According to the American Psychiatric Association, an eating disorder is an illness in which a person experiences extreme disturbance in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. People with eating disorders typically become preoccupied with their food and their body weight or shape. Eating disorders are complex and complicated and wreak havoc on their sufferers. if you suspect that you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, you are worthy of getting help, you deserve help, and I can’t encourage you enough to seek help.
National Eating Disorder Help Line 1-(800)-931-2237
Suicide Prevention Line 1-800-273-8255
Multnomah County Crisis Line 1-800-716-9769
Seriously, eating disorders can have life threatening complications - please seek help.
Eating Disorders can look a variety of ways. They look different in everyone, and no, you cannot tell if someone is suffering from an eating disorder by the size of their body. All bodies are different, and what is healthy for one body may not be healthy for another body - more about this here ---> Poodle Science https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H89QQfXtc-k&t=1s
We live in a society that is highly critical of external appearance. Depending on your sex, gender identity, age, race, etc, we get messages about how we “should be” and what an “ideal” body is. If we do not fit into what the societal standard of what ideal is, we get messages that there is something wrong with us or that we should want to be different. These messages are intentional, because our society profits on sending these messages by selling products to “fix” these “imperfections.” This shows up in many different ways - from make-up, clothes, food, diets, to exercise equipment, supplements, powders, and pills, to body modification surgeries. These things are being sold to us as the fixes to the problems we have. These “problems” are usually centered around changing the way we look in some regard, whether it be having smaller bodies, bigger bodies, what our hair, skin, and style looks like etc. This perpetuates the idea or notion that we are not complete the way we are, we need to be different, or there is something wrong with us that needs to be fixed. It’s hard to not be influenced by these messages because they are everywhere. (This is not to say that we have to love ourselves exactly the way we are. If you have found something that makes you feel good, confident, or at home in your body, great! Keep doing you!). My intention is to challenge the inner voice that leads us to engage in certain thoughts, behaviors, or patterns - is it because it is something we want? Or is it motivated by a feeling or a message that there is something wrong with us that needs to be fixed?
There are many factors that contribute to the development of an eating disorder such as genetic predisposition, personality traits, environmental factors, trauma history, marginalization, societal influences, substance abuse, and more. Anyone can develop an eating disorder, they do not discriminate, and unfortunately, most people suffer in silence. Eating disorders thrive on this silence, and encourage secrecy in their sufferers. This often leads the person suffering from an eating disorder to isolate themselves or to feel isolated, even if they are around friends and family. I think one of the most important things to remember is that the person suffering from an eating disorder is just that, a person. Who is suffering from an eating disorder. That person is NOT their eating disorder. I say this because there can often be a lot of stigma and false beliefs that come with discussion around eating disorders. Like with addictions, the person suffering can’t “just stop” or “just eat”, this reteric is not only completely inaccurate, but it is extremely harmful to those who are suffering. Eating Disorders can have significant physical health complications and should not be taken lightly. Working with a medical doctor is imperative. Check out Dr. Gaudiani’s book on eating disorders and their physical health complications. Sick Enough: A Guide to the medical complications of eating disorders - https://www.powells.com/book/-9780815382454
You might be engaging in disordered eating behaviors if you...
Find yourself being preoccupied with food, the desire to be thinner, having fat on your body, your weight, or controlling your body weight, shape, or size.
Feel extremely guilty after eating.
Find you avoid specific foods, food groups, or categorize food as good and bad.
Go on eating binges where you feel out of control.
Feel like food controls your life.
Find yourself using laxatives, diet pills, diuretics, excessive exercise, or making yourself sick to control your weight or shape.
If you resonated with any of the above statements, check out NEDA’s Warning Signs and Symptoms https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/warning-signs-and-symptoms for a more extensive look into indicators that one might be suffering from an eating disorder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJMtReAg1DI&feature=emb_logo
Check out Be Nourished https://benourished.org/about/ and Health at Every Size https://haescommunity.com/ and my other resources linked below to learn more about living an embodied life through Body Trust, Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size, Mindfulness, and more.
As always, take what is helpful and leave the rest :)
References/Resources
Books
Yoga and Eating Disorders by Carolyn Costin - https://www.powells.com/book/-9781138908468
Eating in the Light of the Moon by Anita Johnston - https://www.powells.com/book/-9780936077369
Yoga and Body Image by Melanie Klein - https://www.powells.com/book/-9780738739823
Sick Enough: A Guide to the medical complications of eating disorders - https://www.powells.com/book/-9780815382454
Podcasts
Food and emotions https://overcast.fm/+FDfQog4jY
Mood and food https://overcast.fm/+FDfSSb0fY
Chronic pain and illness https://overcast.fm/+FDfTLZkJk
Yoga for depression and anxiety https://overcast.fm/+FDfSMM6p8
Videos
Poodle Science https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H89QQfXtc-k&t=1s
Exercise versus diet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztiHRiFXtoc
What if you stopped eating? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0diS49kvWWE
Why is it hard to like your own body? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwTWyCIGblM
Websites
National Eating Disorder Association - https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
Health At Every Size - https://haescommunity.com/
National Institute of Mental Health - https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml
Monte Nido - Eating Disorder Recovery Clinic - https://www.montenido.com/
Kartini Clinic - Eating Disorder Recovery Clinic - https://www.kartiniclinic.com/
Gaudiani Clinic - Eating Disorder Recovery Clinic - http://www.gaudianiclinic.com/
What are eating disorders? https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders