Eating Disorder Risks

Eating disorders are rife in our culture, and one of the biggest risk factors for developing an eating disorder is following an extreme diet. This means a diet that, for example, leaves out or minimises a food group (fat or carbs); is extremely low calories (eg 1200 calories); separates a person from being able to eat with family or socially; or cuts out animal products (vegan or vegetarian diet). While some people can do these things without developing an eating disorder, they are red flags and make a person 12-18x more likely to develop an eating disorder. 

Other risk factors are so common that we may not even recognise them as risk factors for an eating disorder. For example, it is common to have an unhealthy body image. This means hating one’s body for how it looks. Weight stigma is also so common, and subtle criticism by others- family, social groups and the media- can cause an intense body dissatisfaction feeling, leading to damaging behaviours. 

Obesity is linked to eating disorders. Dieting is linked to eating disorders. Anxiety, having a close relative with an eating disorder or a mental health disorder, can heighten the risk of developing an eating disorder. 

We pretty much know that restrictive dieting isn’t great for most people, even for weight loss- because there is a rebound effect. The best way to lose weight (if needed) while maintaining good mental health and a sense of wellbeing in one’s body, is to eat better quality food- more wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, enough protein etc- and to move regularly. 

That means, eating a wide variety of foods, to satisfaction. Listening to one’s hunger signals, not overriding them or killing them with coffee or getting high on hunger hormones. I know it seems incredibly simple- and it isn’t to someone with an eating disorder- but eating when hungry, from a wide range of primarily whole foods, with occasional enjoyment of treat foods, is the best way to gain and maintain a healthy weight. Not to overthink it or focus on food too much. 

Food bingeing is caused by food restriction and can be alleviated by eating normally, without unecessary restrictions. Yes, that means, eating dairy unless it is not tolerated. Eating meat, unless you are a very rare person who can be healthy without it. You can enjoy birthday cake now and then if you eat sugar occasionally. Eating carbs because that’s what gives us energy to be active. Eating a wide range of colourful plant foods is so good for us. 

Eating in secret is another red flag for an eating disorder. One of the best protective factors for adolescents, is eating at least one meal daily with family. While this can be challenging in today’s busy society, it is worth prioritising for the lifelong mental health benefits it fosters, especially around normalised eating. 

Another way we can help adolescents, and also each other, especially girlfriends, is to stop talking about weight so much and praising each other when we lose weight. Girlfriends who overly focus on their body image with each other can feed very unhealthy patterns of poor body image that are so common. They might not even realise one of their friends has an eating disorder- especially if that person is not underweight.

Mothers who are constantly dieting (or dieting-bingeing), and talking negatively about their body, will of course have a negative effect on their daughters, even if they never criticise their daughter’s eating patterns or body. 

Instead, let’s build each other up, enjoy good healthy, wholesome meals together, set healthy examples, never talk badly about our own body image to anyone including ourselves; listen to our own hunger and satiety signals, and let our weight fall where it does. When we eat enough and eat good, wholesome food to satiety most of the time, along with enjoyable treats, we have plenty of physical energy to move and enjoy physical activity. Not pushing ourselves to move to lose weight or burn off that piece of cake, but because it is enjoyable and part of an everyday life to be physically active sometimes. 

As a Naturopath, also trained as a Nutritionist, I have seen many women with borderline or actual eating disorders, often undiagnosed. In women who are underweight, of normal weight, and overweight. For people who are overly focused on this, the best solution is to take the focus off weight and restricting food, and instead learn to listen to one’s own body. We are trained to listen to diet gurus and not to our own body’s healthy signals. We are trained by the media not to trust our body, and to treat its hunger signals as a sign of weakness.  

I would encourage instead that we learn to cook wholesome food for ourselves, and share food and eating with others. Not to eat in private unless we live alone, and even then, to regularly eat with others. To focus more on what our body can do, not how it looks. And to take back our power, become more media literate, and accept ourselves in all our imperfect glory, because this is the one beautiful body we have.