Eating Disorder Week is happening from February 1 to 7th, and its primary goal is to have people realize that everyone has their own natural body size, and to be proud of it.

“Eating disorders are serious mental health issues and the only mental health issue in which people die, says Monica Hinton, who specializes in eating disorder treatment and is a counsellor at Lethbridge College. “The biggest factor with eating disorders is someone’s relationship with food and their body image–there is an intense fear of gaining weight and a severe body image distortion.

“There is not one reason why someone would be diagnosed with an eating disorder–it is a complex mix of genetics, temperament, social factors, family factors and media influences.

Hinton also says people with eating disorders cannot get better on their own, it’s impossible, they need a support team, including a physician, dietitian, therapist, [or] a support group [for] recovery.”

There are support groups within the city of Lethbridge. Talk to your doctor to find out where they are and when they meet.

The way we think about our bodies and our appearance can have a negative effect on every area of our life, according to Nedic.ca, the National Eating Disorder Information Centre.

“Thoughts, feelings and behaviours related to managing food and weight can begin to interfere with our everyday activities. When we focus too much attention on our bodies and our eating, our overall well-being can be drastically affected. [It] can also lead to severe physical and emotional problems.”

The NEDIC website also says that “an eating disorder signals that the person has deep emotional difficulties that they are unable to face or resolve.”

An eating disorder is often masking larger issues, such as feeling the inability to cope with a situation in their lives, and by manipulating what they eat, they regain a false sense of control, but it does not solve the real issues the person is trying to deal with.

There are a few well-known illnesses associated with eating disorders, which include Anorexia, Bulimia, and binge-eating.


Anorexia is “when [a person] lose a lot of weight because [they’re] hardly eating anything, and might over-exercise. [They] probably can’t or don’t admit how underweight [they] are. [They] may not initially look very thin, but may be far too thin to support [their] health.”

Bulimia is when a person eats, then quickly tries to get rid of the calories, so they won’t get “fat”. They might even make themselves vomit, use laxatives, or exercise far too often. Also, they will notice their body weight goes up and down frequently.

Another eating disorder is Binge Eating. This is “When [a person] eats so much [they’re] uncomfortable, eat to comfort [themselves], eat in secret, or keep eating as part of a meal or between meals. [They] feel a lot of shame or guilt about [their] eating.”

NEDIC also suggests that if you think you have an eating disorder, or if you have problems with your body image, talk to your doctor before you develop a possible eating disorder, and cause harm to your body.

SIDEBAR:

The NEDIC.ca website has a list of suggestions for those questioning their body weight and body image.

1. Criticize the culture that promotes unhealthy body image, not yourself

2. Look at Do not encourage or laugh at jokes that make fun of a person’s size or body

3. Avoid labelling food “bad,” “sinful,” or “junk food

4. Fight against the main cause of eating disorders – dieting

5. Get rid of your scale! Numbers can be deceiving. Listen to your body.

6. Tell the media what you think: they do listen.

Originally posted 2009-02-01 03:19:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

  • Share/Bookmark