Why the explosion of eating disorders?
Eating disorders are exponentially on the rise.
I write and podcast about the psychology of eating disorders. I have personally recovered from bulimia and have worked as a therapist for 20 years. I hope to inspire, educate and improve understanding about eating disorders through my writing and audio. Names used are fictional and stories shared are a combined insight of many client experiences. I believe that full recovery is possible for everyone.
Listen to the audio here: -
Eating disorders are on the rise.
The onset of the pandemic accelerated this already increasing trend.
In 2022, the Royal College of Psychiatrists reported that hospital admissions for eating disorders increased by 84% in the last five years.
During the pandemic, BEAT (National Eating Disorders Association, UK) saw an 81% increase in contact across all Helpline channels. This included a 162% rise in social media contact and a 139% surge in online group attendance.
Although the incidence of eating disorders has been ever increasing over the past few decades, why the explosion of diagnoses now?
Here are some of my thoughts: -
1. Be thin, but not too thin
Our culture deeply misunderstands eating disorders.
The stereotype presentation is a young, emaciated, white, adolescent female, with anorexia nervosa.
We gasp in horrified shock at any visual representation of this, loudly vocalising the dangers and tragedy of such suffering.
This level of thinness feels ‘too much’ and triggers a primal fear response.
Whereas, if you’re just a few kilos heavier, ‘thin but not too thin’, the culture will praise and validate your slimness with warm approval, celebrating your conscientiousness and dedicated willpower.
You may not look ill, but you could well be struggling with starvation and disordered eating.
If you are in a larger body and then lose weight to fit society’s standards, whilst secretly bingeing, purging and starving behind closed doors, people will tell you how fantastic you look and will ask you for your expert diet tips.
Similarly, if you’re a gym bro with a six-pack and compulsively exercising for hours a day, feeling intense anxiety and body dysmorphia, you may well get the same approval. As you post your routines on social media, people will request your tips and share your posts, further reinforcing the need to look a certain way.
If you are knee deep in orthorexia and shunning sugar and gluten in the name of health, you will be acclaimed for your discipline and dedicated willpower.
We know that 85% of people with eating disorders are not underweight.
Symptoms are hidden and the sufferer may look entirely healthy.
Eating disorders do not discriminate and impact people of all ages, weights, genders, races, body types and more.
As a society, we still don’t understand eating disorders.
This creates ginormous misunderstandings.
And then we wonder why people struggle with food!
2. You’re not thin enough to have a proper eating disorder
Professionals often don’t have adequate training or understanding to pick up on eating disorder symptoms.
Many a human has been told by their well-meaning GP that they’re not thin enough for an eating disorders service referral.
It’s not always the fault of the GP.
Eating disorder services are under-resourced and historically, they would only see extremely underweight presentations.
This leads to late diagnosis, much secret suffering and a plethora of isolation and loneliness.
People often don’t get the help they need until they have been unwell for months or years.
Once they are finally referred for support, services are often underfunded and under-resourced to meet demand.
3. Throw in a pandemic for good measure
We are still suffering the devastating impact on mental health from COVID 19.
Anxiety was sky high.
People were isolated and connections were predominantly online.
Many humans felt deeply out of control and overwhelmed.
Many humans felt isolated and scared.
Diet and exercise were plastered all over social media as a focus and distraction.
For some this was helpful, for others not so.
For anyone with existing disordered eating symptoms and a problematic relationship with food, things quickly spiralled into a fall blown eating disorder.
The ripple effect of the COVID fallout remains pervasive to this day.
4. Pressures of perfection
Life speeds along at 200 miles per hour with relentless demands from all angles.
Pressures to be excellent academically and achieve.
Pressures to look immensely attractive.
Pressures to have a wide group of friends and a raging social life.
And to track it all on social media for approval and validation.
More than ever, external validation and perfecting one’s outer, shiny image dominates life significantly over finding a grounded, peaceful, calm inner sense of worth.
It’s impossible to win.
Throw in neurodivergence, identity crises and the chaos of adolescence.
And if you’re dealing with trauma.
The pursuit of worldly ‘good enoughness’ and trying to fit in leaves people feeling inadequate and deeply unworthy.
Controlling food and body can feel like the one controllable aspect and way to boost self-esteem in the chaos.
Reducing the incidence of eating disorders is a complex task.
It needs a shifting of societal understanding and expectations.
We need greater education, information and training.
What do you think?
To find out more about my work:-
Go to my Website
ONLINE COURSES
Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating - a course to help you heal your relationship with food.
Online Breaking Free from Bulimia - a course to help you break free from bulimia nervsoa.
Eating Disorders Training for Professionals - training for therapists in working with clients with eating disorders.
Body Image Training for Professionals - training for therapists in working with clients with body image issues.
Podcast - The Eating Disorder Therapist. A podcast to help you overcome disordered eating and find peace with food.
"You’re not thin enough to have a proper eating disorder" --> this!!!
Thank you for this post ❤️