Like with many mental illnesses, there are a lot of myths about eating disorders. While a simple Google search can give you a collection of these eating disorder misconceptions, it’s unlikely many people will go out of their way to look them up.
So, who could be the best source of information about eating disorder misconceptions and the consequences they have? People who’ve experienced eating disorders firsthand in a society that understands little about them. Three women shared their views with EDucation.
“The obvious [misconception] that occurs to me is the notion that having an ED means being a white, young, upper-class girl. That’s related to the age stereotype is the idea that it’s ‘just a phase’ that will be outgrown. Or worse, that people think sufferers are just being overdramatic and putting on a show to get attention. It’s a disease with lots of suffering and shouldn’t be dismissed as a teenage fad. The danger of making light of a potentially fatal disease seems obvious.”
“The female stereotype seems damaging to me too, because as I see it, it increases the shame and the stigma for male sufferers and makes it less likely that health care professionals are sensitive to the signs of EDs in men.”
“The whole idea of eating disorders being about appearance. I have had so many people say ‘Hey, you know it isn’t attractive to look like that.’ or ‘Men like curves!’ or ‘You are so pretty when you are healthy, don’t you get it?’ – I do get it. I have never ever met an eating disordered person who is doing it to look pretty or get sexual attention. Most are doing it for exactly the opposite reason. I know people who started dieting to feel more attractive, but when it becomes a disorder it is no longer about looks at all. I despise when people think I’d be cured if only I realized ‘Wait a second, I look sick when I’m sick!’”
“The infamous ‘anorexics don’t eat’. It drives me insane. Of course anorexics eat; we can’t photosynthesise. We don’t eat enough, or we only eat certain foods, or we weigh everything we eat, or we fast and binge, but I can assure you food goes into us. It makes me feel so guilty for eating anything at all. It makes telling people about my problems that much harder.”
Eating disorder blogger Arielle Lee Bair made this video on eating disorder misconceptions.
It is possible to make a full recovery from eating disorders. Disproving eating disorder misconceptions is an important step to helping people get the support they need and making this happen.
What do you think about the views of people who’ve experienced eating disorders? How do you think eating disorder misconceptions can be challenged?
EDucation: Explaining Eating Disorders 