At the sickest point of my being a public weight loss story is when I received the most praise—especially from the medical community. My story was even featured on a popular doctor’s TV show.
I now call excessive flattery and praise from healthcare professionals “Medically Induced Anorexia.”
However, it’s not only my story.
In recent years, I’ve heard numerous stories of Medically Induced Anorexia happening to others as well.
It’s a generalized phrase I’ve come up with to describe when healthcare professionals are so zealous about weight loss, ideal blood pressures, low cholesterol and blood sugars—that they use fear-mongering tactics in order to persuade their patients into compliance—followed by excessive praise when goals are accomplished.
All the while, completely ignoring the adverse effects the subtle coercion may be having on their patients.
These same providers have no clue their overweight patients could be suffering from anorexia, purging, restrictive eating, or overuse of laxatives in order not to be scolded at office visits. (And contrary to common misconceptions, anorexia is not limited to young or underweight individuals.)
Research suggests that some patients avoid seeking medical care altogether in order to avoid the demoralizing shame of weight stigma.
I encourage all healthcare providers, parents, and teachers to watch Dying in Plain Sight.
Bottom line, in your quest for weight loss, tread carefully.
When insufficient amounts of carbohydrates are consumed due to chronic undereating, a hormone in the brain (neuropeptide Y) remains consistently elevated.
In a person who’s never dieted to lose weight, this hormone will go down after eating.
But in an individual who goes on and off diets to lose weight—this hormone doesn’t go down—and the elevated hormone increases the likelihood of binge eating.
And binge eating opens a whole can of worms; everything from vomiting and misusing laxatives to rapid weight gains and yo-yo weight cycling.
For more on this topic and references, click here.
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.