I asked volunteers to guess: “Which one of these pictures am I struggling with anorexia?”
100% of the responses were image #5.
However, I was also struggling with anorexia in #1 and #2.
Most people incorrectly believe that anorexia only applies to individuals who are underweight.
But, it can also include normal weight or overweight individuals (atypical anorexia).
They all experience the same psychological and physical symptoms as those who are below weight: abnormal blood counts, fatigue, dizziness, thinning hair, loss of periods, gastro issues, intolerance to cold, and low blood pressure to name a few. Additionally, all of them are preoccupied with food; skip meals or fast; limit food intake; follow strict food rules, and have an intense fear of gaining weight. (BraveSpaceNutrition.com)
In spite of all of these issues, they’re praised and even “worshipped” if they fit society’s ideal size. . .or the extreme opposite. . . they are scorned by loved ones, friends, coaches, and physicians to lose weight.
That’s why it is NEVER appropriate to comment on someone’s body size (praise or scorn)--as it may send them deeper into the dark abyss of maladaptive behaviors.
Eating disorders are life-threatening.
However, they’re socially acceptable and promoted in this country. . .even though they have the second highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses—next to opioid addiction deaths. Someone dies as a direct result of an eating disorder every fifty-two minutes. (Eating Disorder Coalition)
On the surface, eating disorders look like a struggle with food. . .but they are so much deeper.
That’s why I’m so passionate about bringing awareness to the dangers of diet culture, especially this time of year when ads for weight loss challenges, detoxes, and boot camps abound.
Individuals who participate in extreme food restrictions are 18x more likely to develop eating disorders than those who don’t. (NEDA.org)
America’s Diet Industrial Complex: a term referring to the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry that promotes thinness as the perfect ideal for aesthetics and health. Weight loss sells.
For more insights, check out the movie trailer: “Dying in Plain Sight.” (It premiered in January 2023—and is now available on Amazon Prime.)
Emily Boller, wife, mother, artist, and author of Starved to Obesity, is on a mission to bring awareness to the suffocating and potentially deadly trap of diet culture and eating disorders—and to bring understanding and compassion to those suffering in silence.
In her free time, she loves to grow flowers and vegetables—and can homemade soups.