Misinformation about eating disorders can prevent people from getting the help they need. Since eating disorders are among the deadliest mental health conditions, having the right information is critical.
Rogers Behavioral Health’s Gail Goodacre, LPC, eating disorder therapist at Rogers in Appleton, shares the facts behind some of the most common myths about eating disorders.
Myth #1: You can tell if someone has an eating disorder by how they look.
I think this is one of the biggest and most dangerous misconceptions because it can delay treatment or stop someone from seeking it. Looking at someone and assuming they do or don’t have an eating disorder (ED) based on body size isn’t a reliable indicator.
One study says that fewer than 6% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight,” and people in larger bodies are at the highest risk of having developed an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime.
Fact: Eating disorders can affect people in any body size or weight category.
Myth #2: Eating disorders are about appearance.
EDs are sometimes thought to be about vanity, as if a person is simply obsessed with their weight. There are many things that can contribute to the development of an eating disorder, including genetics and environmental factors.
Fact: Eating disorder behaviors often develop and/or worsen due to unmet emotional needs, such as a desire for safety or control. They may also develop as a response to trauma.
Myth #3: Eating disorders mainly affect teenage girls.
We hear about young women with EDs most often, and while it’s true that the teenage years are a vulnerable time, they aren’t the only ones affected. Shame and stigma from providers and society affect many populations and prevent them from seeking treatment, such as men, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and individuals living in larger bodies. Men make up to 25% of people with eating disorders, and one in three minority teenagers report engaging in dangerous behaviors associated with EDs.
Fact: Eating disorders don’t discriminate. They can affect anyone at any age or any stage of life.
Myth #4: If a person eats appropriately in certain settings, they don’t have an eating disorder.
It’s fairly common for someone with an ED to appear to eat “normally” at times. For example, they may go out to dinner with family or friends and have an appropriate meal; however, they may engage in ED behaviors before and/or after the meal.
Fact: People with EDs often try to hide it. Many ED behaviors aren’t visible to others and can ebb and flow based on a person’s life circumstances. A single snapshot of how someone relates to food doesn’t determine their relationship with it.
Myth #5: ED recovery means eating “normally.”
There are a lot of components to recovery. Stabilizing nutrition is certainly important; however, recovery also means repairing a person’s relationship with food and their body, learning how to manage emotions in a healthy way, and addressing factors that reinforce the eating disorder. We do a lot of work with people to tend to those really challenging feelings of fear, shame, and guilt.
Fact: Stabilizing and maintaining adequate nutrition doesn’t mean a person has recovered from an eating disorder. Progress in recovery is much harder to maintain without addressing the underlying causes, which can make eating disorder behaviors more likely to return.
Myth #6: Under fueling your body doesn’t matter.
I think many people don’t understand the relationship between nutrition and mental and physical health. Those I work with often tell me they feel fatigued, have trouble controlling their emotions, and aren’t able to think clearly. They’re often surprised to learn about the effects of under fueling their bodies and discover that many of their symptoms are linked to lack of proper nutrition.
Fact: Nutrition plays an important role in how we think and feel.
Myth #7: Treatment options only exist for people with a diagnosis of anorexia or bulimia.
While treatment for anorexia and bulimia has been available the longest, growing understanding of eating disorders has helped increase access to treatment for lesser-known disorders, such as Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and binge eating disorder.
Fact: Rogers provides compassionate and effective care for:
- Anorexia nervosa
- Binge eating disorder
- Bulimia nervosa
- Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
- Other specified or unspecified eating disorders, such as atypical anorexia, purging disorder, orthorexia nervosa, and night eating syndrome
- Eating disorders in conjunction with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, depression or trauma (posttraumatic stress disorder), body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB) , such as hair-pulling and skin-picking
Myth #8: Supporting a loved one with an eating disorder means reminding them to eat.
Yes, reminding or gently prompting someone to eat can be helpful for some, but it’s not one size fits all. Sometimes, support looks like providing encouragement for a difficult meal or eating with them. Support also includes holding healthy boundaries and looking at your own relationship with food and your body. For example, it’s common to label certain foods as “good” or “bad” and make negative comments about one’s body. This is often a learned behavior that may not significantly impact everyone, but for a person with an eating disorder, this kind of language can reinforce the fears that help maintain the disorder. This is a topic I frequently cover in family support sessions with patients and their loved ones.
Fact: Recovery isn’t something a person can do alone. They need people to walk alongside them. It’s important for loved ones to educate themselves about eating disorders and access resources. Check out Project HEAL for free support groups. At Rogers, we involve loved ones in support sessions to teach them about eating disorders and how to provide support.
Bottom line: The bottom line is EDs don’t look just one way. They don’t start the same way, and they don’t heal the same way. Each person’s experience is unique, which is why we provide individualized treatment—meeting people where they are and helping them work toward their goals.
Rogers provides eating disorder treatment
The first step is often the hardest. But the right treatment can change your life.
Call 833-308-5887 for a free, confidential screening.
