Skip to main content

Eating Disorder Myth 1: Let's Bust Some Myths

LET'S BUST SOME MYTHS!!

Over the next week or so, I will post some myth about eating disorders. The myth is in the picture and the 'answer' in the text below. Let's bust some myths!

Myth 1

No! You don’t have to be thin or emaciated to have an eating disorder. Overweight and average-weight people experience eating disorders too. Eating disorders take many forms (we know of at least 20 different types of eating disorder), and not just the form where people starve themselves/restrict food.

People who binge on unhealthy amounts of food and purge themselves by vomiting or taking laxatives may not look like they’re 'wasting away' or emaciated, but they’re still doing severe damage to their bodies and need to seek treatment.

Only a very small proportion of people with eating disorders are very underweight or emaciated - weight is not an indicator of an eating disorder despite what your GP, psychiatrist, media or others might say. We have 100s of people every year in various settings (groups, training, workshops, one-to-one etc) since starting in 2010 and every single person looks different, are different shapes, weights and sizes. Most are not severely emaciated, and diagnosis of an eating disorder based on weight is not only dangerous but extremely inappropriate and stigmatising.

So, next time you are walking down the street please remember that any one of those people in the street could be struggling with an eating disorder. We simply cannot tell by simply looking at someone whether they are experiencing an eating disorder.

Alexandra O'Brien and Talking EDs (Glasgow & West Eating Disorders Service) © (2012, 2018). All Rights Reserved.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Focus on.... Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or EDNOS)

Focus on.... EDNOS/OSFED Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or EDNOS) is now increasingly known as OSFED (Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder) accounts for the highest percentage of eating disorders. EDNOS/OSFED is just as serious and debilitating as any other form of eating disorder and needs to be taken more seriously. Unfortunately, however, in our experience, this is often not the case and many are not given appropriate treatment or support (whether from family, friends, professionals and others) and the condition can deteriorte and even change into another form of eating disorder. WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT EDNOS/OSFED? Then read on..... EDNOS/OSFED is the most commonly diagnosed eating disorder in clinical settings. It has often been described as ‘partial syndrome’; however, in our opinion, referring to an eating disorder as 'partial' presents several problems, namely that the client or patient is denied support. EDNOS/OSFED describes a form eating d...

BODY IMAGE AND BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER: What is it?

BODY IMAGE AND BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER As we said yesterday, this week in Mental Health Awareness Week 2019. This is a national awareness week and the theme this year is Body Image. See Monday's post to see what we are doing this week. We will also be posting everyday this week on Facebook, Twitter and the blog about Body Image and BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder). Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition related to Body Image where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. People of any age can have BDD and it affects anyone of any gender or sex. Having BDD does not mean you are vain or self-obsessed. It can be very upsetting and have a big impact on your life. Low mood, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, stress, trauma, self-harm and eating disorders are some of the other conditions that can co-occur with BDD. Some o...

1/2 Price Therapy and Consulting Room Hire in Glasgow City Centre

 1/2 Price Therapy and Consulting Room Hire in Glasgow City Centre   We're offering 1/2 price room hire for your first month of using therapy and consulting rooms with us. Offer ends at the end of March, so register as a room user with us before 31st March to ensure you get 1/2 price room hire for your first month. Feel free to get in touch via email for more information/if you have any questions or browse our website for more information and photos. Contact details below.    CONTACT E: contact@glasgowtherapyrooms.co.uk W:www.glasgowtherapyrooms.co.uk