The Bella Vita "I am a beautiful life", was founded by Dr. Patricia Pitts in 1985. She is a nationally renowned expert in the treatment of anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating and disordered eating. She has addressed a variety of national and international professional conferences in her more than twenty years of treating these disorders.

As a highly recognized expert in her field, Dr. Pitts was chosen as the Weight Control & Eating Disorder Specialist of the Year 1999. She was also listed in the Who's Who National Directory of Executives and Professionals and awarded the Program of the Year by the Adult Psychiatric Program. Her numerous broadcast appearances include Woman to Woman, NBC's Extra, and news programs such as KCAL, CBS and MSNBC, among others.

The Bella Vita provides a supportive, safe environment for males and females, pre-teens through adulthood, experiencing Eating Disorders and related disorders in Los Angeles and Woodland Hills, CA. locations. There are distinct programs for pre-teen/adolescents and adults; levels of care include partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs and outpatient services.

The Bella Vita facilities provide effective and affordable treatment guiding the clients to connect to mind, body, and spirit.

SOMETHING NEW: The Bella Vita is pleased to announce that we are contracted with Kaiser Permanente beginning January 1, 2010!

The following insurance companies are contracted with The Bella Vita: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross of California, Cigna Behavioral Health, Holman Group, Magellan, MHN, PacifiCare Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health, and Value Option.

Dr. Pitts is the primary doctor answering people's questions about eating disorders on MedHelp. Ask Dr. Pitts your questions about eating disorders

The smartphone applications that help modern-world dwellers find restaurants in Calcutta, calculate the size of a room or even read a bar code may also fuel eating disorders.

In the wrong hands, apps and other instant technology may trigger obsessional behavior by allowing teens and young adults to constantly count calories and monitor their weight and food intake, experts say.

"This has been a concern of ours," said Dr. Harry Brandt, director of the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt in Towson, Md. "So many high school and college students have iPhone or smartphones or BlackBerries and a wave of applications that, to individuals with eating disorders, can be very detrimental. It's a combination of obsessionality and perfectionism."

Also troubling is the possibility that weight loss and calorie-counting apps may push some vulnerable teens and young adults over the edge to anorexia or bulimia.

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Michael Kors has declared a new age limit for models, saying he would not employ models under 16 years of age. Speaking at a fashion forum, attended by Anna Wintour and model Natalia Vodianova at Harvard Business School, he called for more guidelines for models under 18.

The Great Weight Debate centered around body image and pressure on models to be super thin. In announcing that he would not employ models under 16, Kors seems to have introduced a change in the American fashion industry.

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• 6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 6 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
• 1 dash ground nutmeg
  
• 1 dash garlic powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

In small bowl, combine thawed orange juice concentrate (do not use regular orange juice!), marjoram, nutmeg, and garlic powder. Place onions in bottom of 3-4 quart slow cooker. Dip each chicken breast into the orange mixture to coat and place in crockpot over onions. Pour any remaining orange juice concentrate mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours until chicken is almost cooked. Add apples and cook one hour longer on low until apples are tender and chicken is thoroughly cooked.

When chicken is done, remove chicken, apples and onions to serving platter. Pour the sauce that remains in the crockpot into a medium saucepan. Mix together water and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir into the juices in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk, until sauce is thick and bubbly. Serve the sauce over the chicken. Makes 6 servings.