FOOD FOR THE SOUL
Coping With Eating Disorders

LCMS National Youth Gathering Interest Center


This Interest Center was presented by Family Crossfires, Inc.
A Ministry Working Within the LCMS
To Reunite Generations through the Knowledge and Power of God's Word.

Family Crossfires, Inc. is a not-for-profit Charitable Ministry,
which through the generous donations of God's people
Offers FREE Intergenerational Resources for a Suggested Donation.

To Learn More About Family Crossfires, Inc. CLICK HERE

It is our fervent desire that the printed information on this web page be used by anyone who finds it helpful.
It may be reproduced as needed.

We ask, only, that a FREE WILL OFFERING be taken for, or a FREE WILL DONATION be given to,
Family Crossfires, Inc. when any portion or all of the information found on this web page is presented to youth and/or adults.

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Family Crossfires, Inc.
W9318 Oak Avenue
Shawano, WI 54166-6239

Interest Center Information

In this Interest Center, only the two most common forms of eating disorders were discussed: (there are more variations)

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia

General Descriptions:
Anorexia - not eating - starvation.
Bulimia - binging and purging.

At this time we would like to invite those who know of web sites and programs which they or their family and friends have used to receive help to fight against an eating disorder to: E-Mail Family Crossfires, Inc.
Thank you for the help you are able to share.
If you would like to view the web sites and programs which have been of help to others:
CLICK HERE

We began this Interest Center by presenting some facts People May or May Not Know:
- Eating Disorders frequently emerge in societies blessed with abundance.
- Eating Disorders are 20 times more common among women than among men, with the exception of homosexual men, who
who have a higher rate of of eating disorders than expected.
- Our daughter struggled and occasionally still struggles with an eating disorder.
- She and WE made it with God's Help.

Because of God's amazing help and intervention we entitled this interest center:"Soul Food". God, through His Word, fed our souls and that, above everything else, helped us and our daughter through a horrendous struggle mere words could never describe.

EATING DISORDERS NEED GOD'S HELP AND STRENGTH

- We made lots of mistakes. In fact, as we did research for this Interest Center we realized that we made almost every mistake in the book. The good news is that we have grown so close to our daughter we are able to laugh about the fact that between all of us we were not able to do one thing right!

Today it is not uncommon for us to share our mistakes in an effort to make sure people don't repeat them. However,we stand in awe of our God, Who turned our mistakes into blessings (good). And, we know that He will do the same for you. Go to Him, hear, read, study, meditate upon and inwardly digest His Word. He will speak to you and tell you what to do. He will fill you with the love and strength you need to carry out His purpose.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him
and have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

EATING DISORDERS NEED PROFESSIONAL INTERVENTION

- While God can and will do great things, there are also some things you can do ..... one of the most important, is to get a person with an eating disorder professional help.

- Some people struggling with eating disorders may need antidepressants to feel better about themselves, so they can heal. Sadly, drugs and alcohol can make people struggling with eating disorders feel good, too. That’s why many people struggling against an eating disorder also struggle against drugs and/or alcohol abuse. These facts prove how important it is to get professional help and intervention for a person struggling against an eating disorder. Unless you are a doctor you cannot prescribe the medications that aid in healing, and you cannot prevent drug and alcohol abuse, unless you are trained to do so. People struggling against an eating disorder need professional intervention, and you can help them by helping them obtain it.


CLICK HERE to learn many ways family and friends can help professionals.

Sadly, some of the first courses taken by well meaning family and friends,
when an eating disorder is discovered, are more harmful than helpful.


CLICK HERE to learn what NOT TO DO when dealing with a person caught up in an eating disorder.

INSTEAD OF DOING ALL THE WRONG THINGS


CLICK HERE to find out what you can do to help a person caught up in an eating disorder.

The Most Important Thing You Need to Do to Help a Person Caught Up
in an Eating Disorder is Fill Yourself Up With Soul Food.

There are Three Basic Ingredients to Soul Food
YOU WILL NEED ALL THREE!

When the healing began we received a letter from our daughter thanking us for staying close to God and to her. She paid us the highest compliment anyone will ever pay us when she wrote: "I saw Jesus in both of you." If you want to help someone with an eating disorder, give them SOUL FOOD, so they will see Jesus in you.


CLICK HERE to discover the three ingredients to soul food you will need
to help people caught up in an eating disorder.

IT'S TIME TO GET PRACTICAL.
How can you use soul food to help people or yourself
struggle against an eating disorder?


PART 1: A Skit helped participants think about and share some of the ways others
can GET HELP for people caught up in eating disorders.

CLICK HERE to read the Skit used in this Interest Center.

PART 2: A Small Group Activity described some of the underlying problems which can cause eating disorders,then, it shared how Soul Food can help to alleviate these problems.

CLICK HERE to review the Small Group Activity: "Feeding the Soul", used in this Interest Center.

THE DANGERS OF EATING DISORDERS

The dangers of eating disorders were not shared in this Interest Center, primarily because there was not enough time for the kind of sharing required for these dangers. However, it can be helpful to know what the dangers are to effect proper treatment.

WARNING: Sharing the dangers of eating disorders is never helpful and, indeed, should never be used to frighten people caught up in eating disorders. People with eating disorders are aware of what this condition is doing to their bodies. Reminding them of the dangers and death that eating disorders may cause can intensify their fear and, thereby, intensify their eating disorder.

CLICK HERE to learn about the "The Dangers or Eating Disorders"

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