The secret world of eating disorders
The stereotyping and romanticizing of eating disorders in the media can lead to ignorance and cause psychological damage.
Eating disorders are harmful mental diseases that can affect anyone. People of any race, gender, age or size can develop an eating disorder. There are several different types and all are physically and mentally damaging.
Some examples of different eating disorders are: bulimia, binge eating disorder, EDNOS(eating disorder not otherwise specified), and AFRID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder). But there’s one missing right? The big one that everyone knows: anorexia nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa, more commonly known as anorexia, is a disorder of having extremely low weight and being afraid of gaining weight. But you knew that right? That’s because it seems to be the only eating disorder to be talked about in the media, almost like the other disorders don’t exist and aren’t dangerous.
In any movie or show with a character that has an eating disorder the person is always a scarily thin teenage girl. She’s always displayed as a small perfect girl who just won’t eat. She almost always has anorexia. This stereotype is harmful because it can make anyone who isn’t an underweight girl believe they cannot have an eating disorder and it hides the reality behind eating disorders.
They aren’t glamorous, and they aren’t perfect. They are incredibly dangerous and if left unchecked can lead to permanent psychological damage or even death.
Three people who have suffered from lesser known eating disorders are Jordan Williams, Gavin Bowers, and Skye Aust. Williams has struggled with bulimia in the past, and has thankfully recovered. Bowers still suffers from binge eating disorder but is working towards recovery. Aust is suffering from EDNOS, and also hopes to recover soon.
“I didn’t even realize I had an eating disorder at first. It’s not that talked about because it’s just been accepted in American culture to overeat,” said Bowers.
Being an overweight man, he didn’t even think he could develop this disorder. Not only do you need to be tragically thin to have one, but it also seems as if you have to be a woman.
“Men aren’t taken seriously at all. It’s as if they just push our feelings aside,” Bowers added.
Perhaps the illness is viewed as weak which is seen as a femine trait. Well, mental illness isn’t sexist, it affects anyone, of any gender.
“I honestly didn’t even know that EDNOS was even a thing,” stated Aust.
EDNOS is when someone doesn’t have all of the symptoms of anorexia, or bulimia. People who restrict food intake heavily but are not underweight are considered to have this. Or people who restrict and binge, and maybe even purge. They may not always be underweight, but it is still dangerous.
“I’ll restrict my food for days and then go on a huge week long binge. I don’t even know if I’m gaining or losing weight but I can’t stop,” Aust said.
Another thing that is not commonly portrayed in the media is the side of eating disorders that aren’t as appealing. Eating disorders are not cute; they are a mental illness that cause so much damage to your body and your mental health. Bulimia is most likely not shown as much because it really showcases the more unsightly reality of the disease and what it can do to your body.
“Since I was vomiting I think it mostly messed with my teeth, when I got 16 cavities it was like a red flag,” stated Williams.
Williams also commented how movies typically hide away the grosser truths of eating disorders. “I do think it can be romanticized. Like no one’s hair is falling out, no one’s teeth are rotting. They might faint and be weak, but I think a lot of media doesn’t show the grosser parts of it.”
Those are just statements from people with two disorders out of many that aren’t talked about enough. Anorexia nervosa is a valid and dangerous disorder, but it is not the only one. We need to raise awareness that other eating disorders do in fact exist and are also deadly and dangerous.
