February 20 to February 28 is Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW), focused on bringing attention to the seriousness of eating disorders. Although eating disorders are prevalent, there are many misconceptions about them. Here is a reprise of some common ones:
You can easily spot an eating disorder.
Eating disorders are very secretive disorders. There may not be outward signs of eating disorders except at the “extremes” of the problem, when people may gain or lose a significant amount of weight. And the amount that a person weighs does not reflect how much they eat. Many overweight people eat very restrictively.
People with eating disorders look in the mirror and see “fat.”
Although this is often the case, it’s generally not an overall body image distortion. Fear of weight gain is a factor in anorexia and bulimia. Generally people with anorexia and bulimia focus on one or two “hated” body parts. The belief, however, is that they are “too big,” “fat,” or “take up too much space.”
Eating disorders are a white, upper-middle class, young, female disorder.
Although eating disorders are most often reported in this population, they span a range of ages, genders, and social classes. Young men are increasingly seeking treatment for their eating disorders (10%), and often “look” like their female counterparts. There is also a large population of young men struggling with eating disorders. Many of these young men also have sexual identity issues.
Despite the hype, eating disorders aren’t really dangerous.
Eating disorders are dangerous. Medical complications include electrolyte imbalance, loss of tooth enamel, infertility, damage to internal organs and even death. Without treatment 20% of those with eating disorders die. There have been a number of recent deaths, including model Isabelle Caro, poster child for anorexia.
Anorexics, bulimics, and compulsive eaters are distinctly different in terms of personality and symptom profile.
Many with eating disorders switch problems, often beginning with anorexia but graduating to bulimia or compulsive eating. There is rarely a “pure” eating disorder.
It’s all about control — a lack of control with bulimics and compulsive eaters and over control with anorexics.
That’s only one dynamic, it’s a combination of environment and genetics. Our current thoughts is: biology is the gun, environment pulls the trigger. Some underlying factors include inability to express feelings, abuse, and family stresses.
It’s a disease of vanity. If only society did not put so much pressure on kids to be thin.
It’s not a disease of vanity. It would be nice if we got rid of all the stresses to be thin, but this viewpoint minimizes the complexities of eating disorders and allows us to dismiss them. It’s a coping mechanism that has outlived its usefulness.
Those with eating disorders are perfectionists — top students and high achievers.
People with eating disorders often have similar personality characteristics, and achievement orientation is one. This is not always the case. Many with eating disorders do poorly in school, have learning disabilities, etc. On size does not fit all.
It is easy to stop anorexic and bulimic behavior.
It is usually impossible to stop these behaviors by oneself. Just eating isn’t the answer. Treatment is essential and includes weight restoration, individual counseling to develop healthy ways of taking control of one's life, family counseling to change old patterns and create healthier new ones and nutritional counseling.
People with eating disorders rarely ever recover.
With treatment, about sixty percent (60%) of people with eating disorders recover. They maintain healthy weight. They eat a varied diet of normal foods and do not choose exclusively low-cal and non-fat items. There are people who struggle with these issues life long and others who maintain partial recovery.
Philadelphia Treatment Programs:
Belmont Center
Brandywine Center
Renfrew Center
Comments
Good article! I wish there weren't so many misconceptions.
Hey, I have a question! Sometimes I've noticed that when I'm shopping in clothing stores in the mall, the smallest sizes are almost always displayed first. For example, whenever I walk into this store and look at the jeans, I almost always see "Size 0" as the first in order. And then yesterday when I was shopping for for a shirt, I was looking for a medium or large, but all I could find were "Small, small, small, small, extra small, extra small" on the rack as I was looking through them. Do you think that they could be doing that on purpose to pressure us into wanting to be smaller? I've heard before that they do this so we'll spend more money on diet pills for their profit. Or maybe it's just coincedence?
Wow, Kristen, what an interesting thought (and one I hadn't considered). I am sure that part of the issue is organizational, but it does send a message that the smallest size is "on top." Yes, the diet industry is a booming one, and magazines and the media abound with messages that thinner is better. I wouldn't be surprised to know that there is another agenda for what is displayed where.
Ah, thank you so much for your reply! I'm glad that someone else feels that way too and that it's not just me! Because of the way they have it set up in stores, it's sometimes kind of hard for me to find clothes and it honestly has me questioning my own weight whenever I go shopping because of that. I even tell myself that the clothing size is just a number and that I'm not going to worry about my weight before I try clothes on. But it always ends up being hard not to feel that way when you see nothing but "Small, small, small", and "Size 0" is the first thing you see! I hate shopping for clothes because of that!
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