In the second section, preparation for CBT is

discussed with great attention paid to the assessment

and formulation and the role they play in building

engagement. Motivational enhancement and the role of

the family is covered here. Useful discussion takes place

on the role of the family in supporting individual

therapy. Clinical examples are covered and there are

well laid out shaded boxes covering the most salient

points.

The third section introduces CBT treatment program

which is divided into several stages. These stages work

towards tackling unhelpful cognitions and solving

problems which may be maintaining the disorder. At

the same time, it remains holistic and does not neglect

the physical aspects of managing an eating disorder (e.g.

calculation of BMI, target weights, weight monitoring).

Clinical examples are particularly present throughout

this section and give examples of dialogue through

therapy sessions. In highlighted boxes, important

points are succinctly presented – these are both useful

but are eye-catching therefore helping direct the reader

to different sections.

The final section discusses challenges and dilemmas,

including in-patient management and also contains an

extensive reference list, handouts, and information

about questionnaires.

This book would appeal to mental health pro-

fessionals, paediatricians, primary care workers but in

addition, many families and young people with eating

disorders would benefit from this book. The language is

clear and the book is written in an engaging and

readable style.

Currently there are many books written about CBT in

young people, but few are specifically written for young

people with eating disorders. In addition there are

several works dealing with CBT for eating disorders but

these do not tackle young people specifically and thus

do not consider the developmental perspective or the

role of the family. I therefore would recommend this

book as a valuable asset to any library.

I would consider this book to be one of three core

books I would be using regularly as a resource for future

practice. I am also recommending this book to our

nursing team who are doing individual work with

young people with eating disorders.

Caz Nahman

Derbyshire Mental Health Trust, Derby, UK

Published online in Wiley InterScience

(www.interscience.wiley.com)

DOI: 10.1002/erv.947

Tammy Nelson, (2008)

What’s Eating You?—A Workbook For Teens With

Anorexia, Bulimia and Other Eating Disorders

New Harbinger Publications: California, USA, $14.95

(paperback), pp. 111, ISBN 978-1-57224-607-2

This book is a self-help manual for teenagers with eating

disorders, with its focus on prevention and manage-

ment. It is written primarily for a North American

audience, so the statistics and some of the text have to

be viewed in this light (most adolescents could work out

that a ‘popsicle’ stick is an ice-lolly stick for the mask

building task, but it still stands out). In the section on

dress sizes the reference is to American sizes not British,

which could be misleading if you did not know or

realise there was a difference.

I felt it would be a tall order for a young person to use

this book by them selves. The exercises are designed to

develop self-reflection of faulty cognition around eating

and body image. This struck me as being unrealistic for

a young person to manage alone.

Given my teenage years are a long way behind me, I

asked a couple of adolescent girls, without eating

disorders, what they thought. Martha (age 13 years)

said she liked the exercises which involved a picture or

drawing such as ‘if my body parts were colours’ with an

outline of a body to fill in. She said she was put off by

the length of the book and the many exercise that

involved writing. Anna (age 19 years) agreed and felt

the introduction was not that helpful in telling you

how to use the book e.g. were you meant to do a

section everyday, could you do the sections out of

order or just select the ones which grabbed your

attention?

In the introduction the author did explain that the

exercises are likely to elicit strong emotional responses

and that the young person should always have

somebody to talk to about these. However, this seemed

Book Reviews

Eur. Eat. Disorders Rev. 17 (2009) 476–478 � 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. 477

at odds with othermessages in the book, which suggested

it could be used as a stand alone self-help manual.

This book does have some creative and useful

exercises. As a resource for therapists, teachers or

parents to use with a young person, it could be valuable.

However, as ‘an instant help book for teens’ it seemed

flawed. The format was dull and not particularly

adolescent orientated. The kind of popular magazines

young people access commonly design much better

questionnaires about eating habits and self-image than

in this book.

Karen Baker

Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist,

Nottingham, UK

Published online in Wiley InterScience

(www.interscience.wiley.com)

DOI: 10.1002/erv.953

Doreen A. Samelson (Ed.), (2009)

Feeding the Starving Mind: A Personalised, Comprehen-

sive Approach to Overcoming Anorexia & Other

Starvation Eating Disorders

New Harbinger Publications: Oakland, CA, £18 (paperback), pp.

240, ISBN 978-1-57224-584-6

This text is presented in a workbook format. It provides

information covering psychological and physiological

implications of eating problems and strategies for

individuals with an eating disorder that requires weight

restoration as part of the treatment programme. It also

seeks to provide the family of the person with an eating

disorder with an understanding of a ‘starvation eating

disorder’, and lends guidance to the sufferer as to what

role others can play in supporting their recovery.

For clinicians, the author states that the book can

provide support with discussions that arise in treatment

sessions, as well as material that gives direction and

support with tasks to carry out between sessions. The

book is not intended to support those who have an eating

disorder and have a healthy weight, although they are

likely to find parts of the book informative and of use.

The book is divided into four parts, the first of which

provides information about starvation features of an

eating disorder. The second part aims to tackle

motivation to stop purging behaviours and initiate

weight gain. This process incorporates the identifi-

cation of reasons to overcome the eating problem and

how to access a functional support team. The third part

details weight restoration and self-harm reduction. Self-

harm refers to dietary restriction, purging, diet pill

abuse, extreme exercise as well as alcohol misuse,

cutting etc. The final part of the book is concerned with

maintaining a healthy weight, addressing body image

issues and learning to live without an eating disorder.

The approach utilises CBT strategies such as recog-

nising maintenance cycles, self-monitoring, understand-

ing of the role of core beliefs, cost analysis, identification

of triggers to self-harming and working on alternative

behaviours. These strategies are presented, in a clear and

accessible format with due attention given to presenting

the rationale for particular tasks.

The author clearly asserts the view that starvation

eating disorders are closely tied to anxiety disorders, it

provides explanation of this view and practical

techniques for identifying and managing anxiety

features. The theme of tackling anxiety in relation to

eating, shape and weight seems to underpin the text.

This book’s strengths are its accessible style and

presentation, the interactive elements that run through-

out and its optimistic disposition that overcoming a

starvation eating disorder, although challenging, can be

within reach. The book offers a particular approach to

overcoming a starvation eating disorder, thus is not

suitable for all individuals with an eating disorder. It is

more concise and practical than theoretical and

analytical. A useful text to add to the CBT inclined

clinician’s pool of resources.

Tara Cousins

Leicester Eating Disorder Service, Leicester, UK

Published online in Wiley InterScience

(www.interscience.wiley.com)

DOI: 10.1002/erv.957

Book Reviews

478 Eur. Eat. Disorders Rev. 17 (2009) 476–478 � 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.