8 Myths about Eating Disorders

Myth #1

Myth
Eating disorders are a choice.

Fact
People do not choose to have eating disorders. They develop over time and require appropriate treatment to address the complex medical/psychiatric symptoms and underlying issues.

Myth #2

Myth
Eating disorders are about appearance and beauty.

Fact
Eating disorders are complex medical/psychiatric illnesses and have little to do with food, eating, appearance, or beauty. This is indicated by the continuation of the illness long after a person has reached his/her initial "target" weight. Eating disorders are usually related to emotional issues, such as control and low self-esteem, and often exist as part of a "dual" diagnosis of major depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Myth #3

Myth
A person who "always eats" does not have an eating disorder.

Fact
A person practicing an eating disorder may only play with their food, making it appear as though they have eaten a meal. They may eat at such a slow rate that they consume a few calories. They may even eat large amounts of food, but of insufficient variety to offer proper nutrition. They may also secretly purge the food they have eaten.

Myth #4

Myth
You can tell if a person has an eating disorder simply by appearance.

Fact
You can't. Anorexia may be easier to detect visually. Bulimia is harder to "see" because individuals often have normal weight or may be overweight. Some people may show obvious signs, such as sudden weight loss or gain, while others may not. People with an eating disorder can become very effective at hiding the signs and symptoms. Thus, eating disorders can be undetected for months, years, or a lifetime.

Myth #5

Myth
Purging is only throwing up.

Fact
The definition of purging is to evacuate the contents of the stomach or bowels by any of several means. In bulimia, purging is used to compensate for excessive food intake. Methods of purging include vomiting, enemas and laxative abuse, insulin abuse, fasting, and excessive exercise. Any of these behaviors can be dangerous and lead to serious medical emergencies or death. Purging by throwing up also can affect the teeth and esophagus because of the acidity of purged contents.

Myth #6

Myth
Laxatives are an effective way to prevent the absorption of calories.

Fact
The use/abuse of laxatives only depletes the body's store of fluids. Laxatives react with the colon, where no absorption of calories takes place. Laxative abuse can lead to extreme dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and additional medical complications up to and including the need for a colostomy.

Myth #7

Myth
Achieving normal weight means that anorexia is cured.

Fact
Weight recovery is essential to enabling a person with anorexia to participate in a meaningful way in further treatment, such as psychological therapy. Recovering to normal weight does not in and of itself signify a cure, because eating disorders are complex medical/psychiatric illnesses.

Myth #8

Myth
You're not sick until you're emaciated.

Fact
Only a small percentage of people with eating disorders reach the state of emaciation often portrayed in the media. The common belief that a person is only truly ill if he/she becomes abnormally thin compounds the affected individual's perceptions of body image and not being "good" at being "sick enough." This can interfere with treatment, and can trigger intensification of self-destructive eating disorder behaviors.