6 Myths About Eating Disorders - Treatment Center for ED In Southern CA
Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder are often thought to be a form of weakness in the person who develops them rather than legitimate disorders. This is just one of many misconceptions that surround eating disorders.
Below are six other commonly held myths about eating disorders and the truths behind them:
1. Only women develop eating disorders.
While it is true that the majority of people with eating disorders are women, 10 percent of the estimated 8 million people with eating disorders are men. And that number is growing as men are becoming more comfortable admitting to having a problem with disordered eating and seeking treatment.
2. Once you have an eating disorder, you will always have an eating disorder.
No eating disorder is permanent, even if you have had it since adolescence. Anorexia, bulimia and overeating disorder can be treated through therapy, outpatient treatment or a residential treatment center for eating disorders. No matter how severe the symptoms of your eating disorder are, the right type of treatment can help you develop a healthy relationship with food. Without any type of treatment, the effects of an eating disorder can be severe.
3. You can’t develop more than one eating disorder.
It is possible to develop more than one eating disorder, and at the same time. It is not uncommon for women to participate in behaviors that indicate bulimia and anorexia alternately. While anorexia and bulimia can occur independently of each other, but about half of all anorexics become bulimic. People who develop symptoms of more than one type of disorder may be classified as having an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified because they do not fit the exact description of other eating disorders.
4. It’s easy to spot people who have an eating disorder.
It is assumed that people who have anorexia are stick thin, and that people with other disorders are overweight or obese. But people who have any type of eating disorder may be of a normal weight, and there may be no outward signs that an eating disorder exists. Recognizing an eating disorder may be more about recognizing a change in behaviors, mental state and eating patterns that are symptomatic of the various disorders.
5. Children and teens can’t develop eating disorders.
It’s not just adults who develop unhealthy relationships with food. Many times, disordered eating begins in childhood and adolescence, and continues into adulthood. In fact, the average age of onset for anorexia is 17 and bulimia is often diagnosed during the teenage years. Fortunately, there is treatment for teens with eating disorders that can help them to end their unhealthy eating behaviors at an early age so that it doesn’t follow them for the rest of their lives.
6. Eating disorders aren’t life-threatening.
If left untreated, eating disorders can lead to severe health consequences, and even death. People with eating disorders can experience malnutrition, dehydration, heart problems, diabetes, anemia and liver failure. If you have an eating disorder, you are not making yourself healthier. You are putting yourself and your body at risk and need to seek eating disorder treatment as soon as possible.
