According to EatingDisorder.org, roughly 50% of Americans know or have had an eating disorder. That is a shocking number, but yet not entirely surprising. Despite the large number of people affected, there are still a wide range of misconceptions regarding eating disorders.
Let’s clear some of those up.
Myth #1: People with eating disorders are super skinny
People with eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. In mainstream media and movies, anorexia gets a lot of attention. That is most likely why there is a connotation that people with eating disorders are always scary skinny.
However, eating disorders range from overeating, binge eating, not eating, and everything in between. People with eating disorders can range from underweight to overweight and in between.
Therefore, you cannot tell if a person has an eating disorder by simply looking at them.
Myth #2: Eating disorders only affect women
According to NamedInc.org, 25-40% of those that suffer with eating disorders are men. Eating disorders are not just disorders that affect women. Just like women feel like they should meet a certain physical ideal, so do men.
Myth #3: An eating disorder is a choice
Eating disorders are not just a lifestyle choice a person makes. An eating disorder is the result of many mental and physical consequences. It is a serious illness that cannot just go away in the blink of an eye. However, if a person makes the choice to recover, with a lot of hard work and support the person can heal from the disorder.
Myth #4: Eating disorders are all about the way you look
Although some eating disorders may start with a negative body image, they are not entirely about the way you look. Sometimes a person is trying to gain some kind of control back over their lives. If their life feels out of their hands, they may turn to an eating disorder to regain control.
Myth #5: True recovery from an eating disorder is unlikely
Even though recovery is tough, it is doable. Recovery often requires a shift in the person’s perspective about food, possible monitory, nutrition education, and stress management.
Struggling with an eating disorder?