Hello all! I really liked Lauren’s post about misconceptions about EDs, so I wanted to take it and run with it. Here are some other misconceptions and the reasons behind why they are not true.
-Katy
Misconception #1: EDs are primarily about food, numbers, weights, and calories.
Why this is not true: EDs often appear to be about nothing more than food, but all of the things mentioned above are surface issues. Just like cutting, controlling food is often a coping mechanism. By restricting, binging, or purging, a certain feeling of relief is achieved, but the food itself is merely a means to achieve said relief. The true issues behind what drives ED victims to restrict, purge, or binge lie far deeper, and just because they manifest themselves through food does not mean food is the primary issue. Often this disease is tied in with self-worth, self-esteem, or body image, and it is commonly comorbid with other mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.
Misconception #2: If somebody is not severely underweight, their ED really isn’t dangerous and is not to be taken seriously.
Why this is not true: I would hope this is fairly self-explanatory, but I seem to come across it over and over. Firstly, not every ED victim has anorexia. Binge eating and bulimia usually do not result in rapid weight loss, but they are just as dangerous. Body weight is absolutely not a reflection of the person’s mental state, and therefore should not be used to evaluate it. All EDs are equally dangerous and should all be treated seriously. You can die of starvation, purging, or over eating at any weight.
Misconception #3: All ED sufferers are pro-ED.
Why this is not true: I feel as though I can speak for most, if not all sufferers, when I say this. We have eating disorders. We KNOW what hell it can be because we live through it. I know I can speak for many people when I say that I would never wish a disease this serious on my friends. I would never encourage something so dangerous and with such a high fatality rate in other people. Even though I may struggle, nothing brings me greater joy than to learn that somebody else who struggles is fighting to overcome their disorder.
Misconception #4: ED sufferers choose their disease OR they could stop any time they want.
Why this is not true: I’ve kind of lumped two common misconceptions into this post. This disease simply cannot be chosen. EDs develop as a result of a number of factors in the victims lives, from trauma to media influence, family and social influences to biochemical inequalities in the brain. It is a complex disorder that is not in the control of the person affected by it. Many people who think this is a choice also think, as a result, that the sufferer can just choose to stop any time they would like. It is just not that simple. An eating disorder is a coping mechanism just like cutting, or drinking, and it can become almost like an addiction in that it truly is not in the person’s control to stop. Since it was never chosen in the first place, it cannot simply be “opted out of” without help any more than an alcoholic can just stop drinking, a person with depression can just stop being sad, or a self-injurer can just stop harming themselves.
Misconception #5: EDs are primarily the fault of the media.
Why this is not true: It certainly is founded in fact. The media can play a large role in some people’s EDs, with its obsessive emphasis on thinness. However, like I mentioned above, EDs are a result of a number of factors, and while the media certainly plays a role, the degree to which it affects the sufferer varies drastically from person to person.
Misconception #6: EDs affect mostly teenagers, and once out of the teen years, the teen grows out of their disorder.
Why this is not true: EDs do not discriminate. I have met people of all ages, from all backgrounds and of all races, who have been affected by an eating disorder. This disease is not a passing teenage fad. It is a real and true mental illness and deserves to be treated with respect.
Have anything else to add? Send it to us and we’ll add it to the list!
