaboration has yielded one publication, two manuscripts in progress, and several presentations at conferences.

For over a decade, we have teamed with the Neuroendocrine Unit at MGH to learn more about the relationship between eating disorders and osteoporosis. Currently, we are investigating the effects of low-dose testosterone in women with anorexia nervosa.

The Harris Center is collaborating with MGH’s Adult ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Program on a study examining symptoms of ADHD and symptoms of bulimia nervosa in a sample of young adults.

We are working with the Depression Clinical and Research Program at MGH to study the course of major depression in our Longitudinal Study sample.

So far this year, 14 Harris Center research articles and book chapters have been accepted for publication. Here is a taste of this work:

rEsEArCH AnD PUBLiCAtiOns

Crisafulli, M.A., Thompson-Brenner, H., Franko, D.L., Eddy, K.T., Herzog, D.B. Stigmatization of anorexia nervosa: Characteristics and response to intervention. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 2010; 29:756-770.

Eddy, K.T., Swanson, S.A., Crosby, R.D., Franko, D.L., Engel, S., Herzog, D.B. How should DSM-V classify eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) presentations in women with lifetime anorexia or bulimia nervosa. Psychological Medicine. 2010; 40:1735-44.

Herzog, D.B., Thomas, J.G., Kass, A.E., Eddy, K.T., Franko, D.L., Lowe, M.R. Weight suppression predicts weight change over five years in bulimia nervosa. Psychiatry Research. 2010; 177: 330-334.

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nEW EnGLAnD rEsEArCH COLLABOrAtivE

Established in 2006, the New England Research Collaborative is a dynamic partnership between the Harris Center and the Neuroendocrine Unit at MGH. Twice a year, the Collaborative brings together scientists, clinicians, and educators to discuss advances in eating disorder research and possible applications to treatment. The April 9, 2010 Forum featured “Psychopharmacology of AN and BN” and “Depression in Eating Disorders.” The October 12, 2009 meeting included “Association between ADHD and Bulimia Nervosa,” “Neuroimaging in Anorexia Nervosa: Research Update,” and “Female Athlete Triad: Research Update.” Most of these PowerPoint presentations are available for viewing on our Web site: “About Us – Symposia.”

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“What will I be like in 5, 10, or 20 years?” This is a question asked by many eating disorder patients and families, and our central research project attempts to answer it.

For over two decades, we have followed 246 women with anorexia and bulimia who initially sought treatment in Boston-area hospitals. This seminal investigation maps the course and out-come of eating disorders in order to determine what happens to patients over time. We collect data by interviewing the women at regular inter-vals about their eating behaviors, their physical and emotional health, and their functioning in school, work, and social activities. Recently, one of the women described what participating

in this research meant to her: “Your study was the first time I had ever felt good about myself. I could tell the interviewer how I really felt about eating without fear that she would judge me or lead me to believe that my disorder was my own fault. I began to think, ‘Wow, I’m not alone.’”

Our Longitudinal Study has generated over 40 published articles about eating disorders, covering topics such as recovery and relapse, pregnancy, medical complications, and coexisting mental illnesses. With proper funding, the Harris Center will continue this groundbreaking and important work by documenting how these women are doing 25 years after the start of the study.

tHE MGH LOnGitUDinAL stUDY: A stUDY OF rECOvErY AnD OUtCOME

Harris Center Research Meeting Left to right: Dr. Eddy, Stephanie Ross, Jennifer Slane, Dr. Herzog, Dr. Franko, Kara Gaughen

“ Your study was the first time I had ever felt good about myself...I began to think, ‘Wow, I’m not alone.’”

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Early in 2010, a family requested our help developing clinical services in Washington, D.C. With this family’s backing, the Harris Center held a program on October 14, 2010 titled “Eating Disorders: What School Professionals and Parents Need to Know.” At the meeting, administrators, health educators, guidance counselors, athletic coaches, teachers, and parents learned how to recognize high-risk attitudes and behaviors, and what steps to take, so that students with eating disorders can begin the process of recovery at the earliest detection of symptoms.

educaToRS’ PRogRam in waShingTon, d.c.

On October 20, 2010, we hosted a dinner at the Essex County Club in Manchester, Massachusetts to raise awareness of eating disorders. Among our 150 guests were long-time Harris Center supporters as well as many new friends. Speakers included David Herzog, M.D. and world champion triathlete Ellen Hart Peña. We gratefully acknowledge the co-chairs of this event – Stori Cadigan and Cindy Stowell – for their time, talent, and dedication.

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OCtOBEr 7tH — 9tH, 2010Eating Disorders Research Society Annual Meeting, Cambridge, MA Accepted as poster presentation: Kamryn T. Eddy, Ph.D, “Latent structure of DSM-IV-TR Eating Disorders: A comparison of the latent structure of the EDE and EDE-Q using latent class analysis.”

JUnE 10tH — 12tH, 2010International Conference on Eating Disorders, Salzburg, AustriaDebra L. Franko, Ph.D., “Using health 2.0 technology to promote healthy nutrition, physical activity, and positive body image in adolescents.”

JULY 17tH — 20tH, 2010New Zealand Psychological Society Annual Conference, Rotorua, New ZealandDebra L. Franko, Ph.D., “Internet-based tools for decreasing eating disorder risk in adolescents.”

APriL 20tH — 21st, 2010Grand Rounds, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, NYPayne Whitney Manhattan and Westchester campusesDavid B. Herzog, M.D., “Do women with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa ever get well?”

JULY 11tH — 16tH, 2010Symposium for International Congress of Applied Psychology, Melbourne, AustraliaPrevention and Early Intervention of Body Image Concerns and Eating Disorders across the Lifespan Debra L. Franko, Ph.D., “Decreasing risk factors for eating disorders.”

We present our research findings at conferences all over the world. Here are a few of our 2010 presentations:

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EAtinG DisOrDErs COALitiOn: CELEBrAtinG A DECADE OF PrOGrEssIn 2000, the Harris Center founded the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action (EDC) in Washington, D.C. The EDC is a group of professional organizations committed to raising national awareness of eating disorders and to improving access to care, parity, and research. During its first decade, the EDC has grown its membership significantly, played a key role in the passing of improved mental health parity legislation, and launched the

FREED Act (Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders), comprehensive legislation addressing eating disorder research, treatment, and prevention. We hope you will stand strong with us and with the EDC in support of FREED, which was introduced to the Senate on April 27, 2010. For further information, please visit eatingdisorderscoalition.org

Dr. Herzog contributed to a June 17, 2010 ABC News report about the dangers of pro-anorexia Web sites.

In June, 2010, a reporter from The Chicago Tribune interviewed Dr. Herzog for an upcoming story about residential treatment programs for eating disorders.

Dr. Herzog authored “Are Male Fashions Increasing Eating Disorders in Men?” for the Child Mind Institute’s Web site.

Dr. Herzog’s professional work is briefly described in Let’s Take the Long Way Home, published in 2010 by Random House. In this book, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gail Caldwell explores her relationship with the late Caroline Knapp, a beloved member of the Harris Center family.

The Center has taken a leadership role in working with the media to raise awareness of eating disorders. Please see page two of this newsletter for media coverage of our 2010 Forum. Here are additional highlights from this past year:

tHE CEntEr in tHE MEDiA

EAtinG DisOrDErs LEGisLAtiOn in MAssACHUsEtts For several years, the Harris Center has served as a consultant to Massachusetts Representative Kay Khan as she has sponsored key legislation on behalf of individuals with eating disorders. Rep. Khan’s bill, H. 936, provides comprehensive treatment for eating disorders and has progressed to the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy. Also exciting is “An Act Relative to School Nutrition,” which requires healthier foods in schools and includes an amendment authored by Rep. Khan calling for public school nurses to be educated about early identification of students with eating disorders and appropriate interventions. The future of the Act is pending a joint decision by the House and Senate.Representative Kay Khan

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UPDAtE FrOM AnDrEA KAssAndrea Kass excelled in her work as a Harris Center research assistant between 2007 and 2009, and then became a graduate student in the doctoral program of clinical psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. Andrea received an NIMH Early Career Investigator Travel Fellowship from the Academy for Eating Disorders, which enabled her to present at the 2010 International Conference on Eating Disorders in Salzburg, Austria. Congratulations, Andrea!

MAtinA s. HOrnEr, PH.D. FELLOWsHiPEach year, we award Matina S. Horner, Ph.D. Fellowships to promising graduate and undergraduate students, with the goal of preparing them for careers in the field of eating disorders. During their summers at the Center, our fellows are mentored as they conduct independent research projects and participate in our current research activities.

In 2010, we sponsored four outstanding fellows. Dan Donoho is a first-year student at Stony Brook University School of Medicine; as a Matina Horner fellow, he worked with the Neuroendocrine Unit on a study of the neurobiology of appetite regulation in anorexia nervosa. Two of our 2010 fellows attend Boston University (BU): Kara Gaughen, a first-year graduate student in clinical social work, devoted her fellowship to reviewing the literature on eating disorders in male athletes; and Lauren Richards, now in her third year as a doctoral student in the BU Eating Disorders Program, spent her summer developing a new tool for the assessment of binge eating. Jennifer Slane is a fifth-year graduate student in clinical psychology at Michigan State University. For her fellowship project, she worked on her dissertation, which examines genetic and environmental influences on associations between bulimia nervosa and alcohol-use disorders.

As we enjoy the Matina S. Horner program’s 14th consecutive summer, we are delighted to have mentored 40 fellows. Many of them — including Michele Crisafulli, Maria Frisch, Lareina La Flair, and Maria-Christina Stewart — have continued their independent projects after their fellowships ended, resulting in theses or published papers. A paper written by Kyle De Young and Jason Lav-ender during their fellowships was recently accepted for publication by the International Journal of Eating Disorders. A number of our trainees have achieved academic positions in universities across the nation. Bryn Austin, one of our first Matina Horner fellows, plays an important role in the Academy for Eating Disorders and serves as Director of Fellowship Research Training in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Children’s Hospital in Boston.

It is our pleasure to feature photos of our fellows on the cover of this newsletter. We hope that you share our pride in our fellows’ accomplishments and know how much we value the work they are doing.

Matina S. Horner, Ph.D.

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“ My summer at the Harris Center provided me with the time and guidance to establish a strong foundation for my dissertation research. Dr. Franko and Dr. Herzog were incredibly helpful supervisors and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to work with them.”

- Loren Gianini, Fellow

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WE WELCOME YOUr COMMEnts AnD sUGGEstiOns!For further details on information covered in this newsletter, please contact us at:

Harris Center for Education and Advocacy in Eating DisordersMassachusetts General Hospital2 Longfellow Place, suite 200Boston, MA 02114617-726-8470

www.harriscentermgh.org E-mail: harriscentermgh@partners.org

Photo CreditsPages 2 and 3: by roger Farrington.Page 4: Parc Dendrologic – Arcalia by bortescristian.Page 5: nora Frank by Kathleen Krueger.Page 7: new England research Collaborative by ivan Walsh.Page 9: Kay Khan: used with permission, Kay KhanBack cover: “Dimphy” by FaceMe PLs; Mother and Daughter by viralbus; teens & tweens Party by Franklin Park LibraryCover collage and Page 7 graphic: nicole ricciardi

HArris CEntEr At MGH stAFF

David B. Herzog, M.D. DirectorDebra L. Franko, Ph.D. Associate DirectorKamryn t. Eddy, Ph.D. staff PsychologistAparna Keshaviah, sc.M. BiostatisticianHeather thompson-Brenner, Ph.D. research Consultantnora Frank, M.B.A. Director of DevelopmentMolly Davis, B.A. research Assistantstephanie ross, B.A. research AssistantPatricia Cable, r.n. Publications Director