Eating Disorder Myths

I want to smack the next person who attempts to lecture on metabolism because if they knew anything about it they'd stop trying.

Yeah, your body does enter "starvation mode" when it realizes it isn't getting the nutrients it needs. Similarly, your body is smart enough to figure out when you're eating "normally" again and adjusts accordingly. We are built to adapt. Our bodies are made to deal with this sort of change. Food was not always readily available in restaurants and on grocery store shelves. There are places in the world where it still isn't. Not too long ago people ate what they could depending on the seasons because their diet was based around what they could harvest in the local area. That meant periods of little to no food at times.

The point is that your metabolism will adjust. It won't go into "starvation mode" over night and it won't snap out of it that quickly either. Most importantly: it can't get stuck there. Anyone who tells you that you're screwing your metabolism permanently is off their rocker. If you subject yourself to a restricted diet for a prolonged period of time, after a few days your body will catch on to what is happening and try to conserve its resources. If you eat a healthy amount of food over a prolonged period of time your body will also catch on and start burning fuel at a more regular pace.

Then why do fat people exist? Shouldn't their bodies realize that they have an abundance of calories and burn it off or get rid of it? Sadly it doesn't work that way. You need to be active to make your body use energy. We spent a very long time as a species that needed to worry about our environment and so our bodies were built to keep every little extra bit we could get.

On top of all this, "people who practice fasting on a regular basis, such as those adhering to caloric restricted diets, can prime their bodies to abstain from food without burning lean tissue." Your body is smart. It will learn to adjust as best as it can to the lifestyle you lead. All those rumors you hear about your muscles totally wasting away leaving you a cripple? Chances are it's not going to happen unless you've decided to become a total couch potato.

Ever wonder why sweets are so popular? I'm sure you know that sugar is a quick energy boost. Give a toddler a can of soda if you don't know what I'm talking about. It was built into our brains to crave these things many years ago because they were an easy and quick energy source. Our bodies were engineered to like things that "taste good" because those food items have a lot of energy (sugar) in them. Your body will naturally want to preserve itself and go after high calorie items.

Does "starvation mode" exist? Yes, it's real and it happens. Is this going to happen to you? It probably already has. Some people refer to it as ketosis. All it means is that your body is burning alternative forms of fuel. It might be going after complex sources of energy instead of things that would normally be readily available in your stomach. It will not kill you over night. You probably won't even notice it happening.

(Check out this article. Thanks Bloody Mary Mania!)

The same goes for your hair "falling out" or getting thinner. Can it happen? Yes. Will it happen to you? Chances are slim. Even if it does it probably won't be noticeable by anyone but you. No one else washes your hair. They don't brush it. They don't sit in front of the mirror with you looking for imperfections. Chances are the majority of the people you interact with see you for less than 10% of your day.

What about lanugo? Will you become a gorilla? No. For starters, lanugo is a super fine hair that only grows on certain parts of the body. It's thinner and lighter than your regular arm or leg hair. Think of it as a really tame version of "peach fuzz." (Shaving and waxing devices are easily obtainable in any case, and most of us consider that process routine anyway!)

I have never purged and I don't plan to, but I'm tired of people getting on their soap box about teeth falling out and other disturbing images associated with vomiting. Have you ever had the flu? How about a bad case of food poisoning? Did you throw up? Are you now wearing dentures? No? Amazing! Again, your body has mechanisms to protect itself. On top of this we have modern day items to help us care for our teeth. Can you lose teeth from purging? It's rare but it has happened. Keep in mind that these are people who make it almost a daily thing. These are not people who stick a finger down their throat every so often when they binge.

I know all of these things can happen but in most cases they do not. That's just a cold, hard fact. If someone tells you 14% of people with eating disorders end up dead, tell them you're glad to be part of the 86% majority. (And that you're closer to the 5% than they'll ever be.) Remind them that things like smoking, car accidents, homicide and suicide are responsible for far more deaths than any eating disorder. People use scary medical terms and gross ideas to try and stop eating disorders. I have an eating disorder. I know people who have them, both in real life and over the internet. Is every person with an eating disorder toothless, bald, yet hairy all over, who gains 10lbs if they eat half a sandwich? No. In fact, most of them are very beautiful. That's proof enough.

Is throwing up every day healthy? No. Is taking in 0 calories yet exercising away 1,000 calories always a good idea? No. Do I honestly think these things are healthy? Would I sincerely advice a healthy person to stop eating and start throwing up for no reason? Am I going to tell a stranger that they should put down that burger and only nibble the pickles and lettuce? No. It's not "smart." I know that. I understand what I am doing and despite the consequences I choose to continue. I want results and I consider myself a little more determined that the average person to obtain them. That's all it is.