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Emotional Eating

10 Truths About Eating Disorders

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Let's Get Real About Eating DisordersIt’s National Eating Disorders Awareness Week and in honor of this year’s theme, “Let’s Get Real,” here are 10 Truths About Eating Disorders you should know:

1. Eating disorders do not discriminate – they affect people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, body weights, and socioeconomic statuses.

2. You can’t tell if someone has an eating disorder by looking at them.

3. Genetics and the environment both play a role in the development of eating disorders.

4. Eating disorders are not a choice.

5. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness.

6. You don’t have to feel fully ready to give up your eating disorder to get treatment.

7. Dieting is a common (and preventable!) catalyst for developing an eating disorder.

8. Disordered eating (unhealthy eating behaviors that do not meet the full criteria for an eating disorder) should not be dismissed as “not that bad.” It’s a serious health concern that needs attention and treatment.

9. Full recovery is possible, and the sooner someone gets help, the better the chances of recovery.

10. Recovery isn’t easy, but it is worth it.

Inspired by these posts from AED and NEDA.

In Honor of Independence Day: Find Your Freedom from Diets and Disordered Eating

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Happy 4th of July!As we celebrate the Fourth of July– often with barbecues and other food-related events – take a moment to reflect on how your relationship with food and weight may be standing in the way of your life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

This Independence Day, declare your freedom from:

  • Rigid food rules
  • Labeling foods as “good” or “bad”
  • Counting calories, fat grams, sugar grams, etc.
  • Fat talk
  • Diet talk
  • Diet books, blogs, and articles
  • Hoping that this diet will be “the one”
  • Judgement, guilt, and shame about your food choices or portions
  • “Making up” or “saving up” for what you eat
  • Denying yourself your favorite foods
  • Determining your worth based on your weight or clothing size
  • Comparing your body to others
  • Comparing what you eat to others
  • Using food (or controlling your food) as a coping mechanism
  • Punishing exercise
  • Letting your focus on food and weight stop you from enjoying your favorite activities and living the life you were meant to live.

Wishing you a Happy 4th of July!

The Dangers of Dieting

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Dieting and Eating DisordersIt’s National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and this year’s theme, “I Had No Idea,” focuses on raising awareness about the possible triggers and warning signs of eating disorders. Being able to recognize these signs, symptoms, and contributing factors makes early intervention possible and can prevent a full-blown eating disorder from developing. Early detection and intervention also increases the chances of full recovery.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) website, 20 million women and 10 million men in the United States will suffer from a clinical eating disorder such anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or an eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) at some point in their life. In addition, there are many who struggle with disordered eating – unhealthy eating behaviors that do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder, but still have detrimental physical and psychological consequences.

Many factors, both genetic and environmental, can contribute to the development of an eating disorder. Although we can’t do much about our genetics, there are risk factors we can control. I’d like to focus on one of the common catalysts for an eating disorder that is completely preventable – dieting.

Most people embark on a diet with good intentions, hoping to feel better in some way. No one goes on a diet thinking, “This diet won’t work,” or “This diet will damage my health.” But diets don’t work. Research shows us that diets rarely result in long-term weight loss and are actually associated with weight gain.

Diets are more than just ineffective – they can be harmful. As the graphic above shows, 35% of “normal dieters” progress to disordered eating, and of those, 20-25% will develop a partial or full-blown eating disorder. Although it is possible to change eating habits in a healthy, sustainable way, too often what starts as a seemingly reasonable diet plan, morphs into an unhealthy obsession. The hyper-focus on weight loss and/or eating perfectly begins to interfere with daily activities and negatively impact health and quality of life.

Here are some warning signs that your diet may have crossed the line from healthy to harmful:

  • Avoiding social situations that involve food
  • Feeling overwhelmed when unexpected changes occur with your food plan
  • Thinking about food all day (especially the foods that you don’t allow yourself to eat)
  • Ignoring your body’s signals of hunger
  • Feeling constantly deprived and unsatisfied
  • Feeling shaky, weak, fatigued, or irritable
  • Exercising in a punishing way to burn off what you ate or burn X number of calories
  • Frequent worry and anxiety about food
  • Feelings of guilt, disgust, or shame about eating
  • Hair loss, cold intolerance, irregular or absent menstrual cycles, lightheadedness, fainting, excessive weight loss, or digestive problems

If you are experiencing any of these signs and symptoms or are otherwise concerned about your eating habits or feelings about food, consult with a professional – the sooner the better. There is hope. Eating disorders are preventable and treatable. I have the honor of working with courageous men and women every day as they fight against their eating disorders to reclaim their lives. The process can be challenging at times, but the rewards are infinite.

For more information and resources, visit: nedawareness.org

All statistics quoted in this blog, can be found here.