What many parents, relatives, spouses, friends, coworkers, physicians don’t understand—no matter the size of a person—anyone can be suffering from body hatred and an underlying eating disorder without others ever knowing about it.
And no amount of dieting, food scarcity, or food abundance can fix it.
Until we, as a culture, remove the shame and stigma of various body sizes—including removing the gossip—and start extending grace, compassion, healing, and care to those greatly suffering from eating disorders (aka emotional overeating, emotional purging, or self-starvation). . thousands upon thousands of men and women will continue to suffer and die with life-threatening binge eating disorders. bulimia, and anorexia.
And there’s a big difference between overeating behaviors due to unbridled appetites versus binge eating disorders and/or bulimia nervosa. The former is allowing gluttonous appetites to rule and ruin one’s life. The latter is rooted in a brain that is unwell.
There is no shame in suffering from a mental illness.
The brain is an organ.
It can get sick.
And just like any other part of the body that gets sick or injured, with proper treatment and care, it can also heal.
(And contrary to what some people believe, mental illness is NOT demon possession; nor is it God’s punishment.)
If you know someone in a larger size body suffering with life-threatening health conditions, don’t text them another diet or weight loss challenge.
Diets, detoxes, and challenges don’t work long term; especially for anyone whose brain is hijacked by an underlying eating disorder illness. In fact, scarcity mentality fuels binge eating and bulimia.
As my therapist once told me years ago, “Eating disorders are not about food; but what’s eating you.”
It’s more about the brain’s inability to adequately process thoughts and feelings—in addition to other complicated obstacles.
If your physician flippantly gives you a handout for another diet to follow. . or to gain weight, find a new doctor. Or worse, if your doctor is judgmental/critical and shaming you due to your size, run the other way.
Find a physician who understands the complicated dynamics of eating disorders. . .and works in conjunction with other healthcare providers specifically trained in compassionate care and skilled treatment of them..
Healing is possible!
“Dear friend, I pray that you may live in good health even as your soul prospers.” (3 John 1:2)
Image credit: RuthYaro.com
Emily Boller, wife, mother, artist, and author is on a mission to create expressive works of art in her lifetime; and to bring awareness to the potentially harmful traps of diet-wellness culture.
In her free time, she loves to chase sunrises, grow flowers and vegetables, and can homemade soups.