# When Disordered Eating Isn't About Weight



## David Baxter PhD (Jun 26, 2018)

*When Disordered Eating Isn't About Weight*
By Alexa Noel Dyrness, _AdiosBarbie.com_
June 24, 2018

*It’s Easy to be Biased…*

 Stereotyping and the stigmatization  of disordered eating is ever present in today’s society. Recently, I  asked a couple of my friends: “What comes to mind when they think about  eating disorders?” What I found was a common theme—a picture of the  underweight anorexic woman. A woman who looks extremely thin. A woman  who restricts her food intake with the purpose of losing weight. A woman  who places her body image over her health.

 As humans, we naturally seek to make sense of things through social categories.  And although there are benefits to this process, social categorization  can lead to stereotypes that limit our perspective.  Recently, I caught  myself jumping to this same anorexic stereotype.

 I was out to dinner with a lifelong friend and noticed that my friend  was looking quite thin—to the point where she looked underweight. When  we were eating, I noticed that she was not eating much. My mind  immediately went to the anorexic stereotype of someone who must care  deeply about their body image. But the thought that she may be  struggling with anorexia also surprised me. She was not someone who ever  commented on her appearance and seemed confident in herself.

 I was making biased deductions from my observations, past  experiences, schooling, and through media exposure. Personally, I have  had my own struggles with disordered eating and engaged in binging and  purging that stemmed from body image issues. As someone who has  struggled with an eating disorder, I thought that I had a pretty solid  understanding that disordered eating stemmed solely from body image issues. But, I turned out to be wrong.

*One Person’s Experience*
 I asked my friend about her weight loss and she began to tell me  about her relationship with food. It concerned me. It was not a struggle  that stemmed from body image. It was not a struggle to be thin and  desirable. But, rather, she described to me that her weight loss and  lack of eating was rooted in a deep anxiety around consuming food that  is poisonous or unhealthy.

 My friend was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease,  a thyroid condition, in her teenage years, and since then she has  engaged in a long struggle of trying to maintain healthy hormone levels  through varying methods. My friend noted that certain diets have been  found to be helpful for the condition and those diets are what kick  started her fears around food. She shared her experience of being  consumed with eating the right way for her health and it snowballing  into intense anxiety that now influences her daily functioning.

 After having this conversation with my friend (and providing her many  referrals to get help), I reflected on my own reactions and  understanding of where disordered eating stemmed from. I began doing  research to better understand what my friend was going through and what I  could do to help.

*Exploring New Possibilities*
 What I found was that there are people who suffer from extreme forms of food phobia, cibophobia, and those who have Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).  It appears that cibophobia can lead to ARFID. ARFID is a relatively new  mental health diagnosis that appeared in the most recent edition of the  _Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)_. ARFID is  an eating disorder that manifests in avoidance of certain foods and  insufficient nutritional/energy needs. It can lead to significant weight  loss, nutritional deficiency, and interfere with daily functioning.  There are many ways that ARFID presents – from fear of harm to animals to fear of choking. These fears lead to restricting or avoiding foods that are relevant to the fear itself.

 ARFID is an eating disorder that has nothing to do with body image.  And yet I had thought that body image was a core aspect of eating  disorders. My mind was blown. This made me reflect on my own ways of  categorizing things, making assumptions, and how I can continue to  strive to increase my perspective and acknowledge my bias around the  world around me.

 In my research, I came across other forms of disordered eating that do not stem from body image. For example, some find deprivation of food to be a way of feeling alive. Disordered eating can also be a symptom of severe depression. The point is that there are many reasons that may lead to disordered eating – not just a problem with body image.

*Having an Open Mind*
 Ultimately, my friend is going through a similar struggle to mine  with my own disordered eating. We both had fear. She is fearful of  poison, while I was fearful of fat. Our relationships with food have  caused us great distress and negative health consequences. But I was too  quick to assume that her issue must have been a body image issue, as  that was my experience. It’s important to note that eating disorders  serve a purpose: they are used as an unhealthy coping mechanism for  dealing with underlying issues.

 It was an excellent reminder that my experience is not everyone’s  experience. My hope is that I can continue to open my mind, to make  fewer automatic assumptions about people, and to encourage others to do  the same by reflecting on their bias. Just because someone has struggles  with food, it does not mean that they have a problem with their body  image or size.

 If you or someone you love is struggling with disordered eating, feel free to call the National  Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)  helpline at 1 (630) 577-1330 (Illinois) or text the word *HOME* to 741741 (Crisis Text  Line available 24/7).

 The point is that there are many reasons that may lead to disordered eating — not just a problem with body image.


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