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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CUA chapter.

The past month, as most of us are surely aware, governments around the globe have been promoting self-isolation. This action has been the response to the outbreak of COVID-19, what is being referred to as a pandemic, particularly dangerous for older individuals and people with underlying conditions affecting their heart, lungs, and/or immune systems. For the rest of us, this virus could present with little to no symptoms. To take precautions, everyone has been asked to stay home and only leave for necessities or emergencies. To enforce this, nonessential businesses have been forced to close. Included in this shut down are public gyms, which are part of many people’s daily routines. This includes cycle bars, yoga studios, multi use gyms, crossfit gyms, climbing gyms, pilates studios, etc. Since many people are so used to attending these places for their daily exercise, it has led to the rise of what is being known as the “Quarantine 15”. 

 

The idea of the “Quarantine 15” is that because we are stuck in our homes eating and working, we are likely going to gain weight. It is a playoff of the “Freshman 15,” when people go to college they gain 15 pounds their freshman year, due to the dining hall choices, busy schedule, binge drinking, etc. For the average person, talking about this “Quarantine 15” is just a joke, if not just a passing thought as you scroll past a meme about it on Twitter or Instagram. What people don’t realize is that the “Quarantine 15” is a lot more than that for people with eating disorders. 

 

As a person who has struggled with disordered eating for the past 6 years, I want to be a voice for the eating disorder community and ask each and every one of you to please STOP and THINK before you post another meme about the “Quarantine 15.” I am not alone when I say this, but I think enough about gaining weight while I’m not in quarantine, when I have regular access to the gym and the supermarket, let alone when I am stuck inside my house all day. It’s hard enough to tell myself I’ll be fine if I can’t lift weights for a month. I try to reassure myself that I won’t lose all the progress I made being confident in my strong body. It’s hard enough staying on the right path of recovery without everybody posting  they’re going to gain weight and eat all their quarantine snacks in one night. 

 

So, here’s a message to everyone who might be recovering from an eating disorder:

  1. It is ok to not be doing at home workouts, you can if you want to, but don’t do it because everybody else is or because you feel like you have to. This is probably a perfect time to practice being able to rest for once anyways. 

  2. If you need to, stay off of social media. It will help you stop comparing yourself, and help you focus on other things, like the wonderful people you might be stuck in quarantine with.

  3. Bodies don’t just “gain weight” like everybody is saying they do. You have a metabolism for times like these. Eat your meals, snacks, and keep baking and eating all the cookies you want. 

  4. Spread the word. If people stop promoting this fear of weight gain, people might actually be able to love their bodies the way they are. If someone posts something triggering,  educate them on why they shouldn’t post that if you feel comfortable doing so. You can also send them this link! :)

  5. You are beautiful. Just the way you are.

Gabrielle is a senior Political Science and Spanish for International Service double major at The Catholic University of America.
Rachel is the campus correspondent and a Junior media and communications major/theology minor at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She enjoys coffee, writing, and riding electric scooters around the city. Ideally, she would love to work as a broadcast journalist and columnist in the near future.