Wednesday's Woman: Everybody Knows Somebody

(photo credit)

In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Millions more are struggling with binge eating disorder  (Crowther et al., 1992; Fairburn et al., 1993; Gordon, 1990; Hoek, 1995; Shisslak et al., 1995).

It is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.  The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) designates this week to bringing to light the complexities and realities of eating disorders.  The mission:

. . .prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses - not choices - and it's important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder.

This year’s theme is "Everybody Knows Somebody” which is a fitting premise.  We all know somebody who we can tell that it is NEDAwareness Week.  And, we all, most likely, know someone who is suffering with an eating disorder.

I encourage you to take time to go through the NEDA website.  It provides an extensive and comprehensive compilation of researched information and support tools written in accessible language.  Some of the facts about eating disorders may surprise you.  And I cannot express emphatically enough how valuable the support tools are.

The President and CEO of NEDA, Lynn S. Grefe, has an incredibly impressive background of advocacy work not only with NEDA, but also with organizations in government and private sectors associated with women’s health, mental health and policy issues.  When I think advocate, I think Lynn Grefe. The amount of work she has done, and continues to do in dedication to others is remarkable.  Please read more about her at PBS, This Emotional Life.  You'll find she is not only an advocate, but also was a Girl Scout leader, a soccer coach and a town coordinator.

For her tireless work advocating for people and families affected by eating disorders,

Wednesday's Woman is

Lynn S. Grefe 

• Many who suffer with eating disorders are also victims of child sexual abuse. Please read about past Wednesday's Woman, Jill Starishevsky, a fearless advocate for child victims of sexual abuse and author of My Body Belongs to Me.

• The Floor Is Yours! Wednesday's Woman is a weekly feature dedicated to raising awareness of the wonderful women who are role models for our daughters and the world.  If you know of someone to be featured and would like to write about her, let me know.  I would love to have you guest post for Wednesday's Woman.

Wednesday's Woman: Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

My Body Belongs to Me, Jill Starishevsky

Today Joe Paterno, the famed Penn State football coach, was laid to rest.  There is controversy surrounding how he should be remembered.  Should his egregious oversight and failure to protect innocent children overshadow the good he has done?  We all have our opinions.  The best that can come from the child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State is awareness and prevention.  As long as we talk Paterno, we talk child sexual abuse.  And the conversation should not end until child sexual abuse ends.

To end childhood sexual abuse, there is work to be done beyond arguing over Paterno’s memory.  There must be discussion and action in order to protect children.  But it’s a scary topic.  As parents, we come to the table unarmed and without tools.  We hope and pray it doesn’t happen to our children.

But, hoping and praying are not enough.  We do not hope our children do not get hit by a car when crossing the street.  We teach them to safely cross the street to prevent them from being hit by a vehicle.  Similarly, child sexual abuse is a serious danger.  We must teach our children to keep their bodies safe to prevent them from becoming victims.

 

Jill Starishevsky, an Assistant District Attorney in New York City, is familiar with the serious need for child sexual abuse prevention and awareness.  She is featured today not only because of her work to prosecute hundreds of sex offenders and because of her fight for justice for the child victim, but also because of her willingness to give parents vital tools to be able to keep their children safe.  She is the author of a book for children ages 3-8 called, My Body Belongs to Me, which teaches children that their bodies are private.

Jill Starishevsky on the Oprah Winfrey show in April of 2011:

In the wake of the scandal at Penn State, she shared an interview she gave to ABC News in the past and asked all of her contacts to share it:

For me, her most impactful writing is a post at MyWorkButterfly:

10 Reasons Not to Discuss Child Sexual Abuse in 2012.

Because of her work and action to prevent child sexual abuse,  

Jill Starishevsky 

is this week's Wednesday’s Woman.

{This is the second article in my new series, Wednesday’s Woman.  Each week I will feature a story of an inspiring woman.  Last week I featured Corrie Ortner, a single mom who is helping an elderly neighbor rebuild her life after years of hoarding.  If you know someone who should be featured, please let me know!}