February 26-March 4 is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDA Week).
While I’ve never struggled with a diagnosable eating disorder, I’ve lived my fair share of body image issues, food-induced guilt/fear, and unhealthy “habits.” Because so many women (and men) struggle with these same issues, I believe it’s important to share our experiences and how we’ve overcome—or attempted to overcome—them.
This year’s theme for NEDA Week is “It’s Time To Talk About It.” Dialogue is an important part of the awareness and healing process regarding any type of mental illness or personal struggle, and despite our 24-hour-coverage, “everything-is-instagrammable,” culture, society often remains quiet on the risk factors, isolation, and health concerns that lead to or result from eating disorders and the whole “spectrum” of disordered eating or exercise addiction.
So, yes…It’s Time To Talk About NEDA Week and…
How a “busy all the time” and “do it all” culture can be destructive
Eating disorders (and other addictions) love isolation. They feed off the independent, “I don’t need ____” mindset. And when our society congratulates the woman (or man) who loses herself in 20 different projects and juggles them alone, then her need to feel “in control” is heightened. While eating or exercise disorders may be rooted in the physical (“if I could lose 10 pounds, I’d feel so much better” or “maybe he would notice me if my thighs weren’t so big”) they often grow because they serve as method of maintaining control in a messy, busy world.
That’s why it’s important to reach out to others. If a friend or family is spending too much time alone and feels like life is out of control, it’s important to offer them support.
How HAES has a long way to go
If you read health websites or magazines, chances are you’ve heard about the Health At Every Size movement, which, at its core, celebrates body diversity, promotes intuitive eating, and advocates for adopting healthy habits for overall wellness instead of weight loss/aesthetics.
HAES is a movement I can stand behind, but until society stops worshiping airbrushed models, encouraging women to take up as little space as possible, and marketing diet after diet after diet (after…) as a means of healing our self-esteem issues, then HAES will never flourish as its intended.
Why #HAES has a long way to go… #nedawareness #mentalhealth Share on XHow the outside doesn’t always reflect the inside
When most people think of eating disorders, they visualize a skin-and-bones waif who eats lettuce at every meal. The thing is, eating disorders are good at hiding.
Anorexia Nervosa is often obvious—the weight loss is usually significant—but Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, or EDNOS (eating disorders not otherwise specified) are often invisible to the casual observer because the sufferer may remain at a “healthy” weight and carry on with a seemingly normal routine.
It’s our duty as friends and family to stop complimenting one another on our bodies or eating habits. Sure, healthily-obtained weight loss (or gain) is something worth celebrating when it’s true, positively-motivated lifestyle change, but unless you’re aware of the individual’s mental health and wellness journey, it’s better to avoid complimenting one’s weight loss/gain, dietary habits, or strict exercise regimens.
Keep your eyes peeled for restrictive eating habits, obsessive “body-checking” or a preoccupation with appearance, missed social gatherings, or habitual visits the gym—even if your friend of family member “looks” like she’s got it all together.
Eating disorders are the deadliest mental illness, and they affect men and women of all ages.
It’s so easy these days to get lost in our emotions and fears of failure and to become entranced by the images of perfection and thinness that inundate our social feeds, and that is precisely why we need to talk about these things.
When I realized that my anxiety and depression had become too much for me to handle by myself, I immersed myself in the stories of others who had struggled in the same way. By “talking” to others and hearing what they went through—and what worked for them—I realized that I could take that ever-so-difficult first step to get the help I needed.
It’s time to talk about ALL of these things because life is something to be experienced FULLY and our bodies are a gift to be nurtured and respected.
Our bodies are a gift to be nurtured and respected #nedawareness #mentalhealth Share on XFor more NEDA week resources, visit the National Eating Disorder Association website. Take a few minutes to get screened if you feel you may need professional help or share this list of resources with a loved one.
[thanks for letting me think out loud]
So tell me…
- What do you think about the HAES movement?
- Do you think society places too much pressure on appearance?
- Are you participating in any NEDA week events?
Great post! I agree with a lot of the health at every size movement for the most part. However, I’m wary when people seem to use it as a crutch for making better and healthier choices with food and exercise. For example, I don’t think that the girl from “My Big Fat Fabulous Life” should be a poster child for health the way she is portrayed.
I’ve never watched “My Big Fat Fabulous Life,” but I agree that the HAES movement should never be a crutch to improve an in healthy lifestyle.
Thank you so much for sharing this Catherine; I so agree that we need to talk about it, and I’m thankful to see so many gals talking about it this week.
Thanks, Emily. Talking about things like EDs, body image, and other tough subjects is so therapeutic.
I love the HAES movement but holy heck will it take a lot for it to become mainstream. Our society has such a warped view of weight/body image and you just see it everywhere. But I guess every little bit helps. Every one of us who are standing up and saying no causes a ripple which can lead to change.
Absolutely. I have seen a transformation in the healthy living community, but there are definitely some negative, dangerous voices still out there.
I’m a big supporter of HAES. You are so right that HAES has a long way to go–and yet, it needs to go further, as misinformation about what it means to be “healthy” is one of the biggest causes, I would argue, of eating disorders. You’ve made so many important points in this post!
Thanks, Joyce. I agree that a misunderstanding of “healthy” is often a big cause – or at least risk factor – of EDs. We, as a society, just need to get back to the basics of healthy living and eating.
This was an excellent post. Thank you for writing about ED awareness, even from someone who has not struggled with the illness specifically… that is something very rare. I think every one, no matter their health history, needs to be aware, compassionate and knowledgable about this part of our society. Unfortunately, I think these unhealthy mindsets affect more people than they even realize, and we have much work to do to get our paradigm back to a truly healthy place. Thank you!
Thanks, Cora. I absolutely agree – we all need to be compassionate, particularly since eating disorders can seemingly come out of nowhere. I think my being a gymnast and growing up with that pressure to be tiny and “perfect” put me in a place where I understood a lot about the illness, even if I never had an ED.
I participate in eating disorder awareness “events” every single day in that, I EAT and ENJOY IT and promote healthy delicious foods and eating and loving life! I haven’t weighed myself in 6 years because I do not let numbers control me, same goes for counting calories. THIS GIRL ain’t got time for that!
That is awesome! Love that you mentioned enjoying your food and loving life – because that’s what living is all about.
Don’t forget the men! We have our own body image issues. We’re encouraged to be pumped up, ripped and exercise/gym fanatics downing power drinks and supplements.
Skinny jeans, shirts cut so tight you can’t breath, suits that looked as if they were spray painted on, etc. When I need something new, I have discovered I have to buy a size up because what I should be able to wear is just not right anymore.
It’s hard to be pleased with the way you look when it seems everyone is telling you that should look better if you just follow “the regimen”.
Absolutely! Men struggle just as much – if not more, in some ways – as women.