Eating Disorder Myths #2

This post is going to be about more eating disorder myths. But this time it won't just be my incoherent ramblings - these points have substance to them. They don't focus so much of the physical aspects of what being anorexic or bulimic do to a person like my last post did. It's more about how eating disorders function as diseases and how individuals who are unfamiliar with EDs misinterpret them.

This page has a bunch of information and FAQs about eating disorders: http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/eatdis.htm

With the great amount of attention given to weight in our society, it's easy to construe some misconceptions surrounding eating disorders. Here are eight common misconceptions and the truth to dispel such myths.

"You're just doing it to get attention."

This is probably one of the most common misconceptions out there. Some may try to go on a diet to lose a few pounds, so in that sense one could argue that it is for vanity or to gain attention. But to a person with an ED the obsession quickly shifts from the need to look good into a compulsion of behaviors. In reality people who are entrenched in their eating disorders don't really notice the world around them. They often isolate themselves from friends and family so they have no one to "look good for." For the majority of those with an eating disorder it transcends far beyond the beauty aspect into a way to cope with stress, depression, expectations, trauma other difficult emotions.

"Eating cures anorexia/bulimia."

If this were the case the inpatient facilities tailored to treating eating disordered individuals would not have such a high rate of returning patients. If eating truly cured an eating disorder there would be far more programs specialized in force-feeding people with eating disorders. While an anorexic may eat, making it seem that he or she is "cured," it is the feelings associated with eating (before, during, and after) that truly mark where a person is in recovery. One who suffers from anorexia could eat a cheeseburger, but if the anxiety surrounding it is so great, and he or she compensates by restricting subsequent meals or over-exercising because of the larger calorie content of such a food, this can hardly be called "cured." A fear of fat and gaining weight is a symptom of anorexia, and it does not diminish (it actually usually increases) with the simple act of eating.

"People with eating disorders are weak/stupid."

Hardly. We need to have some of the strongest senses of will power out there. People who restrict (with or without purging) often do so because they are overwhelmed by emotion and feel emptiness in their lives that they feel can only be filled with control over food. It's sad that our society puts so much criticism upon those with eating disorders without understanding the mechanisms that are behind it. Perhaps they are stressed, so they don't eat. Perhaps they are unfulfilled with their relationship (or lack of). Perhaps it's work-related. Whatever the cause, emotional and binge eating is a serious medical and psychological condition. There are also studies that have shown that restricting calories actually heightens your senses and increases intellectual performance. (Google it up.)

"If you're not skin and bones, you don't have an eating disorder."

Possibly the most harmful of all of the misconceptions! Being at a normal weight and appearing to be healthy does not mean a person is not battling and engaging in anorexic or bulimic behavior. Weight is only one symptom of an eating disorder, and if a person exhibits other symptoms of anorexia (preoccupation with food, intense fear of weight gain, feeling fat despite being at a healthy weight, etc.) there is still an underlying problem. Many people assume that because they are at a somewhat normal weight, they do not need to receive treatment. Even doctors and programs overlook patients who do not fall under 85 percent of their "healthy" weight. (A person who is only 87 percent of their normal, healthy weight may be overlooked and therefore try to lose more weight to prove he or she is truly sick enough to receive treatment. How silly is that?) Just because a person appears "healthy" does not mean they are. In fact, a large number of studies show that the majority of deaths from heart failure associated with anorexia and bulimia occur when the patient is in recovery and at a more stable weight. Here's a chart of what your weight would have to be in order for the scale to tell a medical professional that you're clinically "anorexic" (more than 15% under your ideal body weight, or BMI of less than 16%)...

5'0'' / 152cm - 81lbs / 36.7kg
5'1'' / 155cm - 84lbs / 38.1kg
5'2'' / 157cm - 87lbs / 39.5kg
5'3'' / 160cm - 90lbs / 40.8kg
5'4'' / 163cm - 92lbs / 41.7kg
5'5'' / 165cm - 96lbs / 43.5kg
5'6'' / 168cm - 98lbs / 44.5kg
5'7'' / 170cm - 101lbs / 45.8kg
5'8'' / 173cm - 104lbs / 47.2kg
5'9'' / 175cm - 108lbs / 49kg
5'10'' / 178cm - 111lbs / 50.3kg
5'11'' / 181cm - 114lbs / 51.7kg

"It's healthier to be fat than too thin."

Obesity is a serious disease which should get a lot of attention because of the mortality rate. While obesity is considered by many health professionals to be an eating disorder, it is not true that all people who are obese have them. Some have genetic predispositions to obesity, so this predisposition combined with a lack of exercise and poor food choices may lead to obesity. There are certain disorders that can lead to severe weight gain: binge eating is characterized by uncontrolled eating of large quantities in a short period of time.

"Men who have eating disorders are gay."

I am proof that this is not true. Having an eating disorder in no way reflects upon your sexuality. Men are just as prone to life's stresses and traumas as women are. Any man (gay, straight, bisexual, pansexual, or trans-gendered) can have an eating disorder. Many men (statistically heterosexual men) are often ashamed to admit they have an eating disorder. Some men who engage in body-building often have a disorder called "reverse anorexia" in which the person tries to add weight and obsesses about food choices, calories, and exercising. While not as publicized, this "reverse anorexia" can be deadly, as seen in recent years following the deaths of many professional sports stars. Gay men and straight men are susceptible to life's pressures. Having an eating disorder does not mean you are gay and should not keep you from communicating about your eating disorder with others for fear of judgment.

"Medication can cure an eating disorder."

While medications are extremely helpful in treating disorders such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and others, no medication truly "cures" an eating disorder. Medications often help to take the edge off of obsessive thinking and alleviate some of the associated depression often occurring with the disorders. However, numerous studies have shown that medication in conjunction with various forms of therapy, nutritional counseling, and other approaches yields a better prognosis than simply medication alone. Not everybody responds to medications the same and what works for one person may not work for everyone.

"You can just start eating and stop having the disorder. Why don't you?"

Again: eating does not magically cure an eating disorder. It can make it worse. This misconception can be very frustrating to those with a loved one who suffers from an eating disorder. The misconception that one can control or snap out of their disorder often adds friction to many relationships and ultimately leads to further isolation of the eating disordered individual. While those suffering from an eating disorder do ultimately control their behavior (as we all do), there lies within them a force that becomes so great that the person often feels they are compelled to go about their behaviors in order to quiet the eating disorder voice. I use the word "voice" with much caution, as it automatically implies that those with eating disorders are delusional, hear voices and must be psychotic. This is not the case. I simply refer to this "voice" as a way to separate the eating disorder identity from the true identity of the sufferer. People often feel that when their loved one does not stop their behaviors, it is a direct way for the sufferer to spite the supporter. As a matter of fact, many people who suffer from eating disorders say that they wish they could stop, but often times it feels automatic, like they are on auto-pilot and don't realize they are doing the behavior until they complete it. It's just a routine way of life, as eating normally is a normal behavior for someone else. Someone who suffers from bulimia could make a conscious decision not to go to the bathroom after a meal, but the anxiety that arises from not purging is far too great. Why suffer when it can be easily alleviated by purging? This reinforces the importance of the behavior and further cements it into a person's automatic behavior. Eating disorders are medical and psychological diseases, and many people do not seek treatment because they fear being judged.