Myths About Eating Disorders
Almost every person has desires to change some part of their physical appearance but for some people this desire can turn into a chronic disorder that controls their life. Year after year the statistics for the prevalence of eating disorders within the US continue to grow. sInce it is a topic that is often considered taboo, it gets brushed under the rug. Additionally, given that our culture values thinness, it is all too common that an individual loses weight through disordered eating habits, and is complimented and validated by society for their weight loss.
5 Myths About Eating Disorders Debunked…
There are many common myths associated with eating disorders. To boost understanding of eating disorders and why they exist there are five myths debunked below:
Only women have eating disorders - false, although eating disorders are mostly commonly found in women and more specifically college-aged women, men suffer from eating disorders as well. A recent study found that 25-36% of eating disorders are found in men.
You can only have an eating disorder if you are really thin - false, there are many different types of eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa, the most well known, is often associated with extreme thinness. This too is false, oftentimes individuals in larger bodies struggle with anorexia nervosa. More often than not, there is an underlying goal to achieve thinness when someone has disordered eating behaviors. If someone is in a larger body and is restricting, the most commonly associated symptom of anorexia, they will enter into a restrict-binge cycle. This is because the body is not getting the sustenance it needs to survive. As a result, when someone’s body goes into deprivation it will react in the way that it was trained to react, to binge.
Eating disorders are all about someone’s relationship with food - false, eating disorders are more complex than just being about the relationship that someone has with food. Typically, the root of an eating disorder is a person’s negative experiences in the form of bullying, body shaming, or what was modeled in the home. It is less important how the eating disorder developed and it is more important to figure out what it is actively protecting you from (typically fear of rejection or being unloved). Yes, eating disorders are created by a person’s relationship with food, but that relationship is often fueled by body dissatisfaction, or an even deeper root cause of self hatred.
You need to go inpatient to recovery from an eating disorder - false, there are many different approaches to eating disorder treatment. That will depend on the type of care that fits the unique needs of the individual. For a more comprehensive breakdown of different types of eating disorder treatment you can read more here.
Eating disorders never fully go away - false, when people hear this myth they often think that their relationship with food and their body is unchangeable. This is absolutely false. An eating disorder can go away. With that being said, when you begin working with a therapist in eating disorder treatment it is important to discuss what your triggers are and how they show up. At the end of the day, no one can control the peaks and valleys that come throughout the lifespan. Oftentimes, disordered eating habits are a way of coping with the valleys, so it is important to understand how these habits show up and how to introduce other ways of coping to not let the old eating disorder ways creep back in.
Eating disorders can be really confusing. It is incredibly important to seek the support of a therapist experienced in working with eating disorders.
Reach out for support with eating disorder treatment
To learn more about how I work with eating disorders you can read more here. If you are interested in reaching out and setting up a free 20 minute consultation please feel free to contact me below! I look forward to hearing from you and discussing your therapeutic goals.
-Ellie