National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Meeting 5 of Winter 2020

Week 8: 2/25/2021

Estimated attendance: 12 total

Guest Speaker: Jessica Robertson from Student Health Services

Focus: Disordered Eating

 

Jessica is a part-time Registered Dietitian at the student health services. She has lived in Corvallis for about two years and moved here from British Columbia. She has had experience in clinical settings and is excited to work with college students. She used to dance ballet and saw a lot of her colleagues experienced disordered eating.

 

Jessica acknowledged the traditional lands of the Mary’s River or Ampinefu Band of Kalapuya. 

 

Jessica shares resources from Critel Moubarak RD. 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat. Diet culture is prevalent in advertisements, fairytales, and our culture. 

 

Jessica asks the group to reflect on their relationship with food. Have you ever been on a diet? How many different types of diets have you tried? What was the purpose of going on the diet? Was it to fit into a certain size, was it for your health, was it because someone told you to, or was it a family or friend.

 

Diet culture contributes to the high rate of eating disorders and disordered eating. Our society focuses and values shape, size, and weight over health and well-being. It worships thinness and equates it to health and moral virtue. It demonizes certain ways of eating while elevating others and oppresses people who don’t fit their image of “health.” Diet culture is a money-making business and contributing to harmful behaviors/ 

 

“Diet culture is a form of oppression, and dismantling it is essential for creating a world….

 

Diet culture celebrates disordered eating. The comments about health and looks perpetuate disordered eating. Behaviors such as counting calories, weighing yourself regularly, ignoring hunger cues are related to disordered eating.

 

Disordered eating is a range of irregular eating behaviors that may or may not warrant a diagnosis of an eating disorder. Disordered eating is a spectrum. Behaviors include chronic or yoyo dieting, feeling of guilt and shame when unable to maintain food or exercise. Fear or anxiety around food. Weight cycling, avoiding social situations because of food, skipping meals, obsessing over calories. Disordered eating is not eating disordered but 30-45% of disordered eating develops into an eating disorder.

The difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating is based on the criteria according to DSM-V. Disordered eating engages in similar behaviors but with lower severity and lesser frequency. 

 

Risks of disordered eating patterns include developing eating disorders, weight cycling (worse than high BMI), bone loss, fatigue and poor sleep, digestive issues. Restrictive eating can affect the gut bacteria and can slow gastric processes. It can also cause headaches, muscle cramps, social isolation, mental health (such as anxiety and depression), and decreased quality of life. It impacts both mental and physical health. 

 

Disordered eating/eating disorders can affect any gender, race, and age. Misconceptions are that you have to be underweight to have a disorder. Dismantling the diet culture and reframing how we think around body image and removing judgment will be valuable in deconstructing these disorders. 

 

Jessica shared a video from “The Marginalized Voices Project” (https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/marginalized-voices). The video interviewed people from marginalized communities who have experienced eating disorders. Treatment should include being more accessible to low-income communities, and with greater diversity in treatment facilities. Although the video is specific to eating disorders, the experiences are similar. 

 

If weight wasn’t consideration what would health look like? She said she has had clients feel that they wouldn’t feel like they have to hide what they are eating or worry so much about what they are eating.

 

What is normal eating then? Normal eating can vary between each individual. Mindful eating, eating when you are hungry, and stopping when you are full. Eating regularly and flexibly with variety without stress, anxiety, or guilt around food. However, eating will also vary depending on emotions, schedules, and hunger levels. 

 

The pandemic has had an effect on disordered eating. We have had much more time at home and more screen time where we see more social media influence. There is the “covid-15” trend and Jessica says this is okay! Classes have been closed, gyms are closed, our access to self-care, and social support has been disrupted. Disordered eating habits have been affected and exemplified by reduced support. Worrying about contagions has caused some people to not be able to go to the grocery store. Decreased food security. Increased orthorexia for protection and increased stressed have affected de. Disordered eating is already isolating and the pandemic has made it more challenging and isolating. 

 

The dietitian's role in disordered eating is looking at the whole picture for each client. It is important to learn what might be causing challenges or discomfort for clients. It is valuable for dietitians to work with a multidisciplinary team to reach a healthy relationship with food. RDs may help with the normalization of eating behaviors, building trust and strong rapport with clients. The dietitian should meet the clients with where they are at to breakdown many years of disordered eating behaviors. Utilizing HAES philosophies are valuable tool.

 

A paradigm shift is very important. Creating gratitude for what the body does for you and embrace and celebrates all shapes and sizes of bodies. Focus on weight inclusivity and the beauty of diversity. Change your social media algorithm and remove toxic diet culture. Resist the pressure to compare your body to others. Pass on the diet talk because it can be more harmful than inspiring. You do not know where they are at with their relationship with their body and food and you do not want to be triggering. Resist saying comments and compliments on other weight and body size.

 

4/10 individuals have experienced or know someone who has experienced disordered eating. 

 

We have opportunities to deconstruct diet culture, embrace diversity and promote healthy relationships with food and body image, instead of wasting our time on diets.

 

We have resources on campus and in Corvallis. CAPS counseling services, dietitians at Samaritan Health Services, private practice Good Sam, Peer support groups through CAPS, and family and friends. Online resources include NEDA, IAEDP, and Eating Recovery Center. Jessica refers to “Bodytrust,” “Healthy at Every Size,” and Intuitive Eating to support healthy relationships with foods.

 

Book recommendation

Body Respect by Linda Bacon, Ph.D. and Lucy Aphramor