Post by Erica Chan on Apr 26, 2010 18:08:42 GMT -5
What Does “Having An Eating Disorder” Look Like?
By Sunny, on her blog 'Healthy Girl: Helping each other get sane about food'. Go check it out. It's amazing.
Quick question for you: Which one of these women look like they could have an eating disorder?
The answer: ALL OF THEM. Why? Because having a food problem doesn’t have a “look” anymore. We’re fat, we’re skinny, we’re muscular, we’re willowy, we’re average, we’re plump, we’re curvy, we’re fit, we’re boyish. Women who struggle with eating obsessions come in every size and color–I see it, and am struck by it, every time I go to one of my support meetings. The first time I walked into one I remembered thinking, “These girls overeat?” I would’ve been jealous if I’d seen some of them walking down the street. Seemingly perfect outsides–but insides that were just as messy as mine.
For decades, whether or not a person had a food problem or “eating disorder” was determined strictly on body weight or whether she threw up after eating. But now psychologists recognize that there’s an disorder spectrum—and that lots of people who move around on that spectrum throughout their lives, sometimes undereating, sometimes overeating, sometimes throwing up or using laxatives or diet pills. And for millions of women, their “weird” relationship with food never rises to the level of an official disorder, but they still suffer and obsess about food, weight and their body.
ENOUGH! Every single one of us deserves to heal, whether we have anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified), orthorexia, purging disorder or are just plain weird about food. This stuff takes up way to much of our time, our brainpower and our lives. Right? Right!
Check out some books, support groups and other resources to help you along in your recovery. And feel free to share other ideas for healing in the comments. Let’s kick this food-and-body bullshit in the teeth!
xo…Sunny
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