April 2025 Issue

In this April 2025 Issue

Letter from the Editor | Overview of ICED 2025 Schedule | Book Review | New AED Members | ICED 2025

Letter from the Editor

Hi there, AED community,

I hope you all are finding spaces of solace and connection in light of the shifting political landscape. Now more than ever, it is important for us all to remember what is at the heart of the work we do: striving towards a world without eating disorders through science and practice. In a time where it might feel like your skillset is undervalued and scientific research is continuously being undermined, it is easy to become disconnected and disillusioned. That is why I believe we need the community, energy, and engagement that the International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) hopes to deliver.

As our current president, Unna Danner, shared in her most recent (and final!) Message From the President, the theme of this year’s ICED is, ‘A brave new world - leveraging technology, applied science and innovative practice to advance the field.’  The outline for the three-day conference includes panels highlighting Black and Brown voices, neurodivergent experiences, and weight-inclusive treatment. In a time when it feels like in many ways the world has taken one step forward and three steps back, gatherings like ICED serve to remind me that there are good folks out there doing good work. It couldn’t have come at a better time.

This issue of the AED newsletter features an overview of what to expect each day at ICED; an insightful and informative review of The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor, written by Ashley Dunford; and a list of new AED members (welcome!).

As always, I welcome your feedback on the newsletter. I hope to continue to refine it to make it not only a useful resource, but also reflective of the evolving values and voices of the organization.

Sincerely,

Andie Chilson, AED Newsletter Editor



Overview of ICED 2025 Schedule
By Unna Danner, Gry Kjærsdam Telléus, and Erin Quinn

Our annual International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) aims to advance eating disorder prevention, education, treatment, and research. We do so by offering our global community of committed professionals (we are referring to both people working in clinical practice, research, and advocacy) a rich conference program.

 Before the actual start of the program, there is the opportunity in the morning to participate in the clinical teaching day or the research training day. At 12 o'clock on May 28, 2025, the conference will be formally opened by the co-chairs of the conference committee and the president of the organization followed by a keynote lecture by Jenna Tregarthen. For the remainder of the conference, plenary sessions will alternate with oral presentations (paper sessions, workshops, panel sessions of our Special Interest Groups (SIG), and a poster session. The topics of the presentations have been selected based on their clinical and/or scientific merit for our multidisciplinary eating disorder field. In addition, there are several special sessions, such as the Global Think Tank, organized by our Research-Practice Committee; and the Meet the Experts & Mentor/Mentee Gathering, which aims to create connections between new and seasoned attendees of the conference. During the lunch break on May 29-30, there is an opportunity for our SIGs to have a meeting. At the end of the first and last conference day, welcome and closing receptions have been organized so that people can meet each other.

For a full conference agenda with a description of each session and plenary, click here.

We look forward to meeting you from May 28-30, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas!

The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love (2nd Edition) by Sonya Renee Taylor
Review by Ashley Dunford

Taylor’s The Body Is Not an Apology (2nd Edition) is much more than a body image self-help book. Sonya explores the intersection of all bodies, differing in race, gender, sexuality, size, and ability status, and the deeply ingrained social biases that perpetuate body stigma.

The foundation for this book is built upon Sonya’s choice to practice radical self-love and to stop apologizing for her size, Blackness, and loudness. Sonya thoroughly describes how society’s infrastructure is not built to accommodate all bodies, which also highlights the financial, emotional, and social costs both individually and collectively that further marginalize certain bodies in the workplace, health care, and in relationships. Based on her own stories and the stories of others, Sonya provides a powerful conceptualization on how body shame is the foundation of body oppression, upholding specific bodies over others. Through radical self-love, we can work to reduce our own body shame; challenge our biases about other bodies; and advocate for the respect and attention all bodies deserve.

The book is a well-researched, empathic, and approachable read compacted into a short book. The book is well organized and is divided into short but powerful points called ‘radical reflections.’ Sonya provides a historical overview about the origins of body oppression and its role in slavery, body terrorism, policy making, and consumerism. Building upon the notion of radical self-love, Sonya emphasizes the importance of social justice, including addressing our own complacency, for dismantling body inequities. What makes Sonya’s approach empathic is her transparency about her own implicit bias, her process of re-learning, and her radical reflections of how our biased thoughts are not our own. She asserts that we are not inherently racist, sexist, and ableist individuals, but rather have internalized harmful societal messaging along the way.

Sonya’s book is relevant to all providers in the eating disorder field because we are all impacted by body oppression and can learn from her radical reflections. Of note, this book is not what I expected and rather assumed that radical self-love was just body acceptance, liberation, and positivity. While radical self-love incorporates these aspects, it encapsulates so much more. As an eating disorder clinician, I find this book to be especially helpful, not as a body image treatment or guided self-help, but as a strong reminder that bodies do not exist in isolation and can further marginalization. I would recommend this book to my patients to aid in increasing their understanding of body oppression and radical self-love.

Welcome New AED Members! 

We are pleased to welcome 127 new AED members from around the globe! See the full list of new members here.

New Members

Register Now for ICED 2025

AED has extended the early bird deadline for ICED 2025 to April 14, 2025, giving our members more time to take advantage of the lower ratesl We hope you will plan to join us in San Antonio, Texas on May 28-30, 2025.

With the theme A Brave New World – Leveraging Technology, Applied Science, and Innovative Practice to Advance the Field, this year’s conference is all about pushing boundaries, embracing advancements, and transforming the future of eating disorder treatment and research.

Secure your spot now and save! Early-bird pricing ends April 14!

 

Register for ICED 2025

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