Secrecy. Shame. Loneliness.

These are just a few words used to describe eating disorders, a deadly disease affecting 8 million Americans. Social expectations and media pressures contribute to this disease defined by the need for control coupled with an unhealthy body image.

Reports indicate that only one in 10 people suffering from anorexia or bulimia actually receives treatment.

Dawn Montaner, founder and executive director for Lifelines Foundation for Eating Disorders, wants to change that statistic.

Dawn Montaner with a photo of her daughter Amanda Harsh, whose struggle with eating disorders led Dawn to establish the Lifelines Foundation. Amanda is doing well, her mother said, with a good job and a much-loved daughter, Emily Dawn.

“When we started Lifelines Foundation for Eating Disorders in 1999, it was to help other families find the resources that we struggled to find when our daughter became ill with this disease,” Montaner said. “We wanted to offer support for other families, and we wanted to offer educational information.”

Lifelines continues to help those suffering from eating disorders through The Sanctuary, a 14-day early intervention outpatient treatment program in Waco that began in May. Montaner, co-founder of The Sanctuary, hopes to provide better information for parents, educators and patients. The Sanctuary wants to bridge the gap between private therapy and in-patient treatment programs, which can cost as much as $3,000 per day.

“We want The Sanctuary to be a place where a client is pulled out of their environment and put in an environment that is focused solely on them, yet still outpatient,” Montaner said.

Treatment at The Sanctuary addresses all aspects of a person: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Three general practition doctors and a registered dietician serve on staff to evaluate and treat the physical component of the disease.

According to Lifelines, anorexia is characterized by weight loss of 15 percent or more below ideal body weight, an intense fear of becoming fat and an impaired body image perception.

Bulimia is characterized by binge eating, followed by unhealthy behaviors to purge food from the body. This is done by induced vomiting; laxative and diuretic abuse; or periods of fasting and excessive exercise.

Patients at The Sanctuary begin their day with praise and worship. Kevin Harrison, lead pastor at Victorious Life Church and co-founder of The Sanctuary, then talks to patients about issues contributing to their disease, such as fear and doubt.

The dietician works with patients for 45 minutes before each mealtime to calm their anxieties. After mealtime, patients journal, read and discuss books.

A licensed professional counselor specializing in eating disorders leads the patients through group, individual, family and sibling counseling each day.

A life coach also works with patients to discuss life in recovery, personal defeats and overcoming obstacles. This program also offers a family support coordinator who works as the liaison among the treatment facility, the patient’s school and family.

So how is The Sanctuary different from other eating disorder treatment programs?

First, it is faith-based.

“To my knowledge, we are the only faith-based outpatient ED [eating disorder] program in existence,” Montaner said. “We’re not just talking about the mind and the body. We’re drawing from the Holy Spirit to help you heal your mind and your body and live in recovery.”

The program also focuses on reducing expenses.

“Many people cannot afford inpatient therapy, but they can afford a 14-day outpatient treatment program,” she said.

Montaner, whose daughter suffered from bulimia and anorexia, offers advice for parents who suspect their child might struggle with an eating disorder. She said eating disorders are not a chosen behavior. They are an illness.

“When one area of the body gets sick, you don’t make a stigma out of it, you treat it,” Montaner said. “Don’t start asking a bunch of questions so that your child starts lying to protect you. Take a stand and let them know this is an illness. ‘As your mom and dad, we’re going to do whatever we can to get you well. No arguments, no emotional battles. This is the fact. This is the illness. This is what we’re going to do to help you get better.’ ”

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any illness among women ages 15-25, according to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health.

Dawn Montaner, founder and executive director for Lifelines Foundation for Eating Disorders (center), meets with Kevin Harrison, pastor of Victorious Life Church, and Kimberly Williams Houck, Baylor School of Social Work intern, to discuss The Sanctuary, a faith-based, 14-day outpatient treatment program for eating disorders in Waco.

Even if this disease has not directly impacted your family, images of stick-thin models and airbrushed celebrities still bombard society through the Internet, television and magazines. So how can eating disorders be prevented?

“I don’t think parents can prevent eating disorders, but what I think we can do is present real positive self-esteem,” Montaner said. “For me, I would have been more comfortable in my own skin at various stages of my life. Moms who are on diets give the impression that we’re not good enough. Calorie-counting, diet, exercise. When you become so focused on it so that it affects the way you and others look at you, it sends a poor message.”

She said the message people intend is not always the message received by victims of eating disorders. Healthy eating, healthy exercise and self-esteem must be balanced, she said.

“We must also tell our girls, ‘I love your heart. You’re so smart. You’re so friendly.’ We tell them they’re pretty,” Montaner said. “It’s OK to be beautiful, but there are so many other qualities. Tell your daughter about her character, not her appearance. Retrain your thinking.”

Although The Sanctuary is currently an outpatient treatment program, Lifelines has future plans to build a $1.5 million inpatient facility called The Haven. In 2005, Debbie and Charles Shehorn of Riesel donated land for The Haven in Riesel. Now Lifelines must raise the funding to staff it. They are seeking $3 million to open and operate a 20-bed facility.

To donate to or volunteer with Lifelines, visit its website at www.lfed.org. If you or someone you know needs treatment for an eating disorder, contact The Sanctuary. You can apply online at www.thesanctuarywaco.com or call 254-662-5552 to receive an application.