Eating Disorder Myths vs. Facts: What's True?

Truths and Myths about Eating Disorders

Written by: Content Marketing Team

Jul 30, 2019

There are a lot of common misconceptions about eating disorders – the social acceptance of these myths can lead to harmful effects for those suffering from an eating disorder. Debunking some of these myths is necessary in creating an environment in which those suffering from an eating disorder are able to seek the treatment they need without the stigma created by these harmful misconceptions. Myth: Eating disorders are a choice Truth: Eating disorders are not a choice; rather, they are serious medical and psychiatric illnesses influenced by genetic, biological, environmental, and social factors. Myth: Parents cause eating disorders Truth: Eating disorders are not directly caused by an individual’s parents. However, eating disorders have been proven to have significant biological causes. Including parents in the course of treatment improves the rate at which individuals recover from an eating disorder. Myth: Everyone has an eating disorder these days Truth: Obsessions with food, weight, and disordered eating patterns are very common; however, clinical eating disorders are significantly less common. Myth: Eating disorders are not that serious Truth: Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness. Risk of suicide is also common in individuals who have an eating disorder. Other potential health consequences include heart attack, kidney failure, osteoporosis, and electrolyte imbalance. Myth: Eating disorders affect only females Truth: Eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of sex or gender. Although women have generally been affected by eating disorders to a greater extent than men, researchers are becoming more aware of the ways in which these disorders affect men and non-binary individuals. Myth: Eating disorders only affect people of certain ages Truth: An eating disorder can emerge at any age. Although most individuals are diagnosed during adolescence and young adulthood, there is evidence that suggests that individuals are being diagnosed at younger ages. Myth: Recovery from an eating disorder takes a long time Truth: Rates of recovery vary from person to person. Although not everyone will fully recover from an eating disorder, many improve with treatment. Even individuals who have recovered from an eating disorder may make efforts to ensure that they stay well; these efforts may include meal planning, medication, and regularly checking in with a therapist, dietitian, or doctor.

Myth: You can tell if someone has an eating disorder just by looking at them Truth: Eating disorders don’t have a single “look.” Someone can be seriously ill and malnourished at any body size, and outward appearance is one of the least reliable ways to judge how someone is actually doing. Myth: Eating disorders are really about vanity or wanting to look a certain way Truth: While body image concerns are often part of the picture, the underlying causes of eating disorders tend to run much deeper, often involving genetics, trauma, anxiety, and a need for a sense of control, not simply a desire to look a certain way.

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References

NEDA — Busting the Myths about Eating Disorders (https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/busting-myths-about-eating-disorders/)
NEDA — Eating Disorder Statistics (https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics/)

Reviewed By: Clarissa Ledsome, LPC, LCDC, IEDS Clinical Director

Clarissa Ledsome, Clinical Director, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor with over 10 years of experience in behavioral health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and two master’s degrees focused on addiction, recovery, professional counseling, and trauma, and has worked across residential, outpatient, and private practice settings with adolescents and adults. Clarissa now specializes in eating disorders, trauma, and addiction treatment, and is deeply committed to supporting individuals as they begin their healing journey.

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