“I’m too fat. Gotta starve myself now!”
“I’m not eating dinner. I’m feeling anorexic today.”
“They need to hit the gym.”
“They need some meat on their bones. They look disgusting.”
These are statements I have heard around my college campus. These are statements we have all uttered at least once or twice. These are words that come out of the mouths of our friends or family. These are statements that are unacceptable.
In light of the Eating Disorder Awareness Week my college held, I wanted to emphasize how crucial it is to be mindful of negative body image. While negative body image seems to only manifest itself in self-depricating comments about physical appearance, it can also manifest itself in eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and bulimia nervosa are the three most common types of eating disorders. There are other eating disorders that are not as well-known that people can struggle with as well. A common misconception about eating disorders is that only women struggle with them. Males can also have negative body image and understanding this can help create a safer, more-accepting environment for those battling these disorders.
From a young age, children with access to various forms of mass media are conditioned to idolize unrealistic body ideals. We are shown photoshopped images of models so regularly that it soon becomes engraved in us that our weight defines us as human beings. It takes time and effort to realize that the images we see on our screens are not necessarily the ones we need to embody. Beauty is more than the number we see when our feet are grounded on a scale. Becoming more body positive is difficult but is worth the effort nonetheless. Reaching a state of self-love requires support, determination, and time. Change does not happen in a day and that is okay.
Drawing attention to the dangers of eating disorders is important because it creates conversation about a brand of mental illness that is less-discussed among the masses. Eating disorders are often described as silent, secret illnesses. Survivors are typically less-willing to discuss their disorder(s) because eating disorders may not be taken seriously as mental illnesses by those who are uninformed or unknowledgeable about disorders of the mind.
It’s time to take eating disorders more seriously and realize that there are countless numbers of people struggling with them. It’s time to stop making comments that belittle these dangerous illnesses and make survivors feel uncomfortable. Eating disorders are not a laughing matter; eating disorders are life-threatening and life-changing to survivors and those surrounding them.