Whether the individual is age six, thirty-six, or sixty-six; the complications of chronic and sustained undereating are disturbing: bradycardia (abnormally low resting heart rate), A-fib, congestive heart failure, dangerous electrolyte imbalances, hair loss, cognitive decline, forgetfulness, sleep problems, depression, gastroparesis (paralysis of the digestive system), lack of menstrual cycles in women, infertility, weakened immune systems, osteoporosis, liver disease (hepatitis), pancreatitis, kidney failure, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), bloating, feeling cold, high cortisol levels, elevated cholesterol, abnormally low blood pressure, high blood pressure. . .just to name a few.
Most dieting deaths are due to cardiac complications.
Every fifty-two minute, someone in the US dies from chronic undereating—and only 6% are underweight.
Not to mention, insufficient amounts of carbs consumed in long term undereating causes a hormone in the brain to be elevated (neuropeptide Y), increasing the likelihood of binge eating.
In a person who’s never dieted to lose weight, this hormone will go down after eating; therefore, they don’t struggle with binge eating.
Binge eating is merely a survival mechanism.
Yet, unfortunately, most diseases are blamed on not eating the “right” foods and/or overeating.
A sobering fact: the pressure to diet (undereat) greatly impacts disordered eating and eating disorders, because dieting is a leading risk factor for developing eating disorders.
The pressure to lose weight is not just harmful but dangerous.
If your child’s pediatrician or your doctor is unwilling to read the book by Dr. Mehler linked below, find a new physician who will read it.
It may save you or your child from harmful and life-threatening complications.
Some telltale signs of a diet cult:
critical thinking skills are banned
rigid rules are expected to be followed without question
opposing ideas are censored/silenced
those who buck the system are shunned
no tolerance for open-minded and honest discussions
dissenters are ostracized
if you find yourself saying, “I’m not allowed to eat. . . “ or “I’m not supposed to eat. . .” that’s a red flag
weight loss challenges and boot camps are promoted
publicly sharing before/after pics are normalized
frequent weight and mirror checking. and sharing “what I eat in a day” pics and videos are also normalized
celebrity-like worship of weight loss stories
commenting/gossiping about someone’s body size or weight gain (weight stigma)
life revolves around food, food talk
labeling others’ food choices as good, bad—regardless of their socioeconomic status/privileges
Eating Disorders: A Guide to Medical Care and Complications by Philip Mehler, MD, FAED, CEDS and Arnold Andersen, MD, FAED, DLFAPA
Dennis Gibson, MD describes the life-threatening dangers of electrolyte imbalances: “The Eating Disorder Trap” podcast, episode #120: Electrolyte Complications with Dr. Dennis Gibson.
Movie: Dying in Plain Sight
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.
Diet cults are real. If you think you’d never get trapped in one, you are a prime candidate.