Recently, I have been seeing a ton of content and information for Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2022. The current number of people experiencing an eating disorder has risen to 28 million in America alone. This information couldn’t be more relevant. It reminds me of those I care for. Many of them are included in this statistic. I can’t help but consider what this number would look like if it included friends and family as well. If you’re like me, thinking about this statistic feels overwhelming. So what can we do?
Learning about the different types of eating disorders, their causes, and their treatments is super important. And as I said earlier, there is a ton of content out there geared towards teaching this. Learning, however, is only the start. I believe that understanding both negative and positive relationships with food is crucial. This understanding is necessary to effectively lower the overwhelming statistics on eating disorders. I want to start with, what I think, are the best sources for getting information on eating disorders. I also want to talk about the process of understanding relationships with food and how we can improve our own.
Recommended Reading: Eating Disorder Statistics Worldwide
My Information Go-To’s
Learning about mental disorders is an ongoing process. As causes, types, and treatments for eating disorders continue to evolve, it is so important to stay up to date. Much like my go-to accounts for mental health on Instagram, I have a few sources for news on eating disorders. These help me stay up to date with the most recent developments.
1. National Institute of Mental Health
This is the best source for learning about signs of eating disorders. It also covers symptoms of the many different types of eating disorders. I think this is an amazing source for information on eating disorders because it discusses both risk factors and treatments, while also including a ton of related topics that may interest you. Definitely check out this page if you’re interested in current research. You can be involved in related studies. It also provides access to free brochures and other resources on eating disorders.
2. The Alsana Blog
If you haven’t heard of Alsana, it is an eating recovery community. Alsana provides treatment for numerous types of eating disorders. I definitely encourage checking out the entire website. However, the Alsana Blog is one of my favorite go-to’s for learning about eating disorders. The Alsana Blog covers a wide variety of topics. These range from how sleep is directly related to eating disorders to recognizing relapse. I have learned so much from this blog. I love how the content is easy to understand. It doesn’t feel too intrusive or triggering.
3. Social Media
A year ago I would have never recommended social media as a source of information for any mental disorder. However, as I have started to follow more mental health related accounts, I have found that there are a ton of benefits from getting information this way. One of these benefits is consistency. Like I said before, learning about mental disorders is an on-going process, and following related accounts on social media makes this process much easier. Seeing new information every day in my normal routine has taught me so much valuable information. Another benefits of using social media to learn, it that the content in typically very concise and gentle. For me, this helps in retaining what I am learning and connecting it to other information I have. Unfortunately, I can’t speak to Twitter, Snapchat, or Facebook accounts, however there are a couple of Instagram accounts I definitely recommend:
Understanding Relationships with Food
If you think about your relationships, whether with a significant other or parent, and how they have been built, what words come to mind? What about your relationship with food, do the same words come to mind?
While our relationship with food is built in similar ways as our other relationships, it is also very unique. As one of the only lifelong relationships that continues to change from before birth to death, food plays a huge role in our lives. And with constant change and lifelong commitment, it is no surprise that developing a positive relationship with food is a challenge. So let’s take a deeper look into the individual factors that are involved in developing a relationship with food.
The first factor I want to talk about is genetics. Genetics are a huge factor when it comes to all mental disorders, and cannot be excluded in the conversation of eating disorders. Much like susceptibility to heart disease and cancer, eating disorders are passed down through genes. And while this isn’t always the case, researchers have found that eating disorders are 50 to 60 percent heritable. Meaning our relationship with food is more likely predisposed at birth than not. Asking parents or grandparents about their experience with eating disorders can be helpful. However, it can also be an uncomfortable conversation. Sometimes, it isn’t an option. Simply being aware of this factor can help. It is enough to increase understanding. This awareness may also improve a relationship with food.
Recommended Reading: How Genetics Play a Role in Eating Disorders
The next factor I want to talk about is culture. It is no secret that the culture around food in America, and most of the world, is extremely toxic. With new diets, trends, recipes, and health “tricks” being thrown at us every day, there is no doubt that culture continues to influence countless negative relationships with food. And unfortunately, headlines telling us that “thinner is healthier”, and influencers creating fear around fat, will not be going away anytime soon. However, there is good news. The good news is, we don’t have to allow culture to influence our relationship with food anymore. Choosing the content we see day to day is becoming much easier, and allows us to have more intention with what we do and don’t hear. When I started to pay more attention to content I did and didn’t want to see, the message changed from toxic dieting to intuitive eating.
Recommended Reading: Intuitive eating: How to make it work for you
The final factor I want to discuss is mental health. Mental health, in this regard, refers to things like self-esteem, depression, and other mental links to developing a relationship with food. There are many learned behaviors and thoughts that happen in the brain without us even knowing. These unconscious habits can lead us to both healthy and unhealthy food practices. Considering the environment that fostered these behaviors and thoughts is how we can begin to become more aware of them. Thinking about the people and lifestyle I was raised in, taught me a lot about myself and the habits that I want to change. This is why mental health and environment are important factors in the conversation of developing a relationship with food.
Recommended Reading: What to know about eating disorders and mental health
Improving the Relationship
To start, I want to point out that recovering from an eating disorder and improving a relationship with food are very different. Recovering from any disorder, mental or physical, typically includes medical treatment, psychotherapy, and much more intensive approaches like these. Improving a relationship with food, however, is focused more on mindfulness, self-exploration, and mental health. While I cannot speak to best practices in recovering from an eating disorder, I do want to go more in-depth with approaches for improving relationships with food.
Understanding the relationship you have with food is the first step in improving it. As I started to consider the genetic, cultural, and mental factors that play a role in my relationship with food, I started to recognize how I could take control of the habits that did and didn’t work for me. Being available to seeing both the positive and negative sides of your relationship with food is important, and it can be very painful. Be gentle and patient with yourself in this process. And keep in mind that no one person has the perfect relationship with food, and that you decide what works and doesn’t work for you.
In improving our relationship with food, it is equally important that we destigmatize the conversation. Having an eating disorder or a negative relationship with food is not uncommon and shouldn’t be a taboo subject. So as more open and genuine conversations continue to happen, I encourage you to advocate for yourself and others by speaking up. I’m not sure who needs to hear this, but having an eating disorder or negative relationship with food is nothing to be ashamed of. You are beautiful, resilient, and deserve a better relationship with yourself. So let’s work on bettering ourselves together!
Recommended Reading: Information by Eating Disorder
If you are struggling with an eating disorder and want support, text GO to 741741 to reach a trained Crisis Counselor.
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