Latino Author and Advocate Shatters Stereotypes About Eating Disorders and Who They Impact in New Book “Going Hungry”

This week, Latino author and multicultural advocate Rudy Ruiz has published an essay on his own personal experience with eating disorders. The work, titled “The Ghost of Gordolfo Gelatino,” appears in GOING HUNGRY, a collection of essays by previously published writers on desire, self-denial and overcoming anorexia. Edited by New York culture writer Kate Taylor, the book (published by Anchor, a division of Random House) also features Louise Glück (a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet), Jennifer Egan (Invisible Circus), and Joyce Maynard (At Home In The World). The book, and Rudy Ruiz’s essay in particular, are featured in the September 15th issue of NEWSWEEK Magazine under the headline: “It’s Not Just White Girls: Anorexics can be male, old, Latino, black or pregnant. A new book undercuts old stereotypes.”

“This is why I yearned to share my story,” Rudy Ruiz explains. “As the only Latino and one of two male authors in this collection, I’m grateful for the unique opportunity to raise awareness about the fact that eating disorders affect Latinos and men too. It’s hard enough to fight the condition. It’s unnecessary to also fight the added stigma of doing so within a culture or gender where it might seem complete taboo. Hopefully, my story will give other Latinos and men battling eating disorders both hope and encouragement to reach out for help in overcoming the challenge.”

The National Eating Disorders Association estimates that about 10 million women and about 1 million men in the U.S. suffer from either anorexia or bulimia. As many as 25 million more may be affected by binge eating disorder, which according to research conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Center may be more prevalent among Hispanics. Although these disorders most commonly affect people in their teens and twenties, they are found in all age groups, even young children. Those who suffer from eating disorders can experience a wide range of physical health complications, including serious heart conditions and kidney failure. Only about half of patients who are diagnosed fully recover, and many struggle for decades with these potentially deadly disorders.

Ruiz, who earned a BA in Government and a Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University has previously been hailed as “a cultural visionary” by the National Hispanic Institute. An advocate for multicultural communities, his first book, ¡ADELANTE!, was published in 2003 by Random House to critical acclaim as a resource for Latino immigrants to get ahead in America. Ruiz has also been recognized numerous times as one of the nation’s top Hispanic entrepreneurs for his role as President and CEO of Interlex, one the nation’s leading multicultural advertising and public relations firms, specializing in advocacy and cause-related marketing. Ranked as one of the Top US Agency Brands by Ad Age Magazine and as a Top 20 Hispanic ad agency by Hispanic Business Magazine, Interlex’s stated mission is to help its clients make a positive impact in the lives of diverse audiences.

“In my experience working on public health campaigns for clients like American Cancer Society and the Texas Department of Health,” Ruiz says, “I’ve seen how the long-term neglect of health conditions in minority communities can lead to tragic disparities and deadly consequences. The only answer is the one I’ve pursued through my agency and my writing: it’s a blend of engagement, education and empowerment. You have to speak to the heart, illuminate the mind and — in the end — inspire action and change. For me, that’s what this book is about. And the work goes on.””

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