Myths and Facts of Eating Disorders

Happy National Eating Disorder Awareness Week! 

In my first Blog Post I addressed the problem of eating disorders and the need to inform people on them because they are widely misperceived by those who don’t have detailed knowledge on the matter. In this post I will discuss common myths surrounding eating disorders and whether they are true or not. I will also provide sources and social media accounts for factual information on eating disorders.

Myths Debunked!

1. Eating disorders are a choice.

FALSE: People do not choose to have an eating disorder. In fact, eating disorders are a serious psychological disease. There are numerous causes for eating disorders including genetics, environmental and biological factors, as well as social factors. Eating disorders can also pair with other mental disorders like depression, OCD, or anxiety. 

2. Only women get eating disorders. 

FALSE: Eating disorders affect all varieties of people of all ethnicities, ages, genders, weights, and socioeconomic statuses. About 30% of people with an eating disorder are men; however, men are less likely to seek treatment or receive help from others for their disorder. 

3. You can tell if someone has an eating disorder by how they look. 

FALSE (sometimes): There are cases when eating disorders become apparent, as in the severe cases of anorexia nervosa. Bulimia, however, is the most common eating disorder and many people who suffer from this appear healthy although they have extreme damage to the inside of their bodies.

4. Eating disorders are a matter of vanity and are only a way to get attention. 

FALSE: Eating disorders are not a matter of vanity or appearance. Most people suffering from an eating disorder often hide their bodies under baggy clothes because of their constant insecurity. They often have a distorted image of their body and view themselves as overweight even if they’re actually very thin or even underweight. 

5. Eating is the only way to treat eating disorders.

FALSE (sometimes): Some patients can establish healthy eating habits in order to maintain a normal weight; however, it’s usually a matter of psychological training and therapy. It’s important for people with eating disorders to first strive to be properly nourished instead of being malnourished, then to work on the mental aspect of their disorders. 

6. Families and parents are the cause of most adolescent eating disorders.

FALSE (sometimes): Parents have historically been said to be the cause of many eating disorders. There are certain parenting styles that may lead to this, but there are a lot of other factors that could cause eating disorders as stated earlier. 

7. Eating disorders are caused by the media.

FALSE: It’s true that media can have a negative effect on body image and perception, but of the millions of people exposed to media every day, only a very small percentage of them develop eating disorders because of it. These people also may have a genetic predisposition to eating disorders, so we cannot say for sure that media is the cause of any eating disorder. 

8. Eating disorders are not treatable.

FALSE: There are treatment options for people at any age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Different types of treatment may work better for some than others, but there are many different choices. It’s important for people dealing with eating disorders to reach out to people they are close with or to a medical professional in order to find the best treatment plan for them. 

To Sum It Up

There are numerous myths surrounding eating disorders, and it’s important that we identify what’s true because eating disorders are a detrimental illness. Some sources can also be found in my second Blog Post where I discussed sources to trust vs. sources not to trust. My third Blog Post can also be used to find some of my accounts from my social media campaign for more tips and facts on eating disorders. There are also accounts on social media platforms like Twitter where people share their stories and give guidelines for how to get help for an eating disorder. For example @schnitt_talk and @espnW are great examples of resources on social media.