Disordered definitions: We should stop using eating disorders as a casual joke or insult
This February I’ve decided to address an issue that still contains murky connotations in today’s society: eating disorders. I’ve skirted around this issue, but I’ve never really addressed it head-on.
Perhaps this is because I never had one.
As a teenage girl, eating disorders were a confusing subject. Every week there seemed to be a new childhood celebrity checked into rehab, and for a period it seemed to be the issue-du-jour of almost every soap opera–esque show on TV. While they were always seen as a trouble, they were never treated with the same unease as other health issues like alcohol and drug abuse.
In college and the years following, I saw eating disorders used as an arbitrary insult — using their stigma for the purposes of catty gossip and jealousy. A girl you don’t like lost ten pounds in two months? “Must be anorexic.” Your skinny friend always uses the bathroom after meals? “Bulimic.” Like hurling weight gain insults at unfavorable persons, I saw these disorders become a tool for slander. What was most concerning was the persons tossing out the accusations were never really concerned for their targets, as you’d think they should be for someone allegedly suffering from a serious condition. No thought of help was mentioned, only thoughts of maliciousness.
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week
Feb. 23 — March 1
Eating disorders are life-threatening illnesses that nobody has by choice. According to the National Eating Disorders Network, about 20 million women 10 million men in the U.S. suffer from an eating disorder.
Gay men are thought to represent 5 percent of the total U.S. male population, but among men who have eating disorders, 42 percent identify as gay.
Learn more about eating disorders and National Eating Disorder Awareness Week online at nationaleatingdisorders.org
With contradicting media representations, personal accusations, and societal assumptions about eating disorders, I’m still confused as to what type of eating behavior warrants the title of a “disorder.” We all have odd eating schedules and choices, but what conduct bears concern?
To finally clear the air, I turned to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), the largest non-profit eating disorders prevention and advocacy organization in the world. Defined as a range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits, these troubles are no light matter. The four listed eating disorders are serious issues combining physical, mental, and emotional traumas that can be life threatening if left untreated.
Below are some factors that can contribute to eating disorders, according to NEDA:
• Low self-esteem
• Depression, anxiety, anger, stress, or loneliness
• History of being teased or ridiculed based on size or weight
• Troubled personal relationships
• Cultural pressures that glorify “thinness”
Before using tossing out the phrases “anorexic” or “bulimic,” I encourage you all to remember these contributing factors to eating disorders. From loneliness to bullying, some seem to be preventable by kindness or respect. With the new year, I resolve to be a positive force in the fight against these sometimes-opaque conditions. I hope you all do the same.
