Featured websites: February 2004 Archives

Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of weight which takes account of height, was developed to enable people to compare ideal weights for those of different heights. The formula is weight in kg divided by the square of height in metres. But it's pretty hard to do this in your head (!), and gets even more complex if you are using imperial measurements (pounds, feet and inches). Luckily, there are various sites on the web which enable you to enter weight and height (in both metric and imperial) and calculate whether your BMI puts you in the underweight, normal or overweight range.

http://www.eatingresearch.com is the website of the Eating Disorders Research Unit at the Institute of Psychiatry in London. It contains a wealth of resources for people with eating disorders and their carers as well as information about the research going on in the unit, which will be of interest to professionals.

The site is divided into five sub-sites:
1. Service User Site - The main theme of this site is to disseminate knowledge and skills that can provide stepping stones to recovery. It is particularly aimed at people with eating disorders themselves and was developed by a service user and a researcher in the unit.
2. A Carer/Families Site - This has contributions from Professor Janet Treasure and various carers. The main theme of this site is to give knowledge and skills so that carers are able to support the person with an eating disorder in their struggle for recovery.
3. A Research Site - This has contributions from of the research workers in the unit about various projects the team are involved in.
4. A Service Provider Site - This has contributions from Professor Janet Treasure which are aimed at giving health professionals tools to enable them to work effectively with people with eating disorders.
5. Interactive Platform - The fifth area is where the team ask for your feedback and contributions.

The site has also been translated into Italian and Spanish.