Still FEASTing after all these years

I'm feeling fairly old these days. I have grey hair and grandchildren and my response to the recent re-branding of BEAT is the same as my response to many a re-brand "I remember the last time..." 

In spite of feeling old I'm having to work harder in my paid employment than ever before. Instead of winding down for the last couple of years before retirement a combination of the raising of the pension age and pressures on all public services mean that I'm now in the middle management role that I have successfully avoided for years.

I've always been pretty sceptical and by now my cynicism arteries are well and truly hardened. I know there's no magic wand to cure eating disorders and that even when evidence based treatments are available they are often offered at a sub optimal dose in inappropriate conditions. I'm also well aware now, indeed I had my suspicions decades ago, that I'm probably as likely to find helpful advice on how to live with and love more than one of my close relatives here as at an eating disorders conference.

And yet today this tired, cynical old woman was inspired. At an eating disorders conference.

I went to half of a day of this. It isn't fair to comment on the conference because I only saw the tail end of it. I don't think it presented a very positive or game-changingly useful picture but I may well be wrong.

What I can comment on was how delightful it was to meet with a fellow parent and discuss FEAST and the forum, to share how useful the science presented there was to educated parents looking for real information. It's easy to get blase about what's out there - well it is if you are as old and cynical as me. However there still isn't enough support and real information for parents. F.E.A.S.T. wasn't there in our early days. I am glad that it is now. I know that it needs to be for a long time into the future.

Half way through my half day a clinician who I had been half avoiding asked me "are you still FEASTing" I am proud to have given a whole hearted answer of "YES"