Meet Molly

Molly, age 17, has spent the last two years obsessing about her weight and restricting her food intake. She would often skip breakfast, have an apple for lunch, and limit dinner to a plain chicken breast with steamed broccoli. Her parents brushed this off as “normal teenage behavior” - that is, until Molly started bingeing and purging.

At first, Molly’s parents were happy to see her eating more foods, but then they began to notice that Molly would spend 15 minutes in the bathroom after each meal. They’ve also noticed that Molly has started gaining weight, and that she cries every morning before school, trying to find clothing to wear.

Molly is Not an Ano-Molly

I’d like to say that Molly’s case is rare, but it seems to be becoming more common. Parents brush off restrictive eating behaviors, but become concerned when their children start to eat uncontrollably. Parents are not at fault; the dieting culture has become so “normal” that dangerous eating and exercise patterns often occur without alarm. 

People are now less concerned with achieving the “thin ideal.” Instead, they are terrified of being labeled “obese,” and this can create a powerful drive that leads to disordered eating and compulsive exercise. Significantly, media, health professionals, and government officials perpetuate this fear when they focus on “preventing or treating obesity.”

Poor body image triggers a dieting mindset, which the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) defines as “dissatisfaction with your natural body shape or size leading to a decision that you need to actively change your physical body.” Disordered eating, a step down from a diagnosed eating disorder, is defined by NEDA as occurring “when a person’s attitudes about food, weight, and body size lead to very rigid eating and exercise habits that jeopardize one’s health, happiness, and safety.” Following a traditional weight loss diet can easily fit a person into this category.

The alternative approach is to empower all people to maximize their health, regardless of size.

Raising Awareness

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week begins Sunday, February 21 (http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org).

Are you, or someone you love, experiencing signs of an eating disorder?

Signs of an eating disorder can include:

~ Fear of weight gain
~ Talks about “feeling fat”
~ Avoids eating with others
~ Loss of control when eating
~ Guilt or shame after eating
~ Repeated attempts at dieting
~ Eating large amounts of food in a short period of time
~ Rituals with eating, especially to make it appear as though more food is consumed
~ Sneaking food
~ Lying about eating habits
~ Restricting food intake
~ Self-induced vomiting; spending time in bathroom after meals or snacks
~ Laxative and/or diuretic abuse
~ Compulsive and/or excessive exercise
~ Chewing food and spitting it out
~ Emotional eating
~ Bingeing in private
~ Low self-esteem, especially based on body shape/size
~ In females, menstrual irregularities
~ Noticeable weight change
~ Wearing baggy clothing to hide body size

Identifying with as little as one of the above points signals that there is an unhealthy relationship with food, exercise, or body image.

Helping Those You Love

If you are concerned about a loved one who may be suffering from problematic eating or exercise, here are some tips from NEDA:

~ Discuss your concerns early on, in a loving and supportive way.
~ Set a time to talk about your worries in a private, respectful meeting.
~ Share examples of times when you were concerned about specific eating or exercise behaviors.
~ Ask your loved one to explore these concerns with an eating disorder professional. The NEDA website has a treatment provider listing at: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help-today/treatment-provider-disclaimer.php
~ If your loved one denies a problem, restate your feelings and the reasons for them. Be available as a supportive person.
~ Avoid placing shame, blame, or guilt on your friend. Keep the focus on how you are feeling, “I feel miserable when I see how unhappy you are about your body.”
~ Do not give simple solutions to a very complex problem, such as, “just start eating breakfast again, and this will all be okay.”
~ Express your continued support. Remind them that you care and want them to be healthy and happy.

If you are still concerned after talking with your loved one, seek out the help of a medical or eating disorder professional.

Molly’s Next Steps

Molly’s parents scheduled an appointment with her pediatrician, who ordered laboratory testing and performed a medical assessment of Molly’s health status. From there, the physician referred Molly to a therapist and a Registered Dietitian who both specialize in eating disorder recovery.

Since her habits had become so ingrained, it took months of treatment before Molly felt more comfortable about her body and eating habits. She is on the road to complete recovery.

If you are concerned about your body image or eating and activity habits, seek help from the Health at Every Size community. More of Me to Love and its experts offer reliable resources to help free yourself from a dieting mindset and/or disordered eating.

To learn more about how to begin loving your body, check out More of Me to Love’s tips and blogs this week.

Melissa is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer, and Intrinsic Coach(TM), and is the owner of Well Being--Nutrition & Wellness Services, LLC. Melissa uses HAES principles in working with all clients, and primarily works with clients recovering from eating disorders and disordered eating patterns. To learn more, please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).