Expert on eating disorders arrested for allegedly inhaling from whipped cream cans

Associated Press ^ | July 13, 2005

[wallcrawlr]

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -— A psychologist who has spoken out on eating disorders and other issues was arrested after she collapsed in a supermarket, allegedly after inhaling propellant from whipped cream cans.

Lisa G. Berzins, who has been interviewed on television and in newspapers and successfully lobbied for a state law regulating claims by weight loss businesses, was arrested on a warrant Friday charging her in the May 29 incident.

Berzins, 49, has written and lectured on eating disorders, female development, sex roles and self-esteem, according a speaker's biography from the American Psychological Association. She has visited schools in a "fat suit'' to bring a message to young people about the fear of being overweight.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, West Hartford police were called to the Farmington Avenue Stop & Shop and found Berzins lying on the floor and bleeding from her head. Berzins, the affidavit says, told police she did not know what happened.

Investigators concluded that Berzins inhaled from three cans of whipped cream containing nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, the affidavit said.

[motormouth]

Maybe due to her eating disorder, all she could "eat" was the gas and not the whipped cream...

Im thinking we could add, menatlly challenged to her "disorders" LOL

[ken21]

no question, a male forced her to do this!

(/s)

[Pest]

Maybe she was really on a whipped-cream binge, but covered it up with this bogus NO2 story to protect her image as an eating disorder specialist.

[motormouth]

LOL

Very possible. But I would hope she would binge on something better than whipped cream, maybe......oreo's instead.. :o)

[grondram]

I wonder what the charge was?

What if she had paid for it first - is it still illegal?

What if she had been eating a grape without paying for it and hits head and the police found her lying there bleeding?

[mowowie]

Back in the 80's I worked in a large dept/appliance store. One day a co-worker discovered that we stocked NOS cartridges by the caseload. Needless to say after that half the store employees were taking all their breaks in the stockroom. :)

[stylecouncilor]

ping

[hattend]

BTTT

[#1CTYankee]

Did you post a photo? It won't display here but for those curious here is a link,( http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/pbrfweb2.html)scroll down 2/3 of the way down on the left for the mugshot.

[boris]

I tried that but my sinuses kept filling up with whipped cream!

[dennisw]

 

Lisa Berzins, Ph.D.
Vitality (formerly known as P.L.E.A.S.E.)

What can we do?: Research and policy strategies

'Girls and women often quip in a self-deprecating manner about the inviting prospect of catching anorexia. As of yet, I have not heard of comparable desires to become schizophrenic or depressed or develop any other psychiatric disorder.'

'So what can we do? In terms of health care and consumer protections we can increase regulation of advertising that target children as consumers for weight loss products, cosmetics, and apparel. I'm very proud to say that we have succeeded in Connecticut. Connecticut is the first state in the country to enact legislation that requires the diet industry to disclose accurate information regarding average amounts of weight loss maintained based on scientific data that's drawn from representative samples from customers that use their products.'

[nuconvert]

"What restricted substance?"

ReadyWhip. Restricted to one can per customer.
Now move along......................

[The KG9 Kid]

lol

[Diddle E. Squat]

Sometimes psychologists are the biggest psycho's.

[Smokin' Joe]

In some jurisdictions inhaling propellants from aerosol cans is lumped in with sniffing glue.
Nitrous oxide is used as the propellant in whipped cream because it does not oxidize the whipped cream, iirc. I guess she was after the buzz....

[Tax-chick]

Really weird. What's wrong with cheap pink wine in a box? It's not like she's underage.

[Smokin' Joe]

Wine has calories, Nitrous Oxide does not....Maybe she just likes having a really deep voice (like Helium, but the opposite effect--and don't ask me how I know...)

[Tax-chick]

LOL!

[tet68]

She's kinda cute, she could share my balloon any time.
Here honey, have a shroom.

[Tunehead54]

Is inhaling from whipped-cream cans illegal?

---

She's stealing your whipped cream! If you bought a can after she's "huffed it" you're not getting no cream - whipped or otherwise! ;-)