“If the book helps just one person, we know that this will have been a success.”
ST. LOUIS, MO, November 30, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ — FULL: Overcoming Our Eating Disorders to Fully Live (ISBN 13: 979-8986784007, Black Umbrella Wellness Publishing, 2022) by Alayna J. Burke and Melissa L. Kelley has been released for worldwide distribution. This timely and insightful book relates the authors’ success in overcoming their struggle with eating disorders. The authors recount their stories of illness and recovery through 12 topics that fed their eating disorders and share how they now manage those challenges to fully participate in life. FULL offers insight and hope to people struggling with eating disorders and those who love them. The book is available in paperback edition retailing for $16.99 and in a Kindle edition for $4.99.
“This book is very personal to me as you can imagine,” said Alayna J. Burke, co-author of FULL. “It is my hope that this book will serve as an inspiration and guide to those who are struggling as Melissa, and I did with eating disorders and help them overcome their struggle.”
“Both Alayna and I are overwhelmed and humbled by the response that FULL has been receiving,” said Melissa L. Kelley, co-author of FULL. “If the book helps just one person, we know that this will have been a success.”
Growing up in the digital age, with the pressures of social media and increasingly competitive academics, Alayna’s perfectionism started early in life. She began to despise her body after a pre-teen wellness check when the physician told her to “lay off the snacks” and watch her weight. At age 16, Alayna was diagnosed with anorexia. She was three weeks from being sent to an in-patient treatment center when she decided to take charge of her life.
Plagued with body dysmorphia beginning at six years old, Melissa came of age in the diet culture of the 1970s and 1980s when fad diets, diet pills, and at-home exercise equipment dominated the golden age of advertising. Melissa was diagnosed with bulimia when she was 16 and her treatment included both inpatient and intensive outpatient programs over five years. After a series of traumatic events, she struggled with anorexia in her thirties.
About the Authors
Alayna J. Burke started her idea for FULL as an eighteen-year-old senior in high school. She grew up in Saint Charles, Missouri, and always loved to write as a kid. Alayna developed anorexia, stemming from anxiety and depression, as a sixteen-year-old. Outpatient treatment and a strong support system helped Alayna recover in about two years, although the voice of her eating disorder still nags at her occasionally. Alayna often wished there was a book out there from the voice of a teen who could relate to her, so she’s providing just that for other women. FULL is Alayna’s first published work. She is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in nutrition and exercise physiology with a minor in psychology at the University of Missouri. Alayna plans to become a registered dietitian.
Melissa L. Kelley grew up in Saint Charles, Missouri, the third of six children. Her love for writing began in high school and blossomed in her forties when she began blogging and writing a memoir. FULL is her first published work. Throughout her career, Melissa has worked in both corporate and civic non-profit organizations. She currently holds a leadership position in a company whose mission is to make the planet better through environmental sustainability services. In 2018, Melissa was named one of Saint Louis’ Most Influential Businesswomen by the St. Louis Business Journal. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Truman State University and a Master of Business Administration from Washington University in Saint Louis. She lives with her two children, Athena Robin Kelley and Erin Iris Christine Kelley, and their Cavapoo, Noah, in Saint Louis, Missouri.
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