Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/287250
april 2014 | bravamagazine.Com 51 ing that 16, 17 years down the road, this is the thing that is most likely to kill me if I lose sight of this, if this gets out of hand." Barr Ruth affirms Werner's fears, stat- ing that anorexia has the highest mortal- ity rate of any mental disorder. "For the children of those women, they could very well lose a parent early," says Barr Ruth. In addition, Barr Ruth stresses that mothers who have lived through eating disorders need to be very careful about how they model healthy eating habits and body image perceptions, and should be very conscious of avoiding power strug- gles around meal times. While there are no hard-and-fast sta- tistics yet on the hereditary predisposi- tion to eating disorders, the experts agree there is undoubtedly a genetic link as there is with most mental illnesses. Maio says it is not uncommon to find a connection within family systems to ei- ther someone who has had an eating dis- order, or someone who has had depres- sion, anxiety, substance abuse, etc. that may display through an eating disorder. But she believes there is hope if a moth- er is actively in recovery and is very aware of healthy eating patterns and body im- ages; that mother can then set up an en- vironment in the home that promotes this healthy awareness and goes against the popular media. "I think that the child has a protective factor in that mother, versus a child who is in a home with a mother who is actively struggling," says Maio. After her post-partum relapse, Werner took a two-month leave of absence from her job at the time. She decided to resign shortly after her return and "reinvent the wheel" in late 2012. ough she's traveled and lived around the world, Werner finally seems at home—and at peace with her disease—in the cozy apartment she shares with her 3-year-old daughter. She thinks about her child when she considers the journey through her eating disorder. Now 35, Werner manages her eating disorder by mindfully embracing a "ha- bitual healthy lifestyle," as she focuses on preparing wholesome foods and making sure to sit down to eat with her daughter, as well as in her work as a fitness instruc- tor and freelance writer on topics like sustainable gardening. While Werner, Faren and Ginther Up- hoff have overcome their eating disor- ders, they sometimes struggle. Because all three have daughters there is definite concern about seeing eating disorder patterns in their children. "I'm determined to not have this affect my daughter," says Ginther Uphoff, who makes sure her child knows she has more than just beauty going for her and that beauty really is more than skin deep: Says Ginther Uphoff with conviction, "Beau- tiful comes from your heart." Learn about the symptoms of eating disorders and how to confront someone you suspect may have one, and find local support and resources at BRAVAmagazine.com. Even looking in the mirror, Rachel Werner, Sara Faren and Amanda Ginther Uphoff hadn't seen their eating disorders when they were younger. Now they do. Becoming mothers has made them more aware of their mortality, the damage to their bodies and the desire to let motherhood, not an eating disorder, define their identity.