NEDA TOOLKIT for Parents
Strict rules about eating or fad diets aren’t a
problem. What appears to be a strict diet on the surface may
actually be the beginning of an eating disorder. Even
if the symptoms do not meet the criteria for a clinical
eating disorder diagnosis, disordered eating can have
serious medical consequences, such as anemia and
bone loss. Individuals dealing with serious disordered
eating may benefit from intervention and treatment to
address their concerns before it becomes a full-blown
eating disorder. Chronic dieting has been associated
with the later development of an eating disorder, so
addressing these issues right away may prevent a full-
blown eating disorder.
As long as someone isn’t emaciated, they are
not that sick.
Most people with an eating disorder are not under
weight. Although most people with eating disorders
are portrayed by the media as emaciated, you can’t
tell whether someone has an eating disorder just by
looking at them. These perceptions can perpetuate
the problem and may cause distress in eating disorder
sufferers for fear of not being “sick enough” or “good
enough” at their disorder to deserve treatment.
Additionally, you cannot determine if an individual is
struggling with binge eating disorder (BED) based on
their weight. It is important to remember that just
because a sufferer is no longer emaciated, or has lost
weight in the process of treatment for BED, it doesn’t
mean they are recovered; an individual can experience
a severe eating disorder at any weight.
The main eating disorder symptom I have to
worry about in my loved one is weight loss.
Although anorexia nervosa and other restrictive eating
disorders are characterized by weight loss, many
people with eating disorders don’t lose weight and
may even gain weight as a result of their disorder.
Eating disorder behaviors only focus on food.
Individuals with eating disorders generally have an
unhealthy focus on food and weight, but the symptoms
of an eating disorder can extend far beyond food.
Numerous scientific studies have shown links between
eating disorders, perfectionism, and obsessionality,
which can lead to a fixation on grades, sports
performance, etc. Although many sufferers report that
eating disorder behaviors initially help them decrease
depression and anxiety, as the disorder progresses, the
malnutrition caused by eating disorder behaviors can
ultimately increase the levels of depression and anxiety
that can affect all aspects of life.
My loved one doesn’t claim to feel fat. Can
they still have an eating disorder?
Absolutely. Body image distortions are very common
in eating disorders, but they are far from universal.
Clinical reports indicate that young children are much
less likely to have body image disturbance, and plenty
of teens and adults also don’t report this symptom.
Since eating disorders are linked to biology,
my loved one doesn’t have much hope for
recovery. It’s important to remember that biology isn’t destiny.
There is always hope for recovery. Although biological
factors play a large role in the onset of EDs, they are not
the only factors. The predisposition towards disordered
eating behaviors may reappear during times of stress,
but there are many good techniques individuals with
eating disorders can learn to help manage their emotions
and keep behaviors from returning.
I have a son. I don’t have to worry about eating
disorders because they’re a “girl thing.”
Eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of their
gender or sex. Although eating disorders are more
common in females, researchers and clinicians are
becoming aware of a growing number of males who
are seeking help for eating disorders. A 2007 study by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found
that up to one-third of all eating disorder sufferers are
male. It’s currently not clear whether eating disorders
are actually increasing in males or if more males
who are suffering are seeking treatment or being
diagnosed. Because physicians don’t often think that
eating disorders affect males, their disorders have
generally become more severe and entrenched at the
point of diagnosis. There may be subtle differences
in eating disorder thoughts and behaviors in males,
who are more likely to be focused on building muscle
than on weight loss. They are also more likely to purge
via exercise and misuse steroids than females are.
Although gay, bisexual, and transgender males are
more likely to develop an eating disorder than straight
males, the vast majority of male eating disorder
sufferers are heterosexual.
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