Eating Disorder Awareness: Things to Consider
What has your experience and/or exposure been related to the subject of disordered eating?
Are you a doctor, teacher, coach, trainer, parent, friend or student? Whether you have realized it or not, you have most likely interacted with someone living with an eating disorder. Maybe you have struggled with an eating disorder, past or present. Do you feel like you have the right tools or resources to support yourself or someone else? Are you looking to spread awareness and share the prevalence of eating disorders throughout your profession or community? Well, there is no better time to increase awareness and advocacy as this week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
This is a time to educate on the realities of eating disorders and provide support to individuals and loved ones affected by eating disorders.
Approximately 9% of the US population will have an eating disorder within their lifetime, that is 28.8 million Americans. Research shows that eating disorders have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) has reported that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NEDA Helpline has experienced a 107% increase in contacts. Eating disorders can be fatal as they often involve significant medical complications and an increased risk of suicide. Eating disorders remain the most lethal of mental illnesses, second to the death of substance use. In fact, every 52 minutes, someone in the US dies as a direct result of their ED. Eating disorders do not discriminate and can affect people of all body weights, shapes, sizes, ages, genders, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses. Below are further statistics:
Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 with anorexia have ten times the risk of dying compared to their same-aged peers.
One study reported that 35% of female and 10% of male college athletes were at risk for anorexia, and 58% of female and 38% of male college athletes were at risk for bulimia.
Males represent 25% of individuals with anorexia, and they are at a higher risk of dying, in part because they are often diagnosed later since many people assume males don’t have eating disorders.
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are significantly less likely than white people to have been asked by a doctor about eating disorder symptoms. BIPOC with eating disorders are half as likely to be diagnosed or to receive treatment.
In a 2014 study, findings reported that rates of disordered eating have increased across all demographic sectors, but at a faster rate in male, lower socioeconomic, and older participants.
Eating disorders are multifactorial, however, one common influence is the pursuit for the thin ideal set by our society’s standards of “health”.
One’s desire to achieve the “ideal” weight, body shape or size can seriously harm their wellbeing all for the sake of, ironically, attaining “good health”. Also, as a result of our cultural health standards, individuals who struggle with an eating disorder may go unnoticed or be misdiagnosed because their body type does not “fit” the standard or they are not “sick enough”. Below are some statistics on how the pressures to conform one’s body to cultural ideals increase the risk of eating disorders:
By age 6, girls especially start to express concerns about their weight or shape. 81% of elementary school girls (ages 6-12) are concerned about their weight or becoming "too fat"; 46% of elementary school girls are attempting to control their body through dieting; 57% of teenage girls are attempting to control their body through dieting; 91% of college-aged women admitted to controlling their weight through dieting. As statistics show, this concern endures throughout one’s life.
In a weight-class sport (wrestling, rowing, horseracing) and aesthetic sports (bodybuilding, gymnastics, swimming, diving) about 33% of male athletes are affected by disordered eating, and in female athletes, estimates up to 62% are affected by disordered eating.
Less than 6% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight”.
In a 2015 survey of college students, transgender students were significantly more likely than members of any other group to report an eating disorder diagnosis in the past year, likely in attempts to control or change their appearance
Eating disorders are serious conditions that can have a profound mental and physical impact. This is not to discourage anyone that is struggling— recovery is possible, and treatment is available. Statistics on mortality and eating disorders emphasize the impact they can have on one’s wellbeing and the importance of treatment. There is no threshold for sickness or struggle that one must experience before help is considered and there is no shame in reaching out for support.
Here are some resources for those seeking support:
NEDA Helpline: call or text at 1-800-931-2237. You can also text the Crisis Text Line (NEDA to 741741) or use the Helpline Chat on the NEDA Helpline website
Books:
How to Nourish Your Child Through an Eating Disorder by Casey Crosbie and Wendy Sterling
8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder by Carolyn Costin and Gwen Schubert Grabb
Join a support group (available to those recovering from an eating disorder and the family of those in recovery
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: toll-free at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You also can text the Crisis Text Line (HELLO to 741741) or use the Lifeline Chat on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website
If you are interested in learning about higher levels of care, you can refer to this post on eating disorder treatment centers.
Wishing to work with a dietitian that specializes in eating disorder treatment? Contact us today. We are here to help.