Performing Beyond the Limits:
Understanding Eating Disorders in Female Athletes
Keynote Speakers:
Nancy Clark '73
Nutritionist and Author
Joanne T. Pomodoro
Clinical Social Worker and Senior Champion Racquetball Player
Friday, April 11, 2003
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA
The Simmons School of Health Sciences takes great pride in offering this high quality, interdisciplinary professional education conference that addresses a critical issue affecting the competitive performance of female athletes: eating disorders.
I extend a warm welcome to Simmons alumni, faculty, and students, and to athletic trainers, coaches, dance instructors, health educators, nurses, nutritionists, psychologists, social workers, and other professionals interested in learning and developing strategies for improving the health needs and well-being of the female athlete.
I wish to thank the members of the conference planning committee, who represent several areas of the College, and the Office of Alumnae/i Relations for their coordination of this excellent program.
Gerald Koocher, Ph.D.
Dean, Simmons School of Health Sciences
CONFERENCE AGENDA
8:30 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast
Conference Center, 300 The Fenway
9:00 a.m. Welcome
Daniel S. Cheever, Jr.
President
Simmons College
Gerald P. Koocher
Dean, School of Health Sciences
Simmons College
9:30 a.m. Keynote speaker
Nancy Clark '73, M.S., R.D.
Director of Nutrition Services, Sports Medicine Associates
"Eating Disorders and Athletes: How to Transform Food Fears into Healthful Fueling"
Question and answer period
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Keynote speaker
Joanne T. Pomodoro, R.T., M.S.W., L.C.S.W.
Clinical Social Worker, The Trauma Center & Arbour Counseling Center
Athletes with Eating Disorders: A Personal Journey
Question and answer period
Noon Lunch
1:15 - 2:15 p.m. Breakout Session I (choose one)
1. Health is Not a Number on a Scale: Nutrition and Eating Disorders
Some young women often experience the act of eating as a number-based, obsessive act of counting calories, fat grams, and body weight. This session will provide clinicians with practical advice and techniques for helping clients manage the road to recovery so that the act of eating is a peaceful, enjoyable, and nutritious experience.
Susan Frates, M.S., R.D., clinical dietitian, Children's Hospital, Boston; Lecturer, Simmons College School of Health Sciences; and assistant instructor of pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
2. Who's in the Driver's Seat?: Emotional Health and Eating Disorders
Many North American women struggle with issues of eating and weight, and athletes are no exception. This talk will help clinicians identify the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder, and how to discern when a client is controlling her food intake, rather than being "controlled" by an eating disorder.
Dawn Belkin Martinez, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W., Ph.D. candidate, chief social worker, In-Patient Psychiatry, Children's Hospital, Boston; lecturer, Simmons College School of Social Work and Harvard Medical School
3. Physical Therapy and Fitness: Working with Athletes with Eating Disorders
A female athlete with an eating disorder needs support-from her coach and team, and from a team of health care professionals, including physical therapists. This session will demonstrate the benefits of healthy exercise behavior patterns, and how to develop training programs suitable for female athletes with eating disorders.
Brett Miller, P.T., clinic director, Charles River Sports Therapy
4. Athletes and Eating Disorders: Understanding the Nursing Role
Female athletes with eating disorders present a challenge to nurses and nurse practitioners in the school, clinic, or hospital setting. This session will address issues of assessment and treatment strategies, and provide helpful hints about the pitfalls to avoid when working with these clients.
Darlene Vittori, A.P.R.N., B.C., P.N.P., pediatric nurse practitioner and coordinator of the Young Women's Health Center at Milford Hospital
5. How, When, and Who to Include?: Practical and Legal Considerations for Coaches and Administrators
Female athletes with eating disorders are at increased risk for serious, potentially life-threatening medical problems that may call for intervention and the creation of parameters about participation. In addition to providing coaches and administrators with legal and practical guidance, this session will also outline the unique and important role coaches play in mobilizing college or high school resources in support of these athletes.
Sarah Neill, Ed.M., associate dean for student life, Simmons College, and Kathleen Rogers, J.D., college counsel, Simmons College
6. Women of Color and Lesbians with Eating Disorders: Sociocultural Considerations
Historically, eating disorders have been associated with white, economically privileged young women. However, women of color and lesbians also struggle with eating problems and body image concerns that are often hidden and sometimes exacerbated by cultural factors, racism, or homophobia. This session will explore the social contextual issues, including oppression, that may contribute to eating disorders in these athletes.
Sherri Ettinger, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W., Ph.D. candidate, staff social worker, Simmons College Counseling Center
2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Breakout Session II (choose one from above list)
All sessions listed above, under Breakout Session I, are repeated at 2:30 p.m.
Conference Speakers
Nancy Clark '73, M.S., R.D., is the Director of Nutrition Services at Sports Medicine Associates, one of the largest athletic injury clinics in New England. She is an internationally known sports nutritionist, and specializes in nutrition for exercise, wellness, and the management of eating disorders. Clark's best-selling book Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Second Edition, addresses the scientific approach to eating for top performance as well as practical "how to" information. Personally, Clark has trekked into the Himalayas and helped plan the menu for a successful expedition.
Joanne Pomodoro, R.T., M.S.W., LCSW, is on the staff of The Trauma Center & Arbour Counseling Center in Allston, MA . She specializes in eating disorders, anxiety, and peak performance issues. She is a two-time World Senior Champion racquetball player, a two-time U.S. Open Champion, and is the current resident teaching pro at the Longfellow Sports Club in Natick, MA. Pomodoro has also recovered from an eating disorder and is committed to working with others, especially athletes, to help them understand the benefits of healthy eating and a well-nourished body.
About the Simmons School of Health Sciences
The graduate school offers several advanced degree options: M.S. in Nutrition and Health Promotion, Certificate in Sports Nutrition, National Dietetic Internship Program, Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Master's in Health Administration, A.S. to M.S. in Nursing, B.S.N. to M.S. in Nursing, Dual Degree programs with the Harvard School for Public Health in Occupational Health (M.S. in Nursing from Simmons; M.S. in Environmental Health from HSPH) or Maternal-Child Health (M.S. in Nursing from Simmons and M.P.H. from HSPH), and M.S. in Nursing for students with a B.A./B.S. in a non-nursing discipline. Our graduate programs are fully accredited and co-educational. For more information, explore the rest of our website at or call 617.521.2605.
Conference Planning Committee
- Nancie Herbold, Committee Chair, Ruby Winslow Linn Professor of Nutrition
- Ellen Borges, Assistant Professor, Sociology
- Rebecca Donohue, Assistant Professor, Nursing
- Ellen Goodman, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
- Kathleen LaPoint, Special Projects Coordinator, Alumnae/i Relations
- Linda Long, Instructor, Health Care Administration
- Sandra Northrup, Assistant to the Dean, School of Health Sciences
- Elise Tofias Phillips, Director of Health Education, Health Center
- Anthony Price, Head Basketball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director, Athletics
The School of Health Sciences and the Conference Planning Committee want to thank the Massachusetts Governor's Committee on Physical Fitness and Sports for their collaboration and endorsement of this event.
Indicates link will open in a new browser window