Eating Disorders

[pax]

I know that statistics on eating disorders, at least among women in the Western Hemisphere, are pretty scary--almost 10 percent, according to one study I read, of women either have or have had some form of eating disorder. But thinking about this topic lately, I have to wonder a bit about that statistic.

At some point, I think many women have somewhat adversarial relationships with their bodies and food. This is a new feeling for me, speaking personally here for a second--I don't know if it's all the stress I've been under or the brief illness I had or what have you, but recently I've been very suspicious of food and excessively worried about gaining weight. I'm spending a lot more time looking in the mirror and fretting over whether I'll have to replace every pair of pants I own. And I wonder if it's possible to develop an eating disorder by just sort of worrying one into existence.

But anyway, before this becomes a ZC thread, let me ask you all a few things:

1.) What do you all think about eating disorders? How and why do they come about?

2.) If stats on eating disorders factored in those who have thought about eating disorders or those who sort of flirt with having them, how much higher would the number go up?

Thoughts, please.

 

[verte76]

I really don't know much about eating disorders, so I'll just come up with some thoughts. This society is way too "looks-conscious", associating a skinny body with good looks, which society claims you have to have to be happy. This is complete nonsense. I know some people who could stand to lose some weight, but they're not what I'd call unhappy people. Everyone has issues. If you're like me, you have a touch of autism and have trouble getting organized and other hassles. It's kind of a random, arbritary, almost hierarchal "issue" chart, with allegedly really awful ones like weight problems at the top right now and actually autism issues as well rating fairly high on the "pyramid" of issues these days. I'm not really comfortable with this as autism doesn't kill people the way AIDS and other diseases do. Sure it's not always fun to be autistic, but gosh, we have our lives and we don't have death sentences hanging over our heads the way people with AIDS do. We need a more global perspective on "issues" with millions of people in Africa who don't even have clean water much higher on the "isues" agenda and whether or not we look perfect or not on the bottom rung of importance, rather than at the top where it is now. The sequence and priorities on the "issues" list needs to be completely redone, it's fd up big time.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I know someone who died over Thanksgiving from anorexia.

I think it's a very complicated illness and it's hard to pinpoint one cause. I've known a scary number of women with eating disorders and I would say that the common links with all of them were low-steem, perfectionism, family pressures or fucked-up family life, and just not enough love. Some research indicates a genetic component as well. And once the disorder is underway, actual changes in brain chemistry can prolong it.

When I would asked people about this person who died who I knew but not well (she's a family member of a colleague), I was always told one thing: "Well, her mother told her she was fat when she was 14" as though this in itself was the cause. And I'm like, geez, I was told that all the time and worse, though in my case it wasn't true, I've never been overweight. My response was always, "yeah, mom, thanks a lot, I inherited your fat ass" rather than to become sick.

That said, I've reached a point in my life age-wise where I do have to watch what I eat for the first time. I used to look at pasta like an old friend and now I look at it like it's the great enemy.

 

[Liesje]

I've been obsessed with gymnastics since I was 8 so I've done my share of research on EDs in defense of our sport (like recently turned in a 10 page paper on EDs in gymnastics). I think one of the most significant things to me is how often people confuse an eating disorder with disordered eating. An ED is a disease that really has nothing to do with weight or low self-confidence. Food is merely used as a means of control; it's incidental to the actual problems. I've seen blog rings and such where girls are "pro-anorexia" and such and I have to laugh b/c these kids have NO IDEA what it's like to actually have an eating disorder. It's also sad b/c it diminishes the seriousness of girls actually struggling with eating disorders.

1) Anorexia - usually in girls that are extremely driven and needs to have all their ducks in a row; just another way to be in complete control

Bulemia - usually in girls trying to gain control of their lives but who are more "manic" (emotions all over the place)

2) the number would skyrocket, BUT, "flirting" with the idea or dieting or not liking your body is part of growing up, it doesn't constitute a psychological disease in the way that a diagnosed eating disorder does. I've thought about it, but I know that b/c my personality and the way my mind works I could never develop a full blown ED no matter how hard I tried.

 

[pax]

What, exactly, qualifies as "disordered eating"? How would one have habits of disordered eating but not actually have an eating disorder? Where is the line drawn?

What kinds of cultural messages do y'all think, besides the obvious (clothing ads, diet plans, etc.) contribute to eating disorders or disordered eating?

 

[joyfulgirl]

An ED is a disease that really has nothing to do with weight or low self-confidence. Food is merely used as a means of control; it's incidental to the actual problems.

That makes sense. Is it accurate to say eating disorders are part of the obsessive-compulsive disorder family?

 

[dandy]

i would guess that eating disorders are related to obsessive-compulsive disorders... it's definitely an illness. i'd say it becomes a disorder when a person is eating for reasons that aren't related to hunger/nourishment. i know that's a broad scope, but i think it's reflective of reality. we all binge on our comfort foods of choice, but there's a difference between enjoying a treat every now and then and overdosing on junk food daily.

it seems to me that there are two families of eating disorders. one is anorexia, bulemia, etc. where the person refuses to ingest/digest food, thinking they're fat/worthless. the other is at the opposite end of the spectrum, when people use food to self-medicate their depression. both are deeply rooted in control issues.

 

[verte76]

Thanks LivLuv for the info. I told you I didn't know anything about these disorders. For whatever reason I haven't known anyone with an eating disorder in my adult life. I've known many bipolars and of course people all over the DDS, (developmental disorders spectrum, autism, HDD, etc, etc, since I'm one of those myself).

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

First question-no doubt eating disorders are absolutely horrible things. I've seen pictures of Karen Carpenter when she was in the throws of anorexia, and she did not look pretty, she looked downright creepy. I think it's very sad that so many people get that insecure that they get into that kind of thing.

As for what causes them, though...bit of a potential rant here...you know, people talk all the time about beauty magazines and TV and blame them for all these problems, and I personally don't agree with that. Those people on TV and in the magazines never forced these women to lose weight. The women who want to look like the women on TV or in magazines or whatver made the initial decision on their own to lose weight. Now, with those who got the eating disorders, the further on they got into their dieting routine, eventually, they lost complete control of their dieting, and they obviously didn't choose to get to the point where they were sick or dying or whatever, it just happened.

But the initial decision to be skinnier was their choice, none of these women on TV or in the magazines made them do it, because for all the women out there who see these girls and decide to lose weight, there's also so many women out there who see these women on TV or in magazines and DON'T go off and start dieting as a result, so they obviously can't be as influential as people say they are, otherwise, EVERY woman would have an eating disorder. And besides that, you can become insecure about your looks just by seeing a skinny girl in your school, or your hometown, or at the beach, wandering around, too, so if it's not a magazine or a TV show that will make you insecure, it's something else, and it's up to YOU to decide how to deal with it, and hopefully you'll make the decision to not get into a dangerous diet.

And people forget that guys can get eating disorders, too, and yet I never hear anybody blaming the media for that. I never hear for any change in the look guys have in magazines or TV, the whole buff, six pack, big muscles, chiseled physique/face, etc., etc. Why is it just that way with women?

Meh. Anywho, rant over, that's just kinda how I personally feel.

As far as the second question goes, I honestly don't know how much of a change there'd be, but I'd assume it'd be a rather noticeable one.

Angela

 

[Liesje]

What, exactly, qualifies as "disordered eating"? How would one have habits of disordered eating but not actually have an eating disorder? Where is the line drawn?

What kinds of cultural messages do y'all think, besides the obvious (clothing ads, diet plans, etc.) contribute to eating disorders or disordered eating?

"Disordered eating" is girls not eating/purging b/c they want to lose weight/think they're too fat/like to be skinny/want to look lik X model or acctress. Like, maybe I think I'm fat and want to lose 10 lbs so for a month I eat 100 calories a day. An eating disorder is about control; it's not about losing weight, it's about using weight to maintain a sense of stability and control in one's life.

I honestly don't think cultural messages like clothes for the skinny, skinny models, actresses, etc, really have a significant effect on true eating disorders. The cultural indicators I think are more harmful are things that would give a girl reason to think her life was out of control - divorces, kids just growing up too fast (sex, drugs, pregnancy, etc), and also school work seems so much more competitive these days. Our culture in general puts too much pressure on people to be completely independent financially, emotionally, intellectually, etc.

 

[Liesje]

And people forget that guys can get eating disorders, too, and yet I never hear anybody blaming the media for that. I never hear for any change in the look guys have in magazines or TV, the whole buff, six pack, big muscles, chiseled physique/face, etc., etc. Why is it just that way with women?

This is a good point, Angela. I recently did a survey of high level gymnasts (male and female) as well as their parents and coaches. The most severe ED reported was of a guy who has been struggling with bulemia for years (2.5 and counting), received 6 months of counselling, and was once hospitalized. Definitely not in a majority, but still worth noting.

 

[U2democrat]

One of my friends is anorexic. It was really bad last year when she would take her calculator to lunch to figure out the amount of calories she had taken in, would eat yogurt, throw away the rest of her lunch, and then chug a bottle of water so what little she had eaten would go right through her. Toward the end of the schoolyear she started eating healthier, then at some point over the summer she took up drinking tons of beer. Because beer makes you gain weight, she has cut down the amount of food she eats again. She sees a psychiatrist but it obviously doesn't work.

 

[dandy]

the singer for silverchair had a severe case of anorexia, i believe...
we didn't hear much about it here, but it's the only mention of a man having an eating disorder that i can remember.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Yeah, that's right, he did have anorexia, and I remember once a long time ago watching one of those afternoon talk shows and some guy was on there talking about his eating disorder.

This is a good point, Angela. I recently did a survey of high level gymnasts (male and female) as well as their parents and coaches. The most severe ED reported was of a guy who has been struggling with bulemia for years (2.5 and counting), received 6 months of counselling, and was once hospitalized. Definitely not in a majority, but still worth noting.

Thanks. And wow, that's sad about that guy. I remember when I was in school hearing about some guys who were in wrestling and all that talk about how they had to keep an eye on what they ate, how they had to lose x amount of pounds before an event, and they weren't into the eating disorder area yet, but they still were tired and looked rundown and everything. I felt so bad for them.

It just seems that people forget that anyone, man or women, can have insecurities about themselves. We all have things that we wish we could improve on. And I agree with your other post, too-I definitely agree that those things you mentioned, the pressures and whatnot, have to do with this whole thing, too (I've heard stories before about people who were perfect students, involved in tons of school activities, etc., etc., and they had an eating disorder, too-they were perfectionists in every sense of the word).

And it's ironic that people think they're in control when it comes to an eating disorder, because eventually, it seems the food's in control of them, that's why they get all frantic when they see they've gained weight and everything, they fear they're losing control again.

Angela

 

[verte76]

There is a whole bunch of insecurity out there, and I think many people are afraid to talk about their insecurities because they've been told, unfortunately, that insecurity is a sign of weakness and they shouldn't "give in" to it. This is screwy. It's not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of being human. I'd be lying big time if I claimed I didn't have any insecurities. Trust me, I do!

 

[Liesje]

That makes sense. Is it accurate to say eating disorders are part of the obsessive-compulsive disorder family?

Sorry, I missed this post. I think eating disorders are much more like depression and a lot like cutting, but yes they are like OCD in that it is a disease, not just a bad habit.

 

[U2democrat]

some people think i have an eating disorder because i'm so darn skinny, but i just have high metabolism. i eat when i'm hungry, and i eat until i'm full. i know its a disease, but i just have no comprehension of how someone could starve themself or throw up such yummy food! i would be interested to see the rate of eating disorders as society has become progressively focused on being skinny.

 

[Irvine511]

as far as male issues go, there are similar problems especially among gay men -- who are subjected to nearly impossible standards of beauty on par with straight women -- but this usually manifests itself less as anorexia and more as exercise addiction, and the use/abuse of supplements some of which are legal and can be purchased at GNC, others of which are not. the emphasis is less on celery and more on egg whites, but the root of the obsessions with body and image and control are pretty much the same. the lit theory student in me would get into notions of what's known as "the male gaze" -- as in, this perceived microscope those who are attracted to men feel as if they are under, and the subsequent pressure to operate and to internally control external action to conform to what is perceived to be most pleasing to said gaze. a bit convoluded, perhaps, but the interesting thing is that, at the root of it, it's less what other people think and more what YOU think they are thinking, and breaking free of this cycle is quite difficult.

 

[Liesje]

some people think i have an eating disorder because i'm so darn skinny, but i just have high metabolism. i eat when i'm hungry, and i eat until i'm full. i know its a disease, but i just have no comprehension of how someone could starve themself or throw up such yummy food! i would be interested to see the rate of eating disorders as society has become progressively focused on being skinny.

My roommate (Ultraviolet Light) is also skinny and has a high metabolism and people always tease her too. We think it's absolutely rediculous b/c 1)it's not funny to kid about that kind of thing, with ANYONE 2)if you think you have a right to kid someone about possibly having an ED, you better at least know a bit more about it. There are so many other physical indicators of eating disorders besides "skinny". People can be so dumb

 

[verte76]

My roommate (Ultraviolet Light) is also skinny and has a high metabolism and people always tease her too. We think it's absolutely rediculous b/c 1)it's not funny to kid about that kind of thing, with ANYONE 2)if you think you have a right to kid someone about possibly having an ED, you better at least know a bit more about it. There are so many other physical indicators of eating disorders besides "skinny". People can be so dumb

Oh, my goodness, not to mention "so cruel". That's inexcusable.

 

[Liesje]

i would be interested to see the rate of eating disorders as society has become progressively focused on being skinny.

I think this is a false correlation. Culture's obsession with thinness and more eating disorders don't prove any causation. I think the increasing frequencies of EDs have more to do with the availability of food than culture's focus on thinness. What I mean is, an ED is about control and food/weight is what is used. In our Western society, we have food available in luxurious amounts so it's easy to use food as a means of control. I bet teens who are in situations where they are/could be starving don't have EDs (probably other things like drugs, alcohol, depression...some other means). And like I said before, pretend you were kind of unstable...now say today you see a skinny model on TV and then later on find out your parents are getting divorsed and you're stuck in the middle b/c they're fighting over who gets to keep you just to piss each other off. Which of these things (skinny model vs. impending divorce and custody battle) do you think would make you more likely to do something, anything, to re-gain control?

 

[joyfulgirl]

as far as male issues go, there are similar problems especially among gay men -- who are subjected to nearly impossible standards of beauty on par with straight women -- but this usually manifests itself less as anorexia and more as exercise addiction, and the use/abuse of supplements some of which are legal and can be purchased at GNC, others of which are not.

This is so true. My gay male friends who are entering their 40s are having a much more difficult time with ageing than my women friends of the same age. They are obsessed with their appearance more and more in a way that is beginning to concern me.

 

[pax]

So it's most likely that an eating disorder could manifest itself in someone when he or she feels especially out of control, whether or not they had any previous symptoms or ever had an odd relationship with food?

 

[beli]

some people think i have an eating disorder because i'm so darn skinny, but i just have high metabolism. i eat when i'm hungry, and i eat until i'm full. i know its a disease, but i just have no comprehension of how someone could starve themself or throw up such yummy food! i would be interested to see the rate of eating disorders as society has become progressively focused on being skinny.

LOL You ARE the younger me.

I was teased mercilessly at every school, etc I went to. I was not anorexic but was called "Annie". Huge dent to my fragile ego.

If people are wanting to identify who has an eating disorder for altruist reasons, then more power to them. But most of the time I feel its just bitching.

There is an unwritten rule in society to not scream "Hey fatty" to overweight peple. Okay children and insensitive people do it but most of us dont.

But is socially acceptable to talk about skinny people in a derogatory fashion. I dont believe that should be the case.

Not that people in this thread have. I just wanted to point out... err something. Maybe I have a lot of anger still about the way society treats healthy skinny people. Dunno.

/venting

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Joyfulgirl, that's odd about your friends. Sad, too-so many people freak about aging, and I know it can have some downsides, but people get older, that's life, and it's gonna happen whether you want it to or not. You said you're concerned about them-hopefully their worries over aging don't get TOO serious.

About being thin-some people have commented on my thin appearance, too. I do eat, my problem is that I just don't eat a lot of the healthier foods as often as I should, so I don't have much muscle to me and everything. I also definitely agree with LivLuv's points, particularly her second one.

There is a whole bunch of insecurity out there, and I think many people are afraid to talk about their insecurities because they've been told, unfortunately, that insecurity is a sign of weakness and they shouldn't "give in" to it. This is screwy. It's not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of being human.

So true.

Originally posted by verte76
I'd be lying big time if I claimed I didn't have any insecurities. Trust me, I do!

*Nods* I do, too. I mentioned being skinny earlier-that's an insecurity of mine. I want to gain some weight, I'm tired of people constantly commenting on how skinny I am. I particularly don't like my legs, I don't like how scrawny they are. That's why I don't like wearing shorter skirts or shorts often.

Angela

 

[verte76]

Yeah, my particular insecurities are a completely different ballgame, they have to do with having this little touch of autism, or Asperger's Syndrome. But everyone has issues of some sort, so I don't think I'm out of the "ordinary". I'm really thankful that my family life is stable, my parents didn't go through a messy divorce and fight over me and all that horrible kind of thing. I'd be in all sorts of trouble if I hadn't had a stable family environment.

 

[dandy]

some people think i have an eating disorder because i'm so darn skinny, but i just have high metabolism. i eat when i'm hungry, and i eat until i'm full.

this happened to me all the time when i was a teenager, despite the fact that i was perfectly healthy. i remember my mother freaking out at me when i took an interest in eating healthier when i was 13, she thought i was trying to diet to lose weight and accused me of being anorexic (seriously, not in a joking manner). all because i started eating salad.



there are still a lot of misconceptions floating around about eating disorders.

 

[verte76]

when i was 13, she thought i was trying to diet to lose weight and accused me of being anorexic (seriously, not in a joking manner). all because i started eating salad.



there are still a lot of misconceptions floating around about eating disorders.

Oh, gosh, lettuce and greens are a huge part of the diet I got on in August of 2003. I was already getting exercise but wasn't eating that great. I took butter and a few other really fattening things out of my diet, and started eating Greek/Middle Eastern food because it's low in fat and cholesterol and high in nutrients, it was nothing drastic, and I lost weight at a regular, sustained rate. I've now lost 25 lbs! It's really cool.

 

[Do Miss America]

I've been accused of having an eating disorder, and maybe I even did have tendecies for a short while in my life. I've been faily thin all my life and could eat like a horse, then I started to turn about 26 or 27 and noticed my metabolism started to slow down and I couldn't eat the same way. I was so scared of losing my body shape that I became a little obsessive with working out and would count calories and carbs, and then if I didn't get to work out that day or ate something that I shouldn't have then I would just skip a meal. But for the last year I've really been back to normal and don't worry so much about being perfect.

 

[BVS]

I think overall a large population of the U.S. is obese. I've had friends and family members die from both extremes. It's sad I think eating disorders are just as serious of a disease than alcoholism or addiction, but it doesn't seem to get treated as so.

I have known a man that suffered from anorexia, he's better now but was in bad shape there for awhile.

I think the perceptions of your surroundings can make a big impact on your body image as well. I've seen all walks of life, and I find it odd how different people's perceptions can be.

I've seen families where it's not only accepted, but almost encouraged to see the man get fat but the wife must maintain her figure. Like a fat husband is a sign of a happy well fed husband.

I've seen familes where every member is obese they constantly eat and eat very poorly and they think they're normal and everyone else is malnutritioned.

Then I've seen the familes that tell their pefectly normal teenager that they are overweight or underweight.

I grew up in a household where the majority of family members excluding my generation are big, some of them I will say are fat. I was adopted and obvioulsly don't have the same genes or body frame as anyone in my family. I've always been very thin, in fact I tried for years in highschool to gain weight put on muscle or whatever and couldn't do it. Yet I got accused all the time of not being "healthy". I'm probably the healthiest member of my family I'm the only one that eats right and excercises on a regular basis, yet even to this day I'll still get comments. There was a brief time when I was on a medication and it made my face swell. I gained a lot weight but most of it was in my face, and then people started telling me I looked healthy.

Perceptions can we wierd and they can do a number on you.