By John Bomhoff
Art Studio Manager, Children’s Museum of Phoenix

Children will learn about designs and patterns with this creative project from the Children’s Museum of Phoenix.

Ages: 5 and up.

Materials: tennis shoes, 6” X 9” piece of white drawing paper, crayons which have the paper covering removed, scissors and markers. (Note: In the Art Studio we are using basketball shoes donated by the Phoenix Suns, sizes 15-18!).

Instructions:

Review the information regarding designs which follows.

Take off your tennis shoe. Place a piece of paper on the sole of the shoe. Have a friend hold the paper in place while you use the flat side of a crayon to rub gently on the paper. You will create a rubbing of the sole of the shoe.

Take the paper off the shoe and trace around the shoeprint with a crayon.

Cut out the shoe.

Using markers, color in the repeated designs.

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

This project provides an excellent opportunity to review how throughout history, cultures have created designs on useful objects by repeating shapes. The designs not only were decorative; in some cases they conveyed meanings. Such is the case with Native American pottery, which often is decorated with beautiful geometric designs or pictures that can be symbolic in nature. You may want to show your children pictures of some of this pottery. Then look around your house and find objects that are decorated with designs (i.e., dishes, clothing, wall coverings, etc.) Ask, “Why are items decorated?” (People throughout the world enjoy wearing and using items that are decorated with designs.) Then show how designs are created by repeating a shape over and over, just like on the bottom of shoes. By the way, you can also ask what the purpose is for those designs on the soles. (They provide traction so you can stop and start quickly!) If you have a group of children creating the projects, mount the shoes on butcher paper to create an eye-catching mural!

ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PHOENIX

The mission of the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is to engage the minds, muscles and imaginations of children and the grown-ups who care about them. With hands-on, interactive exhibits designed for children ages birth to 10, the Museum focuses on learning through play, with emphasis on early childhood education and school-readiness.

The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is located at 215 N. 7th St. in downtown Phoenix, at the southeast corner of Seventh Street and Van Buren in the historic Monroe School Building.

Tracy Van Ravensway.

Tracy Van Ravensway knows the best place to buy large potatoes in bulk. Not for cooking gargantuan portions of baked potatoes, but for carving the potatoes to make prints on her line of organic cotton clothing, Tiny Tater Tees.

She prints colorful patterns on T-shirts, onesies, ties and yoga pants by hand, then irons them and sews in a label. Each color and shape requires a different carved potato. Van Ravensway had a custom order of 2,400 shirts she worked on from August through November and is investigating how to expand her production capabilities without compromising on her hand-made, eco-friendly approach. “I just won’t sacrifice my product, if it changes the integrity of it,” she says. “I won’t lower my standards. Maybe my business is only meant to be small, but I would like to get it bigger.”

She has worked out of her Anthem home for four years and for about a year she has had a retail store on Main Street in downtown Scottsdale, where she sells her clothing as well as other eco-friendly toys and products. She mostly sells to tourists, though Van Ravensway hopes to get more local shoppers into her store.

Having retail space has actually increased her wholesale business. Boutique owners from out of state visit her store and order her clothing to sell in their stores.

The more successful the store and website become, the more time she must spend painting shirts and minding the store while taking care of her children, Emma (5) and Nathan (4). The store is closed Wednesdays, plus she has someone come in to work in the store Sundays and Mondays. For now, Van Ravensway can bring Nathan with her to the store a couple days a week and he happily plays on her iPad or with his toys and Emma helps around the store.

When she is home with the kids she doesn’t do any work until they are asleep. She has her “snuggle time” with them and that means working until midnight ironing shirts and sewing in labels.

Van Ravensway says she has always been an entrepreneur as well as being creative and has always known she would have her own store. She likes adjusting the product mix to match the interests and needs of her clientele and is a naturally hard worker so the late nights are not a burden on her.

Her husband, Jamie, also works in downtown Scottsdale so they contemplate a move from Anthem to reduce their driving time.

Learn more about Tiny Tater Tees.

Story and photos by Daniel Friedman

By John Bomhoff
Art Studio Manager, Children’s Museum of Phoenix

Children will learn about fruit, vegetables and art history with this week’s craft from the  Children’s Museum of Phoenix.

Ages: preschool (with assistance) and up.

Materials: 6” X 9″ pieces of black and brown construction paper, 3” X 3” pieces of red, blue, yellow, purple, orange, and green squares of construction paper, crayons, glue sticks and scissors.

Instructions:

Show your children pictures of Paul Cezanne’s still-life paintings and discuss his work using the information that follows.

Draw and cut out a bowl or basket from the black or brown paper.

Holding up each of the primary and secondary colored papers, discuss which fruits and vegetables are those colors.

Using the colored papers, draw and cut out fruits and vegetables and glue them onto the bowl or basket, creating a “still-life.”

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

This is a relatively simple art project to do with your children.  However, it provides a wealth of opportunities to present information on variety of subjects including art history, color mixing and nutrition.

Paul Cezanne, a French artist, lived from 1839 until 1906.  He is known for his “still-lifes,” paintings of objects that do not move.  He mixed the primary colors – red, blue, and yellow to create the secondary colors – orange , purple, and green.  These colors were used to create the fruits and vegetables in his paintings.

In addition to a mini art history lesson, this is an excellent opportunity to discuss the nutritional value of eating fruits and vegetables by providing the following information.  Green fruits and veggies contain lutein which helps maintain good eyesight and reduces the risk of certain diseases.  Blue and purple fruits and vegetables are from a family of anthocyanins which improve short-term memory and aid in balance and coordination.  Red fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants which can reduce the risk of heart disease.  And finally, yellow and orange fruits and veggies contain beta-carotene which may slow the aging process.

ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PHOENIX

The mission of the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is to engage the minds, muscles and imaginations of children and the grown-ups who care about them. With hands-on, interactive exhibits designed for children ages birth to 10, the Museum focuses on learning through play, with emphasis on early childhood education and school-readiness.

The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is located at 215 N. 7th St. in downtown Phoenix, at the southeast corner of Seventh Street and Van Buren in the historic Monroe School Building.

Story and photos by Daniel Friedman

Lin Sue Cooney and Cindy Leech have a business, Sweet-Stops, making cookies, cupcakes, brownies, truffles and dark chocolate pecan toffee. They also teach classes on food and entertaining.

Businesses have to figure out how to somehow become known amongst all the other businesses vying for consumers’ attention. One advantage Sweet-Stops has is that almost everyone in Phoenix knows Cooney because she’s been on Channel 12News forever (since 1984). But public recognition won’t mix the batter any quicker or decorate cookies any faster, and yes, Cooney and Leech do all the baking themselves. And the deliveries. And the marketing.

There are no day-old cookies or cupcakes at Sweet-Stops because it’s all made to order. Much of their business is corporations looking to give treats to clients or someone having a celebration. The AJ’s Fine Foods stores at Central and Camelback, 44th Street and Camelback and Val Vista and Baseline all sell Sweet-Stops goods, but Cooney and Leech have no plans for a retail store, at least not yet.

Leech has operated her own business, Deck the Halls, for 20 years, decorating homes during the holidays and special occasions. So she knows her way around organizing, planning and sustaining a business. Cooney says she likes to do the baking and 50 things at once and that Leech is the steady, patient and calm partner.

Leech says being in business for yourself means putting in the time and “keeping your hand in the business” to maintain a personal touch. And do what you love, she says, because “if you don’t love it, it’s just a job.”

Sweet-Stops holds classes in cooking and entertaining about six times a year. The classes are announced on their Facebook page. At a recent class, Cooney was demonstrating how to decorate a sugar cookie with two colors of icing. She explained what kind of icing to use, what consistency the icing should be and how to apply it just so. It was obvious Cooney was having a good time and the students were taking in every detail, oohing and aahing over the tips and tricks they were learning.

Cooney says former co-anchor Kent Dana’s wife gave her a toffee recipe 28 years ago. “But I couldn’t leave it alone,” she says. She tweaked the recipe over time and friends requested the addictive sweet, which they referred to as “crack” and suggested she start selling it. Cooney says she has always loved baking dessert because, “It’s pretty, it’s decadent, it’s fancy and makes you feel good.”

Learn more about Sweet Stops.

When her newborn daughter Payton failed a routine hospital hearing screening, Brooke Gammie of Phoenix wasn’t too concerned. “She was only two days old,” says Gammie. “How could the complexity of her hearing be totally perfect hours after birth?”

Two weeks later, when Gammie returned to the hospital with Payton for a rescreening, the results were the same: borderline fail. Payton was scheduled for in-depth testing with an audiologist.

Gammie assumed the cause wasn’t serious—extra fluid in the ear canal, maybe, or perhaps Payton just needed some more development time. “No one ever told me there was potential for her to have a hearing loss,” says Gammie. “Looking back, it probably would have scared the heck out of me.”

Every year about 200 Arizona babies are born with hearing loss; nearly two-thirds of those cases are detected early, says Lylis Olsen, Arizona Early Hearing Detection and Intervention coordinator. Screening newborns for hearing loss has become part of the standard of care in area hospitals.

Two methods are commonly used. The Auditory Brainstem Response test uses tiny electrodes placed on the scalp. Sounds or clicks are played to measure the response from the hearing nerve. The Otoacoustic Emissions test uses a microphone placed in the ear canal and measures how sound waves respond to clicks or tone bursts generated in the cochlea. “It’s really quick and easy,” says Olsen, “and painless.”

Lylis Olsen screens Jayden Kohl (13 months) using an Otoacoustic Emissions device. It bounces sound waves off the cochlea to sense abnormalities that would indicate a possible hearing loss. The screening was sponsored by First Things First (azftf.gov).

The challenge in helping babies with hearing loss depends on what happens after the screening results are determined. In 2005, the Arizona State Legislature passed a law requiring a follow-up process for babies who do not pass an initial screening. Before these guidelines were mandated, says Olsen, 60 percent of the babies who failed their first screening missed an opportunity for a thorough follow-up screening and assessment that culminates in a diagnosis.

Babies who do not pass the initial screening should be rescreened before the age of 3 months, says Olsen. But parents don’t always follow up.

“A lot of times they think, ‘We don’t have any hearing loss in our family, so there’s no risk,’” Olson says. Or they perform “home tests”—banging pots or pans or dropping a heavy book—and think that the baby’s reaction proves testing was flawed. But babies who react to loud, sudden noises may still be missing the high or low frequencies necessary for communication. Or they may simply be responding to movement or vibration.

“Children who have a hearing loss become really good at paying attention to all the other signals,” she says.

What do babies miss if they are born with even a mild hearing loss? Experts say that hearing acuity directly affects the development of speech and verbal language skills—and may also negatively affect social, emotional, cognitive and academic development. That’s why diagnosis and early intervention are critical during that first year for the child with any degree of loss.

“If we can do that,” says Olsen, “their speech and language can develop close to the normal range. It’s absolutely incredible.”

When Payton was just 4 weeks old, Gammie scheduled a full audiology assessment for her at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She was diagnosed with bi-lateral mild to moderate sensori-neural permanent hearing loss. At just 8 weeks—dubbed her “hearing age,” or the “age at which she was first aided”—Payton began wearing her first pair of extra-pink sparkle hearing aids.

From the assessment, Gammie says, she learned that Payton was not able to access soft frequencies like “f” or “s” sounds. Using advanced software, the audiologist was able to plot her hearing capability and actually play a recorded conversation just the way Payton would hear it without aid.

“It was so powerful,” Gammie says. “From that day forward, I didn’t speak to her unless she was wearing her hearing aids. I couldn’t stomach her not being able to hear every pitch of my voice when I was talking to her. I needed her to hear everything I was saying.”

It comes down to the notion that “children say what they hear,” says Andrea L. Pittman, associate professor of speech and hearing science at Arizona State University. The degree to which the child is impaired affects the clarity of speech, as well as the rate at which he or she learns new vocabulary words.

For children with a serious loss, the evidence might be garbled or mumbled speech. But for those with a mild loss, says Pittman, the clarity of their speech may not be affected. Still, they may be at a disadvantage at building vocabulary as they grow, simply because they’re not hearing new words as clearly or as often as a typical child with normal hearing.

Pittman, who has an interest in studying how children manage multi-tasking skills in the classroom, says that overlooking a mild hearing loss can be very stressful for children as they tend to the business of learning. Unlike the adult who suffers a loss later in life, children don’t know what they are missing.

Finding a professional who understands these differences is key to a hearing-impaired child’s success. “Kids are not little adults,” says Pittman. “I always tell parents to find a really good, competent pediatric audiologist.”

For Gammie, the toughest part of the journey wasn’t the news that Payton would need to wear hearing aids. “The scariest part was knowing nothing about it. Who hears about hearing loss? It was totally off the radar. It came out of nowhere.”

Speech therapy and other services provided by groups for hearing-impaired children, such as Desert Voices in Phoenix, have been invaluable for Payton, who celebrated her first birthday last month.

Learning how to parent a child with a hearing loss and embracing the opportunity to discover Payton’s world have been fascinating, says Gammie. All toys have an auditory component, language is rich and listening exercises are a part of each day.

“We’re very alert to her sounds and noises, and more aware of the babbling and pre-linguistic stages she is going through.” We know she is developmentally on track, and we have the resources to teach us how to be parents of a kiddo with a hearing loss.”

Gammie says she can’t imagine Payton’s life any other way. “It’s all I know. I love her hearing aids. It makes her extra-special.”

Resources for parents

Arizona Department of Health Services Department of Newborn Screening
250 N 17th Ave., Phoenix
602-364-1409 • aznewborn.com
Babies born in a hospital routinely receive screening for 29 disorders, including hearing loss. Parents who deliver in a non-hospital setting should make arrangements with their primary care provider for newborn hearing and additional medical screenings.

Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
100 N 15th Ave #104, Phoenix
602-542-3323 • acdhh.org
A statewide information referral center for issues related to improving the quality of life for people with hearing loss.

The Ear Foundation of Arizona
668 N 44th St #300, Phoenix
602-685-1050 • earfoundationaz.com
Provides education, information, research, prevention, intervention and advocacy services for people of all ages who are deaf, affected by hearing loss, at risk for hearing loss or deafness, or have tinnitus or a balance disorder.

Arizona Hands and Voices
866-685-1050 • azhv.org
The Arizona chapter of a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families and their children who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as the professionals who serve them.

Desert Voices
3426 E Shea Blvd., Phoenix
602-224-0598
• desert-voices.org
Offers individualized programs to teach deaf and hard of hearing children speech and language beginning at 4 weeks of age.

By John Bomhoff
Art Studio Manager, Children’s Museum of Phoenix

The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is getting ready for Valentine’s Day with these loveable creatures.

Ages: preschool (with assistance) and up.

Materials: 6” X 9” pieces of red, white, pink, magenta and purple construction paper, pencils, scissors, glue sticks, markers and paper fasteners (optional).

Instructions:

Create a heart shape.  Fold a sheet of construction paper in half.  On the fold line draw the shape of an ear, cut it out and open it up to create a heart shape.

Create more heart shapes of varying sizes and colors.

Put the shapes together to create animals.

Glue the shapes together.  If you want to create movable parts, use paper fasteners to attach the hearts.

Add details with markers.

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

This is a great way to make Valentine’s Day decorations or Valentines to give to others.  While making the project, share the following Question and Answer Valentine Jokes with your children.

 Q:  What did the Valentine card say to the stamp?
A:  Stick with me and we’ll go places.

Q:  What is a vampire’s sweetheart called?
A:  His ghoul-friend.

Q:  Why did the banana go out with the prune?
A:  Because he couldn’t get a date.

Q:  What did the boy octopus say to the girl octopus?
A:  Can I hold your hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand?

Q:  What did one snake say to the other snake?
A:  Give me a little hug and a hiss, honey.

ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PHOENIX

The mission of the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is to engage the minds, muscles and imaginations of children and the grown-ups who care about them. With hands-on, interactive exhibits designed for children ages birth to 10, the Museum focuses on learning through play, with emphasis on early childhood education and school-readiness.

The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is located at 215 N. 7th St. in downtown Phoenix, at the southeast corner of Seventh Street and Van Buren in the historic Monroe School Building.

Stephanie Lee in her space at Skysong.

The recession was rough on many people. Stephanie Lee, of Chandler, got laid off while working for a manufacturing company in Michigan. She was working at her father’s company, though he was not the one to lay her off. Stephanie laid herself off. After looking at the financials she realized the company needed to trim the workforce to stay afloat.

Lee is applying her hard-nosed approach to business to Bébé EcoPosh,  her online store selling what she describes as “stylish, good looking products that are eco-friendly for baby.” She is also working on her MBA at the WP Carey School of Business at ASU. In 2011 she was an ASU Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative winner, for which she received a grant to build her business. The grant provides funding and business support, including office space at Skysong,  the ASU business center in Scottsdale supporting entrepreneurship and innovation.

Her space at Skysong is a desk with a computer in a sprawling, open office area surrounded by other entrepreneurs. It gives Lee a place to work where she can concentrate on Bébé EcoPosh when she isn’t caring for her daughter Sophia (17 months), working her fulltime job at Limelight Networks in account development or taking MBA classes. Her husband, Jason, takes care of Sophia when Stephanie puts in some late-night hours in at Skysong researching products and building up her customer base.

She has big plans for the business in 2012, her “year of achievement” as she calls it, to increase marketing to make her website more visible. Up to this point her efforts have been focused on finding the right product mix, of sometimes obscure, but always unique, interesting products made with organic and/or eco friendly process and materials.

One product she sells is the Finn+Emma Play Gym made from 100 percent birch wood with a non-toxic stain, all natural untreated sheesham wood, phthalate-free rattles and hand-knit organic cotton. It sells for $135. Definitely eco and posh, aimed at consumers who want and can afford interesting, chemical-free toys for their kids. The dolls that come with the play gym can be detached and played with separately.

She chose eco-friendly as a focus because “our children are depending on us and we need to make every effort, especially as parents, to make sure we are instilling in them the values of saving their planet, giving them the principles and lifestyle changes that we have to go through, even in the products we buy, to help their future.” Lee also likes the “posh” aspect because so many people equate organic with brown and bland Lee says but eco can be stylish. “The word organic scares people off, but saying safe and free of chemicals, which is the same thing” works better, according to Lee.

Because her store is only online, Lee says customer service is paramount: “giving them as personable a customer experience as possible.” She puts personal touches in the boxes when she makes a sale. Some free samples, attractive but still eco-friendly packaging and eventually product demonstration videos for each product to enhance the customer experience.

Lee’s experience at her father’s business taught her to keep a keen eye on the where her money is and what she is buying. To save money she created her own website and designed her logo. Her garage is the warehouse for the products she sells until the business outgrows the space.

Much of the research and preparation for her store has come during her undergraduate business classes and will continue during her MBA studies. Lee says she will “use my education to build a stronger backbone for the business.”
Lee has big plans beyond increasing sales on her online stores, including a catalogue and brick-and-mortar stores.

Learn more about Bébé EcoPosh.

Erika L. Rowe, DMD. Photo by Daniel Friedman.

Every mother wants the very best for her unborn child. We read endless books, take prenatal vitamins and go to our regular obstetric visits. But did you know that regular dental care during pregnancy directly impacts the health of your new baby?

Expectant moms should continue with regular cleanings throughout pregnancy. Digital x-rays with proper shielding, dental anesthetics and most antibiotics used today are safe during pregnancy. If you have a dental emergency, seek treatment immediately. Your OB can provide you with dental clearance if your dentist is hesitant to provide emergency care while you are pregnant.

Here are some frequently asked questions about dental health during pregnancy.

Why does pregnancy affect dental health?

• Nausea and low blood sugar can make frequent snacking common. Commonly promoted foods such as crackers may be high in starches that promote decay.

• Nausea makes it difficult to have anything in your mouth without feeling the urge to vomit. This makes brushing or flossing more difficult.

• Vomiting during pregnancy can lead to a sudden and large increase in tooth decay in some women if it is happening several times a day and if handled incorrectly. When vomiting or reflux occurs, stomach acid enters the mouth. The acid irritates gum tissue and softens the outer tooth enamel. If this happens repeatedly, it will thin the enamel.

What can I do to keep my mouth healthy?

• Use the smallest toothbrush head to reduce gagging.

• Use an electric toothbrush for more effective brushing.

• Use a pre-loaded floss holder to reduce gagging.

• Add an antibacterial rinse to your routine to help keep bacteria controlled.

• Never brush teeth immediately after a vomiting or reflux episode. Rinse with a solution of water and baking soda or use a liquid antacid to restore the pH in your mouth. If you don’t let the pH normalize before you brush after vomiting you are actually brushing away tooth mineral particles that otherwise would have been restored to the surface of your enamel. Eating a small piece of cheese also neutralizes acids in the mouth and boosts calcium levels, which helps to protect the teeth.

• Chew a Xylitol-containing sugar-free gum to increase saliva, help reduce bacteria, decrease plaque and help re-mineralize teeth.

• If acid exposure happens on a daily basis, tell your dentist. You may need a prescription fluoride mouth rinse or gel to prevent dental erosion.

What’s the big deal? It’s only nine months!

If your mouth doesn’t stay clean during pregnancy, you can develop pregnancy gingivitis. This quickly can lead to periodontal disease and irreversible bone loss.This happens because gum and periodontal disease are bacterial infections.

Like infections in other areas of the body, periodontal disease can cause preterm labor and delivery. Disease-causing bacteria produce toxins that enter the bloodstream, causing the body to produce chemicals to fight off the disease process. These chemicals are the same ones that can induce contractions and lead to preterm labor and a low birth weight baby. Your dental insurance may even provide an extra cleaning during pregnancy to help prevent such complications.

When you pick up your toothbrush and floss, it’s not just to keep your smile bright; you are helping to give your little one the healthiest and brightest future possible!

Erika L. Rowe, DMD, is a dentist and part-time stay-at-home mom. She is the mother of Kole (2) and is expecting her second child in early 2012. She and her husband, Kurt N. Rowe, DMD, own a practice in North Central Phoenix called Rowe and Warren Family Dentistry.

Maggie Pingolt, a senior at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

If eel like I always fall short of painting an accurate picture of what it was like, how it felt and why I did what I did when I was at the height of my struggle with an eating disorder.

One hot summer night four years ago, I slept outside on my parents’ porch beneath a down-feathered sleeping bag because I was cold. Right before I fell asleep, I swam 20 laps in our backyard pool with a broken foot, challenging myself with each lap to not come up for air. I was hoping I wouldn’t make it out alive.

By the next afternoon, I was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Phoenix Children’s Hospital for fatal arrhythmia, or bradycardia, due to full-blown anorexia and binge exercising. A normal heart rate range is between 60 and 100 beats per minute; hospital records say my heart rate was in the low 30s.

I’d been struggling with this deadly disorder for nearly four years and I remember thinking the doctors were out of their minds for hospitalizing me. I had no desire to be put on psychiatric watch or bed rest, let alone be forced to eat. I wanted to be left alone. I wanted to be left to my own reality.

But the reality wasn’t pretty. My heart was beating dangerously low and couldn’t get blood and oxygen to the rest of my body. The breakdown of my body manifested itself in broken bones, irregular heartbeats and irrational behaviors. The science of my health is easy to comprehend. But the deep-seated disappointment and hatred I had toward myself can only be felt. It’s impossible to explain.

Deteriorating health after four years of battling my eating disorder brought me to the end of my rope.

A dangerous reality

My experience is not unique. Nearly 24 million Americans of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders, according to statistics from the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Even more frightening, research from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows a 119 percent upswing in hospitalizations for eating disorders in children under 12 years old over a five-year period from 1999 to 2006.

“Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any diagnosable mental illness,” says Michelle Klinedinst, executive vice president of Rosewood, an eating disorder treatment center in Wickenburg. The effects of starvation or binging and purging can lead to “extreme medical damage inside a person’s body.”

When individuals starve themselves or purge their food (through vomiting, exercise or laxative use), the typical metabolic functions are no longer relevant. With no nutrients coming in, and no fat to use as backup, the body takes from itself—“eats” muscle—to fuel basic life functions.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anorexia nervosa is notorious for damaging the heart and brain, as well as eliminating a woman’s menstrual cycle. Bulimic exercise mimics a lot of the same psychological symptoms of anorexia. Classic bulimia (binging and purging) is known to develop acid reflux disorder, gastrointestinal problems, intestinal distress and electrolyte imbalance that can lead to heart attacks.

Binge behaviors are also considered among the disorders recognized by the National Eating Disorders Association. According to NIMH, symptoms often include guilt, shame, high blood pressure and an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

What causes eating disorders?

The reasons people starve themselves or binge on large quantities of food cannot be pinpointed to any one moment or situation.

“The research is showing that anywhere from 50 to 82 percent of an eating disorder may be the result of a genetic predisposition,” explains Dena Cabrera, manager of educational outreach at Remuda Ranch, a residential treatment center in Wickenburg. “That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s one gene for anorexia, or one gene for bulimia.”

“If a female has anorexia or bulimia, her daughter or sister is 12 times more likely to develop anorexia,” says Cabrera. Daughters or sisters are four times more likely to develop bulimia.

For someone who may already be genetically predisposed, the combined pressures of familial and societal expectations, idealistic media imagery and relationships with friends and loved ones can have an incredible impact.

“It may be a peer of the opposite sex saying, ‘You’re a little chubby’…or ‘Those jeans look a little tight,’” says Klinedinst. Comments like these can be trigger points for someone who is vulnerable.

“I think we have to always be very careful,” says Klinedinst. “Words can hurt.”

The verbal and nonverbal messages parents send to their children can be very powerful. Without even knowing it, parents convey attitudes toward eating that influence how someone relates to food. If a father or mother is very diet-conscious or is trying to lose weight, feelings of shame toward an overweight child could irritate any anxiety the child already feels about food, Cabrera explains.

One young woman’s story

Diana Inzunza, a sophomore at Arizona State University.

Diana Inzunza, a sophomore studying nutrition at Arizona State University, has struggled with anorexia and occasional bulimia since sixth grade. She remembers beginning to diet before her cousin’s quinceañera, and learning how to throw up with a friend who wanted to “get skinny.”

For two years, she used a myriad of excuses to explain her continuing weight loss—pain from her braces, fatigue from soccer and cheerleading and the pressure of being the oldest. Her family didn’t have meals together every night and it was easy to throw away breakfast when her parents were getting ready for work. Lunch was the only meal she had to truly hide, so she’d go to the library to study.

“My younger brother tattled a lot,” says Inzunza. “He knew why I was going to the bathroom after meals, but my parents didn’t believe him and I was the older girl. I had all the attention—the highest level of expectations. They wouldn’t expect that from me.”

The principal at Inzunza’s K-8 Catholic school was first to recognize Inzunza’s situation. She threatened to call Child Protective Services unless Inzunza’s parents sought help. Soon after, Inzunza was taken to Remuda Ranch for 60 days of inpatient treatment.

Recovery

One of the biggest obstacles to recovery is rebuilding an identity and value system apart from the eating disorder, Cabrera says. In treatment, patients must learn how to eat healthfully, make clear, rational decisions about food and let go of unrealistic ideas of perfectionism.

Most inpatient and outpatient programs use a combination of nutritional education and therapy to combat the psychological and physiological obstacles of an eating disorder. One of the biggest struggles is learning how to differentiate between using food as nourishment and using it as a mechanism for control and feeling better about oneself.

The personality traits of those who struggle with an eating disorder often include low self-esteem, the desire to excel and a drive to control, explains Klinedinst. Recovery requires a complete manipulation of those personality traits and how they are manifested through food.

“What’s really the scariest part about this particular illness, unlike any other disorder I’ve ever worked with, is that these individuals strive for perfection,” explains Klinedinst.

Inzunza’s struggle with anorexia and occasional bulimia didn’t end with treatment. Some of her earlier behaviors—binging and purging, severe restriction of food—continued to plague her throughout high school. Her desire to be perfect sometimes overcame the healthier ways of thinking she learned in treatment.

She still finds it difficult at times, especially during holidays, when there is such a strong cultural focus on food.

“I know I shouldn’t eat a lot because I like to be thin,” she says. “Becoming lazy is my biggest fear.”

Cabrera points out that each person’s struggle with an eating disorder is individual and unique.

“Recovery varies from person to person,” she says. “I think the hardest part is accepting that there is a problem. It’s really committing to recovery.”

The unknown of what comes after an eating disorder is unsettling for most people.

“There’s such a loss of identity that they’re not going to be special anymore or they’re going to lose control,” says Cabrera. Part of recovery is learning to get past that fear. It’s really about rebuilding your identity and value system.”

My own recovery began a week into inpatient treatment at Remuda Ranch nearly four and a half years ago. During treatment and for months afterward I challenged myself to eat normal portions, participate in healthy amounts of exercise and practice positive self-talk.

Since my time there, I’ve learned how to accept my feelings and let go of what I can’t change, give up my irrational desires for physical perfection and find peace in knowing that I can’t write my own future.

Through recovery I’ve learned that every day cannot be perfect. Today I live by the idea that “It’s just a day,” because I believe there’s always tomorrow.

Eating Disorder Awareness Walk

The Valley’s first Eating Disorder Awareness Walk will be held from 6 to 9 a.m. Sunday Feb. 26 at the Phoenix Zoo. A one-mile loop through the park will be followed by refreshments, children’s games, motivational speakers, book signings and live music.

The event is being organized to increase awareness about eating disorders and raise funds for the National Eating Disorder Association. Registration fees ($30 per adult, $10 per child) include a T-shirt and full-day admission to the zoo.
To register or get involved, visit phxeatingdisorderwalk.wordpress.com.

Sobering statistics

• Up to 24 million Americans of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder.
• Only one in 10 men and women with eating disorders receives treatment.
• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
• The body type portrayed as ideal in advertising is possessed naturally by only five percent of American females.
• Studies of adolescents have found that although boys report less body dissatisfaction than girls do, significant numbers of boys (five to 20 percent) report restrained eating, vomiting, laxative abuse or smoking cigarettes for weight control.
• Most women say they would trade one year of their lives to be thin.

Sources: National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, Journal of American College Health, Fox News

Getting help for eating disorders

If you suspect a family member has an eating disorder, talk with your primary care physician to learn about options that are available. The following Arizona treatment centers offer varied approaches to treatment.

A New Beginning
9825 N 95th St #101, Scottsdale
480-941-4247 • anewbeginning.com
Outpatient treatment of eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, male eating disorders, exercise bulimia, obesity and weight management), depression, anxiety, abuse, trauma, and marital/relationship difficulties.

Healthy Futures
9449 N 90th St #210, Scottsdale
480-451-8500 • healthyfutures.ws
Outpatient program includes nutrition education, meal planning, group therapy, family education and support. Family therapies also are available.

Mirasol
2954 N Campbell #157, Tucson
888-520-1700 • mirasol.net
Residential treatment facility offering medical and psychiatric interventions for eating disorder recovery.

Remuda Ranch
1 Apache St, Wickenburg
888-739-4205 • remudaranch.com
Inpatient treatment focused on helping women and girls reflect, regain health and discover the inner strength required to recover from an eating disorder. Remuda Life, a transitional program between inpatient treatment and home, is offered on a campus in Chandler.

Rosewood Ranch
36075 S Rincon Rd, Wickenburg
800-845-2211 • rosewoodranch.com
Residential treatment programs focused on helping male and female adults and teens suffering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other complex disorders. Also offers outpatient and transitional services from offices in Wickenburg and Tempe.

Sierra Tucson
39580 S Lago del Oro Parkway, Tucson
800-842-4487 • sierratucson.com
Residential treatment center that provides individualized treatment for eating disorders as well as alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, sexual compulsivity and other mental and behavioral disorders.

Maggie Pingholt is a senior in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University. For her honors thesis, she partnered with entrepreneur and mother of three Lori Price of Phoenix to organize the Valley’s first Eating Disorder Awareness Walk.

Miles (3 months) gets his gums swabbed by his mother Ona Watkins of Litchfield Park.

Even though we are not able to see them, a baby’s primary teeth begin forming before birth. At around 4 to 6 months, the first teeth begin pushing through the gums. By the age of 3, all 20 primary teeth should be visible in your child’s mouth. It is more important that the teeth come out in the proper order than exactly on time as predicted by an eruption chart.

How can you get a head start on making sure that your little one is on the way to a healthy smile?

Before the first tooth appears you can use a warm, clean washcloth to gently swab the gums after every meal. Providing that consistent experience of cleaning the mouth will make it easier to introduce a toothbrush.

From the moment a tooth appears it is vulnerable to decay. When the first tooth erupts, gently brush with a soft toothbrush. Do not use fluoride toothpaste until your child can fully spit out what is in his or her mouth. This usually happens around age 3.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry strongly recommends that your little one visit a dentist soon after the eruption of the first tooth and at the latest before the first birthday. In our office this visit is called a “happy visit” and is free for our patients’ children. Check with your dentist to see if something similar is offered. The purpose is to create a happy experience sitting on mom’s or dad’s lap and lead to a lifetime of preventive dental care that will minimize the occurrence of dental decay and the health and financial challenges that come with it.

A question we frequently hear is, “Why are baby teeth so important to a child’s health when they are just going to fall out eventually? Why bother keeping them clean?” Primary teeth stay in place until permanent teeth underneath erupt, pushing them out and taking their place. Baby teeth are important to the development and growth of your child’s permanent smile and jaw. If a child loses a baby tooth prematurely due to decay and it is not replaced with a dentist-inserted, custom space-maintaining appliance, there may not be space for the larger permanent tooth to erupt, which will guarantee the need for extensive orthodontic correction later. Permanent teeth will begin to appear around age 6 and will continue erupting until around age 21.

Still thinking, “Why do I need to spend money now when she only has two teeth?” Taking your child to see the dentist before age 1 will actually save you money in the long run. A study in the journal Pediatrics showed that children who have their first dental visit before age 1 have 40 percent lower dental costs in their first five years than children who do not.

Learn more

Tooth eruption chart and what to expect birth to age 5.

Erika L. Rowe, DMD is a dentist and part-time stay-at-home mom. She is the mother of Kole (2) and Lilly, who was born Jan. 19. She and her husband, Kurt N. Rowe, DMD, own a practice in North Central Phoenix called Rowe and Warren Family Dentistry.