Content warning: This article will discuss sensitive topics about eating disorders. Readers discretion is advised.
In honor of the recent National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, let’s talk about eating disorders: what are they, what is recovery like, what is the aftermath, how can you help someone in need, and how can you change the narrative?
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), “Eating Disorders Awareness Week is a time to focus on educating the public about eating disorders – to provide information, support, visibility, and hope to everyone affected by eating disorders.” This year’s National Eating Disorder Awareness Week fell from February 24 through March 2.
So what are eating disorders?
The National Institute of Mental Health defines eating disorders as “a serious illness(es) marked by severe disturbances in a person’s eating behaviors. Although many people may be concerned about their health, weight, or appearance on occasion, some become fixated or obsessed with weight loss, body weight or shape, and controlling their food intake.”
Many people know of at least three eating disorders, with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge-Eating Disorder being the most common. However, there are at least twelve eating disorders recognized across the medical community, including, but not limited to, Avoidant or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Pica, and Orthorexia.
Okay, but why should I care?
Every 52 minutes, someone dies of an eating disorder. Eating disorders are the second deadliest mental illness next to substance abuse disorders. Throughout their lifetime, 9 percent (28.8 million) of the United States population will have an eating disorder. In Virginia, this is around 750,000 people.
Eating disorders also affect the economy. It cost nearly $65 billion in 2018-2019 to treat eating disorders in hospital emergency departments. In Virginia, the total cost for treating an eating disorder was $1.5 billion between 2018 and 2019. Due to inflation, this is predicted to be over $2 billion in 2025. As for the U.S. entirely, in 2025 eating disorder treatment will potentially cost just over $75 billion.
Eating disorders majorly impact all communities. A study from 2019 shows that people of color can be more susceptible to disordered eating than white people. LGBTQIA+ adults and adolescents have also been shown to have more incidence with eating disorders than their heterosexual/cisgendered peers.
Anyone can develop an eating disorder. Educating and understanding the importance behind the subject can help prevent this illness from taking any more lives.
What is treatment like?
Treatment is different for every individual, as there are a multitude of options. Everyone deserves to receive their own treatment plan for their eating disorder. Although there are many options for treatment, they all include creating or having a team to help you combat your eating disorder. This team is typically made up of a psychiatrist, therapist, and dietitian—all of whom specialize in eating disorders.
One treatment option is inpatient treatment at a psychiatric facility. These facilities offer both medical and psychiatric care as the patients tend to have other mental disorders along with their eating disorder. Each patient will have their own care team of a primary care physician, day and night nurse, therapist, psychiatrist, and dietitian provided by the hospital. Inpatient treatment varies in length for each patient depending on the severity of their condition. While being in inpatient care, the patient will participate in various types of therapy, have daily bloodwork, and work their way up to becoming a part of the outpatient program. In the outpatient program, they will spend half their time in the treatment center and half their time out; whether they are inpatient in the morning or night will be determined by the patient’s treatment staff. Prior to being released, every patient must have a different team set up, outside the hospital, to help them in their recovery. Every other treatment option includes aspects of inpatient treatment.
Another treatment option is talk therapy. This treatment can take anywhere from months to years to be effective, but therapy can help replace unhealthy habits with healthy ones, help you learn problem-solving skills, and more. There are other forms of therapy commonly used for eating disorder treatment including but not limited to: Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-e), Family Based Treatment, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
Other treatment options include education of nutrition, medication, and day programs. There is also the option where the patient improves by themselves, “cold turkey.” This treatment is rare and has a low success rate.
What is recovery like?
Truthfully, you may never fully recover. There may always be a voice in someone’s head telling them to restrict, continue eating, or throw it all up. Recovery is a beast. Every single day someone has to choose recovery. They cannot get better until they choose to, which is the hardest part. Only 30 percent of people fully recover from their eating disorder and 10 percent end up dying from their eating disorder. Those who have experienced an eating disorder will forever have their lives changed. Recovery is possible, but an uphill battle.
how can you help someone in need?
If you are worried about a family member, friend, coworker, or someone else you may know, reaching out to them and expressing your concern can be game-changing. The National Eating Disorder Association has this list of tips on how to talk to a loved one. This list includes but is not limited to: rehearse what you want to say, stick to the facts, remove potential stigma, and be caring but firm.
You can also reach out to a health care professional, whether that’s a therapist, doctor, or psychologist; these people will be able to help you take the next steps. Ensuring the safety of a loved one by reaching out to someone who specializes in eating disorders can be essential to their recovery.
How can you change the narrative?
Ending the stigma around eating disorders can start by spreading the word on how dangerous eating disorders actually are. Stigmas spread across all types of mental illnesses, but eating disorders are more nuanced than that, therefore their stigma is different. Oftentimes, people with eating disorders will view themselves as weak. The general public tends to hold onto fear and anger when it comes to those with eating disorders. Due to this, stigmas withhold recovery options from people who need them. The stigma behind eating disorders has risen immensely causing people with eating disorders to not seek treatment.
The main way someone can change the narrative is to talk about eating disorders and educate people on its complexities and casualties. There is power in numbers; educating others can help raise awareness and prevent E.D.-induced deaths. You can be the person to plant the seed of knowledge when it comes to eating disorders. Do not be afraid to help start the process of someone’s plant growing.
If you believe you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, reach out to your primary care doctor or therapist. If you want to learn more you can go to: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/resource-center/
If you need immediate assistance, go to your local emergency room or call one of the eating disorder hotline numbers:
ANAD Helpline: 1 (888) 375-7767
National Alliance for Eating Disorders: 1 (866) 662-1235
Diabulimia Helpline: 1 (425) 985-3635
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