Eating Disorders
There are a lot of incorrect assumptions about eating disorders (Sturtevant, 2022), and participating in body liberation requires knowing some basic correct information. I’m mostly turning this over to the experts listed below – dieticians and organizations specializing in eating disorders, and those with lived experience – but here are some facts you will learn about that are particularly relevant to our body liberation for public health topics:
- People in ALL sizes, shapes, colors, genders and types of bodies can have eating disorders. You cannot tell if a person has an eating disorder by looking at them. The idea that only young, very thin, white, cisgender women have eating disorders has caused harm by denying access to information and treatment for other types of people (Lucas, n.d.; NEDA, 2017; Sonneville & Lipson, 2018).
- Dieting and weight stigma are risk factors for eating disorders (CEDO, n.d.; Chastain, 2023; IFEED, 2023; Millner, 2019; NEDA, 2018).
- Advancing age also does not insulate one from eating disorders. In 2019, Samuels, et al. found:
Eating disorder symptoms and body image preoccupation have been identified in increasing numbers of women over age 50. Reports indicate that women are seeking treatment for chronic, recurrent, or late onset [eating disorders]. However, health care providers generally have not screened for these conditions, and often pursue other medical diagnoses. (Samuels et al., 2019)
Knowing this information helps us to be more trauma-informed in our classrooms and in our work.
The Problem With Ob*sity Prevention Campaigns
Attention given to weight control has skyrocketed in recent years, ingraining words like “BMI,” “obesity epidemic,” and “diet” into our national vocabulary. Since the rise of national obesity prevention campaigns, the incidence of weight stigma has increased about 66%. The research is clear: overemphasizing weight can encourage disordered eating and have counterproductive effects. ~NEDA, National Eating Disorders Association (https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/weight-stigma)]
ALLY ACTION
Be aware that people you interact with in person or on social media may be struggling with or in recovery from an eating disorder. Avoid the following potentially triggering actions:
- Weight stigmatizing language
- Diet talk – types of diets, diet tips, labeling food as good or bad
- Negative self-talk, such as: I shouldn’t have eaten that; I really need to clean up my diet; I really need to lose weight; etc.
- Complimenting weight loss
- Judging other people’s bodies or food choices – positive or negative
CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE?
- CEDO. (n.d.). Collaborative of Eating Disorders Organizations. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from
- Chastain, R. (2023, January 21). Testing The Claim That Pediatric Weight Management Interventions Decrease Eating Disorders [Substack newsletter]. Weight and Healthcare.
- IFEED. (2023, January 22). Response to AAP Guidelines.
- Lucas, G. (n.d.). Nalgona Positivity Pride. Nalgona Positivity Pride. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- Millner, R. (2019, May 2). What Happens When You Put a Kid on a Diet. Center for Body Trust.
- NEDA. (2017, February 25). Identity & Eating Disorders. National Eating Disorders Association.
- NEDA. (2018, February 18). What is Weight Stigma? National Eating Disorders Association.
- Samuels, K. L., Maine, M. M., & Tantillo, M. (2019). Disordered Eating, Eating Disorders, and Body Image in Midlife and Older Women. Current Psychiatry Reports, 21(8), 70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-019-1057-5
- Sonneville, K. R., & Lipson, S. K. (2018). Disparities in eating disorder diagnosis and treatment according to weight status, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and sex among college students. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 51(6), 518–526. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22846. (Note: The Discussion section of this article is particularly interesting)
- Sturtevant, D. (2022, February 23). What We Want You To Know About Eating Disorders. Center for Body Trust.