Donna Gallagher, MS, RD
16 West River Road
Rumson, NJ 07760
phone 732-747-3663
email Livenutrition@aol.com

Description of roundtable discussion:
Discussion of what eating disorders are - signs, symptoms, causes
Discussion of disordered eating and exercise behaviors - when are behaviors "normal" vs. disordered
Tools and strategies to combat food obsessions and unhealthy eating behaviors
How to stop the diet/rebound cycle and associated weight cycling

Description of practice: I am a nutrition therapist for individuals with eating disorders - anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder, as well as those who engage in emotional eating, restrained eating, yo-yo dieting and compulsive exercise behaviors. Counseling sessions are therapeutic and educational, and individualized to address the food issues and behaviors unique to each client. Issues addressed in nutrition therapy are:

• Development of an understanding and awareness of the client's food thoughts and behaviors and an understanding of the relationship between emotions and food/exercise behaviors
• Education about how the eating and exercise behaviors impact on changes in lean muscle, fat, metabolism, hunger and fullness patterns, and the client's physical and psychological well-being
• Dispel diet myths
• Understand which foods are "safe" and which are "fearful", and gently challenge thoughts and feelings associated with these foods
• Education about how to meet one's nutritional needs without great fluctuations in weight or feelings of being "out of control"
• Gradually, in collaborative effort between nutrition therapist and client, making changes in food patterns to add more variety, meet calorie needs, eat in social situations, eat in a timely manner in response to the body's needs, and take nutritional (vitamin/mineral supplements if necessary)