HARRIS CENTER STAFF WITH 2012 FELLOWS AND INTERNSTop row from left: Nouha Georges, Sonja Swanson, Meera Krishna, Rebecca Patterson, Jessica Yu

Middle row from left: Melissa Johnson, Debra Franko, Kamryn Eddy, Aparna Keshaviah, Katy Tucker

Bottom row from left: Ellie Hastings, Molly Davis, Katie Edkins, Heather Thompson-Brenner, Rachel Korn

Beauty & Health Campaign ................................2Keeping Our Center Strong ................................4Seeking New Knowledge ....................................5Sharing Our Knowledge .....................................7

On the Advocacy Front ......................................8Training Tomorrow’s Scientists .............................9Acknowledgments ..............................................11

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Annual Update: Fall, 2012

Massachusetts General Hospitalfor Education and Advocacy in Eating Disorders at HARRIS CENTERTH

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Nearly 600 students, parents, educators, and members of the press gathered on April 2, 2012 at Harvard University Memorial Church for our Public Forum, “Health is Beauty: Defining Ourselves.” This was the 15th in our series of annual events designed to educate our community about eating disorders. Our panelists shared their perspectives on beauty, the media, and eating disorders, and discussed ways to encourage positive self-image.

The program opened with Arianna Huffington, Editor-in-Chief, The Huffington Post Media Group, who shared that her determination to promote beauty as health stems from her experiences with her two daughters, both of whom struggled with eating disorders. Ms. Huffington explained that The Huffington Post’s approach to promoting positive body image is rooted in her belief that “nothing is more powerful than young women talking to other young women.”

Vogue Italia Editor-in-Chief Franca Sozzani described her strong stance against “pro-ana” and “pro-mia” Web sites (Internet content that supports anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa) and invited everyone to sign her petition or to start a blog against these potentially harmful sites with the goal of closing them.

Internationally renowned supermodel Doutzen Kroes described early pressures to lose weight and how she has asserted her right to lead a healthy lifestyle, and now encourages other models — and young women everywhere — to express their beauty in their own individual ways.

Fashion icon and actress Amber Valletta spoke via video from the set of Revenge in Los Angeles, emphasizing the importance of raising eating disorders awareness — a topic close to her heart.

Next, Harris Center Founder David B. Herzog, M.D. provided valuable information about eating disorders. He noted that many factors contribute to the development of these illnesses. There are precipitants such as stress and loss, and there are core risk factors such as perfectionism, obsessionality, anxiety and mood disorders, and genetic predisposition.

After the panelists addressed questions from the audience, Dr. Herzog closed the program on an energizing note: “Let’s team up. Let’s build a healthy community one individual at a time.”

The Forum garnered enthusiastic reviews in a number of publications, including Boston magazine, The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald. We were thrilled that Her Campus — an online magazine for college students — and Bodimojo — a body image Web site for teens —helped spread the word about our Forum.

We extend deep appreciation to our 2012 Forum Advisory Committee: Stori Cadigan, Betsy Demirjian, Joy Eber, Ben and Wendy Fischman, John Grady, Nancy Harris, Joe Johnson, Jill Karp, Alissa Korn, Stacey Santo, Camille Schmidek, and Lisa Sussman.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 15TH ANNUAL PUBLIC FORUM

Franca Sozzani (center) with Rue La La Staff

2012 Public Forum (from left) Arianna Huffington, Dr. David B. Herzog, Franca Sozzani, and Doutzen Kroes

“ WE NEED TO NOT ONLY ACCEPT OURSELVES, BUT ALSO TO EMBRACE OURSELVES”

— FRANCA SOZZANI

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HARRIS CENTER TEEN MENTOR PROGRAMOur Teen Mentor Program offers adolescent girls the opportunity to learn the best ways to promote positive self-image. In meetings with our staff, the girls discuss sources of stress in their schools — such as bullying and pressure to achieve at the highest level — that may dampen self-esteem. Then they create outreach and advocacy projects to address these issues, and through this process they develop and strengthen their leadership skills.

Under the guidance of Teen Mentor Program Director Heather Thompson-Brenner, Ph.D., and Meera Krishna, B.A., our 2011–2012 students conducted outstanding advocacy projects. For example, Katy Tucker organized a panel discussion

of high school students that focused on what steps could be taken to foster self-confidence and strong sense of self. This event took place on May 15, 2012 at Wellesley High School.

In addition to developing eating disorder awareness projects in their schools, our Teen Mentors attend our Annual Public Forums and participate in a group discussion with our featured speakers. During their meetings with Vogue Italia Editor-in-Chief Franca Sozzani and supermodel Doutzen Kroes, our students exchanged ideas with these celebrities about the importance of promoting positive media images across our society.

Our Teen Mentor Program has grown in popularity and we anticipate that it will become a model program. We are thrilled that parents have expressed interest in setting up the Teen Mentor Program in other parts of the state.

Led by Jennifer Rathbun, M.D., Director, and Emily Gray, M.D., our 2012–2013 Teen Mentor group is off to a tremendous start! Please stay tuned for further information about this exciting program. We are thrilled to start working with our 2012–2013 Teen Mentor group at this year’s Fall Kick-off Meeting, and we look forward to another exciting year.

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 2010 show — and again for its November 21, 2011 show, “Breaking Out,” which took place at the Bijou nightclub in Boston. Each event drew an audience of several hundred people. We are deeply appreciative to HBS for producing these successful fashion shows and donating the proceeds to our Center.

THANK YOU, HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

Harvard Business School Group with Franca Sozzani and Dr. Herzog

Teen Mentors (from left) Laura Jacobs, Callie McLaughlin, and Katy Tucker at 2012 Public Forum

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AN EVENING TO REMEMBEROn December 6, 2011, Helena Durst, Wendy Durst Kreeger & Doug Kreeger hosted a reception for the Harris Center at the Bank of America Tower in NYC. Attended by over 70 guests, the event introduced and educated new friends to the important work of the Center and brought together current supporters and friends.

Helena Durst opened the program with an eloquent account of her recovery from anorexia and bulimia, explaining that she has come to identify her eating disordered thoughts as “the chatter monkey on [her] back.” She also discussed the importance of “advancing public and professional knowledge of eating disorders” and ending the “silence” that has kept many individuals who struggle with these conditions from receiving help.

Featured speakers included Dr. Herzog, Elizabeth Lawson, M.D., fashion models Doutzen Kroes and Coco Rocha, and members of the Harris Center Teen Mentor Program Laura Jacobs and Callie McLaughlin.

The evening was inspiring and educational. Helena Durst’s message held the promise of improved lives for all who suffer from eating disorders.

Reviews of the event by media outlets such as Vogue Daily were highly positive.

CONGRATULATIONS, DR. EDDY

ENTERING THE BLOGOSPHERE

We are pleased to announce that Kamryn T. Eddy, Ph.D., a Staff Psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, was recently promoted to the position of Acting Director of the Harris Center. Dr. Eddy specializes in the assessment and treatment of child and adolescent eating disorders. She has received several awards recognizing her research, which focuses on the diagnostic classification of eating disorders, particularly in youth. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Eddy to her new role at the Center, where her research continues to illuminate the nature of these complex illnesses. Dr. Eddy speaking at Public Forum reception

Arianna Huffington

The Harris Center now has a voice on The Huffington Post. Published on April 13, 2012, our first blog entry — “Breaking the Silence” — addresses the stigma associated with eating disorders. Subsequent posts include “Teens Mentoring Teens,” “Will I Ever Get Better?,” “How Well Will I Get?,” and “Psychotherapy: What Works?”

Feedback about our blog entries has been extremely enthusiastic.We extend profound gratitude to Arianna Huffington for inviting us to contribute to HuffPost and for keeping “thin-is-in” advertisements off our blog.

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The Harris Center was founded based on our belief that interdisciplinary research is critical to understanding and treating eating disorders. Here are some examples of current projects:

NEWEST RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS

UPDATE: LONGITUDINAL STUDY

For over a decade, the Harris Center has teamed with MGH’s Neuroendocrine Unit to better understand the biological factors that play a role in anorexia

nervosa and to develop interventions addressing bone loss and other physical consequences of the disorder, and more recently, hormonal interventions that also address the psychological aspects of this illness.

We continue to work with researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia to investigate the role of weight suppression in predicting recovery or

relapse in bulimia, and we recently published a paper based on this collaboration in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. We are now pursuing a similar project investigating weight suppression in anorexia. Weight suppression is defined as the difference between a patient’s past highest weight and her weight at entry into the study.

The Harris Center continues to collaborate with 2011 MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient Matthew K. Nock, Ph.D., in the psychology

department at Harvard University to look at predictors of eating disorder behaviors and self-harm behaviors in adolescents. We will soon submit our manuscript on this project for publication.

In an exciting new collaboration, Kamryn T. Eddy, Ph.D. is teaming up with MGH colleague, Jennifer J. Thomas, Ph.D., to conduct a field trial investigating

the newly proposed DSM-5 eating disorders criteria. They are examining how well the revised diagnostic system applies to patients presenting for the treatment of eating disorders in three different hospital settings. This research study is already well under way!

“What will I be like in 5, 10 or 25 years?” This is a question posed by many eating disorder patients and families, and our central research project attempts to answer it.

Since 1987, we have followed 246 women with anorexia and bulimia who sought treatment for their eating disorder. This seminal investigation maps the course and outcome of eating disorders, trying to determine how patients fare over time. Who gets better and how? What factors lead to a better or worse outcome? We gather data by interviewing our participants

frequently about their eating behaviors, mood disorders, substance use, health, work, and relationships. The project

has generated over 40 published articles about eating disorders, covering topics such as recovery and relapse, alcohol and

substance use, depression, pregnancy, and medical complications.

In 2011, the Harris Center received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to find out how our participants are doing 25 years after the launch of the study. We have exceeded our goal of conducting 160 interviews by December 1, 2012. We plan to report data from the 25-year follow-up study at the 2014 International Conference on Eating Disorders sponsored by the Academy for Eating Disorders. Our findings will ultimately contribute to improved treatment for these serious disorders.

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Dr. Elizabeth Lawson conducts research in the MGH Neuroendocrine Unit on the biology of appetite regulation in anorexia nervosa. She has received numerous awards for her research, including the 2012 Early Investigators Award from the Endocrine Society. We interviewed Dr. Lawson last year in an effort to share with you our excitement about her work. Here is an update on the progress of her research:

What is the rationale behind studying appetite pathways in anorexia nervosa?Anorexia nervosa is an inheritable illness but to date, little is known about the specific genes that are involved in this disorder. Identifying these genes would lay the groundwork for more targeted treatment strategies.

Appetite hormones send signals to the brain to regulate the state of hunger or satiety. Our pilot data suggest that there are genetic differences in appetite-regulating hormone pathways in women with anorexia nervosa. Release of these hormones can be imbalanced

in women with anorexia nervosa, even after weight recovery, suggesting that this imbalance may have contributed to the development of the disorder.

What is the focus of this research and what have you found so far?Our team is studying the role of genetics, endocrine, and neural appetite pathways in the development of anorexia nervosa. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we have demonstrated under-activity of brain regions involved in appetite in women with anorexia nervosa. We found that release of appetite hormones is abnormal in anorexia nervosa, even after weight recovery. Our data indicate that abnormalities in appetite pathways may predispose individuals to the food-related symptoms of anorexia nervosa.

What is next?We are collecting additional DNA samples to investigate the genetic basis of anorexia nervosa, and using our food-related endocrine fMRI approach to examine the effect of a potential hormonal therapy on appetite pathways in anorexia nervosa.

UPDATE FROM DR. LAWSON

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 and improve their detection, treatment and prevention — and we strive to share that knowledge with the community at large. At the heart of the Center is a commitment to promote the healthy development of children, women, and all at risk.

Find out more at www.harriscentermgh.org.

MISSION STATEMENT

Elizabeth A. Lawson, M.D.

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Here are examples of our 2012 research articles:

RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS

Thompson-Brenner, H., Franko, D.L., Satir, D., Herzog, D.B. Clinician reactions to patients with eating disorders: A review. Psychiatric Services. 2012; 63: 73-8.

Lawson, E.A., Miller, K.K., Blum, J.I., Meenaghan, E., Misra, M., Eddy, K.T., Herzog, D.B., Klibanski, A. Leptin levels are associated with decreased depressive symptoms in women across the weight spectrum, independent of body fat. Clinical Endocrinology. 2012; 76: 520-5.

Shaw, J.A., Herzog, D.B., Clark, V.L., Berner, L.A., Eddy, K.T., Franko, D.L., Lowe, M.R. Elevated pre-morbid weights in bulimic individuals are usually surpassed post-morbidly: Implications for perpetuation of the disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2012; 45: 512-23.

JULY 24, 2012 Australian Psychological Society, Melbourne, AustraliaTreatment of Eating Disorders: Panel of Experts

Debra L. Franko, Ph.D.~ “A longitudinal look at eating disorders over time.”

MAY 3–5, 2012 International Conference on Eating Disorders, Austin, Texas

Debra L. Franko, Ph.D.~ “ A longitudinal look at mortality rates in eating disorders

over time.”

Meera Krishna, B.A. ~ “ Qualitative examination of impairment in women with

anorexia nervosa shortly before death.”

We present our research findings at conferences all over the world. Here are a few of our 2012 presentations:

PRESENTATIONS AND CONFERENCES

Dr. Debra Franko

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In 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 aware-ness and to improving access to care, parity, and research. Currently the EDC is promoting the FREED Act (Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders), comprehensive legislation addressing eating disorder research, treatment, and prevention.

For more information, please visit eatingdisorderscoalition.org.

On July 15, 2012, Boston Globe magazine’s lead article, “12 Bostonians Changing the World,” included “MGH’s Dr. David Herzog has Brought Eating Disorders Out in the Open.”

Boston magazine named Dr. David Herzog one of the Boston area’s “TOP DOCS.” This is the 10th consecutive year he has received this honor.

On May 9, 2012, The Atlantic published “What the U.S. Can — and Can’t — Learn from Israel’s Ban on Ultra-Thin Models,” which included comments from Dr. David Herzog.

Posted by ABC News on March 20, 2012, “Israeli Law Eyes Super-Thin Models as Bad Examples” featured remarks from Dr. David Herzog.

As part of our public awareness campaign, we continue to provide information to media outlets for their projects related to eating disorders. Here are some highlights from the past year:

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

EATING DISORDERS LEGISLATION IN MASSACHUSETTS In Massachusetts — as in many other states — insurance coverage for eating disorders has been very limited. For several years, the Harris Center has served as a consultant to Representative Kay Khan as she has sponsored legislation providing comprehensive coverage for the treatment of eating disorders. Rep. Khan’s H. 1187 was sent for study by the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee and will be refiled in 2013.

Representative Kay Khan

For the second consecutive year, BizBash rated the Harris Center Public Forum among “Boston’s Top 100 Events.”

Vogue Daily highlighted the December 6, 2011 New York City reception for the Harris Center in an article titled “Spreading the Word: Health Is Beauty.”

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HONORING OUR RESEARCH ASSISTANTSOver the summer, two of our terrific research assistants — Molly Davis and Meera Krishna — moved on. Both of them excelled in their work for the Center, not only in the research arena but also in our public outreach and education efforts.

Molly, who played a central role in organizing our Public Forums, is now a graduate student in the doctoral program in clinical psychology at the University of Virginia. Meera was instrumental in moving our Teen Mentor Program forward and now works for a health care consulting firm. We look forward to staying in touch with these talented young professionals and we wish them the very best.

In June, we welcomed two new research assistants. Ellie Hastings is a graduate of Brown University, where she majored in Psychology. Katie Edkins received her B.A. in Psychology and English at Dartmouth College. In addition to working on Harris Center research, Ellie and Katie are involved in event planning and finance management.

GREETINGS FROM STEPHANIE ROSSStephanie Ross was outstanding in her role as a Harris Center research assistant between 2009 and 2011. She is now a second-year doctoral student in clinical psychology at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, where she is also a research assistant in the PARTNERS Program, which provides free, evidence-based treatments to children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. Stephanie fondly remembers her time at the Harris Center and will forever be grateful to Dr. Herzog, Dr. Eddy, and Dr. Franko for their mentorship and for the education and opportunities she received under their guidance.

MATINA S. HORNER, PH.D. FELLOWSHIP We established the annual Matina S. Horner, Ph.D. Summer Research Fellowship in 1997 to encourage young researchers in the field. The Center mentors these emerging scientists as they conduct independent research projects and participate in our current research activities.

We had three superb Fellows in 2012. Nouha Georges graduated from Boston University in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in human physiology; for her Matina Horner Fellowship project, she wrote a literature review of research in alexithymia (difficulty recognizing feelings) in women with anorexia nervosa. Rebecca Patterson, a 2011 graduate of Muhlenberg College, works at the Klarman Eating Disorder Center at McLean Hospital. During her fellowship at the Harris Center, Rebecca conducted analyses to explore non-fat phobic anorexia; (continued on page 10)

Matina S. Horner, Ph.D.

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“ I HAD AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE AS A MATINA HORNER FELLOW. THE THOUGHTFUL SUPERVISION I RECEIVED, ALONG WITH THE COLLABORATIVE NATURE OF THE HARRIS CENTER STAFF, ALLOWED ME TO DEVELOP MY SKILLS AS A FUTURE EATING DISORDERS RESEARCHER.”

— JESSICA YU, 2012 FELLOW

MATINA S. HORNER, PH.D. FELLOWSHIP (CONTINUED)

her project will help inform assessment and detection of low-weight patients who report no fear of weight gain. Jessica Yu is a second-year clinical psychology doctoral student at Rutgers University. As a Horner Fellow, she examined the impact of daily stress on binge eating and purging in individuals with bulimia nervosa. Her study will help clinicians and researchers refine existing treatments for eating disorders.

Many Fellows continue their independent projects after their Fellowships have ended, often resulting in published papers. Rebecca Shingleton, a 2011 Fellow, focused her project on a data set that involved investigating real-time data in patients with self-injurious behaviors, including binge-purge thoughts and behaviors. In 2012, Becca authored a manuscript on this study that has been submitted for publication.

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 Boston.

Our Matina Horner Fellowship — the first of its kind — has now enjoyed 16 years of progress and sponsored 47 young scientists; our commitment to this program — to training the researchers of tomorrow — is stronger than ever.

STAYING IN TOUCHWe value your feedback. What aspects of our work do you like? What could use improvement? Tell us what you think by e-mailing harriscentermgh@partners.org.

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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 CreditsPage 2: Both Public Forum photos

by Roger FarringtonPage 3: Harris Center Teen Mentor Program

by Roger Farrington Thank You, Harvard Business School

by Roger FarringtonPage 4: Congratulations, Dr. Eddy by Roger Farrington Entering the Blogosphere by Roger FarringtonPage 5: Newest Research Collaborations

by Ivan WalshPage 7: Research and Publications:

Stacks of Books by Kate Ter HaarPage 8: Representative Kay Khan:

Used with permission, Kay KhanPage 9: Fall Leaves by Diane TurnerPage 10: Bryn Austin, Sc.D. Used with permission, Bryn AustinBack: Photos by Roger Farrington

HARRIS CENTER AT MGH STAFF

David B. Herzog, M.D. ....................... FounderKamryn T. Eddy, Ph.D. ........................ Acting DirectorDebra L. Franko, Ph.D. ........................ Associate DirectorAparna Keshaviah, Sc.M. ................... Biostatistician Pat Cable,R.N. ................................... Communications Director Sonja Swanson, Sc.M. ...........................Research ConsultantHeather Thompson-Brenner, Ph.D. ....... Research Consultant Jennifer Rathbun, M.D. ....................... Director, Teen Mentor ProgramKatie Edkins, B.A. ............................... Research AssistantEllie Hastings, B.Sc. ............................. Research AssistantEmily Gray, M.D. ............................... Child & Adolescent

Psychiatry Fellow, MGH

Nancy Harris (left) and Dr. Jennifer Rathbun

Doutzen Kroes (2nd from right) with Teen Mentors Maddy Welti, Lillian Pierce, and Jade Hollenberg

Janet & David Coyle and Steve Lynch