Misinformation, stigma, shame. An eating disorder is not some passing phase that only affects young white women. They are serious mental illnesses that can affect anyone of any age or race. They thrive in secrecy, and have spiked during the pandemic.
In addition to more accurate awareness, improved prevention, detection and treatments are needed for eating disorders, which come with an annual cost of nearly $400 billion when considering both economic costs and reduced wellbeing, according to a study published in the International Journal of Eating
Disorders.
“Eating disorders are conditions which exist in plain sight,” said psychiatrist Dr. Melissa Pereau, a medical director at Loma Linda University Behavioral Health
in California. “Oftentimes, even families do not know that a loved one is struggling with disordered eating until medical issues present. I think awareness
through education is needed, but also better education about treatment options.” Eating disorders are both psychiatric and medical in nature and pose grave
potential for medical complications, Pereau said.
Much more common than people realize, as many as 10% of women will experience a clinically significant eating disorder in their lifetime, and even more
people struggle with body image concerns or disordered eating that does not meet the threshold for a diagnosis, said Megan Mikhail, a clinical science researcher in the Klump Lab at Michigan State University.
“Eating disorders can look very different from person to person,” she said. “Some people may restrict their food intake or engage in excessive exercise, while others may experience binge eating. While eating disorders often begin in adolescence, they affect people of all ages, as well as all weights and body shapes.”
So much misinformation exists.
“People equate eating disorders with anorexia nervosa stereotypes only, which does a huge injustice to all of the people out there suffering from different
ancestries, genders, body shapes and sizes and socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Cynthia Bulik, founding director of the University of North Carolina Center
of Excellence for Eating Disorders. Because eating disorders thrive in isolation the pandemic became a perfect breeding ground, worsening disorders for those already struggling or bringing on a relapse of symptoms for others who had recovered previously, Bulik said. Eating disorders are complex, biologically
based illnesses, never a person’s fault or a choice that they are making, Mikhail said.
People who may be struggling with disordered eating should take an inventory of what they are seeing on social media, which can be a potentially harmful
influence that can affect body image and self-worth, Pereau said. When online, stick to groups that specifically promote body positivity and consider taking a hiatus from or deleting apps which encourage a culture of body shaming, she said.
“When on video conferences, put a sticky note on the screen to cover your own picture so that you are not inclined to body check [obsessively focus on features
of your own body] throughout the meeting,” Pereau said. “There has been so much emphasis on weight gain during the pandemic, or people who are using this opportunity to ‘have work done’ or to change their weight and shape, and of course there is all of the social comparison that occurs on social media,” Bulik said. “This is a real trap for individuals with eating disorders because it is so easy to assume that the images we see are real and not the curated perfect images that people choose to project in social media.”
It is never too early or too late to seek treatment, Mikhail said. “Recovery is very possible, but it is hard to recover from an eating disorder on your own,” she said. Seek out a therapist, especially a provider trained in evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Seeking social support, practicing
mindfulness of your mood and emotions, and engaging in activities that bring meaning to your life outside of your eating disorder may be helpful steps to recovery, Mikhail said.
Use reflection. Write a list of the things you like about your body, keeping in mind functional aspects such as “my strong arms which carry my child,”
Pereau said. Add a list of the things about yourself that make you proud, completely unrelated to your body. Write down positive body affirmations on small sticky notes and place them in locations most likely to body check, including on mirrors.
Visit nationaleatingdisorders.org for virtual support groups, mentorship and education about eating disorders.
