Deceptions of the Eating Disorder Community

No doubt, eating disorders reveal significant mental health issues. Eating disorders severely impact athletes who face high performance responsibilities and the demands of academics. These disorders produce a complexity which requires athletes to faithfully grasp all the influences to overcome and return to a normal relationship with food.

Eating Disorders often referred to as ‘ED’ are influenced by multiple factors. These factors include the athlete environment, peer and family environment, the culture at large, social media, and an individual’s traits and psychological wiring.

What you might not have considered as an influence, however, are the lies or deceptions espoused by the ED treatment community. Yes, in general, common beliefs taught and associated with treatment often keep clients frustrated and lacking hope for full recovery.

Eating Disorders, a disease or a choice?

First, it is a misconception to classify eating disorders as diseases or illnesses as there is no single definitive scientific test for an ED. There is no gene mutation or virus you catch which produces an eating disorder.

Objectively, ED’s are a series of preferences or choices. The psychiatric and treatment community now medicalizes these disorders like many other mental health issues instead of correctly tagging them as maladaptive choices. Thus, it is vital to understand these misconceptions which can produce long-term or life-time struggle and treatment, frequent dependence on psychotropic medications, and/or other physical and psychological impairments.

My goal here is to expose some of these lies of the eating disorder field to better equip you while generating better outcomes with treatment.

**Disclaimer: Many facilities provide key life-saving treatment in severe situations where a client’s choices require medical intervention.

Lie #1: Eating disorders are diseases

As mentioned above, most treatment hospitals and facilities classify eating disorders as diseases or illnesses rather than choices in belief and behavior. While the results of these choices lead to medical conditions, every explanation for development points to a cluster of choices in belief and behavior. There is no biological source for an eating disorder, nor does research indicate which DNA segment gives a ‘genetic predisposition’ to an eating disorder.

Lie #2: Brain imbalance

Research debunks the often held belief that depression is a chemical imbalance of the brain. The same applies to eating disorders. That said, after engaging in these disordered behaviors, brain changes DO occur. Choices such as chronic restriction or a cycle of binge-purge, generate a disruption in hormones and neurotransmitters. A drop in serotonin and dopamine often occurs. This leads to more impulsive behavior generating the belief ‘I can’t control this.’

Returning to and maintaining consistent clean nutrition, hydrating with water, and keeping 7-10 hours of sleep restores hormones and neurotransmitters to normal ranges without the use of psychotropic medications.

Lie #3 Nature of eating disorders is involuntary

The choice to manifest an eating disorder comes from a variety of influences. These influences are not direct causes, yet to the individual they produce an incontrollable situation as mentioned above. These are voluntary while appearing involuntary to the person wrestling with an ED.

Therapists often tell clients their choices are involuntary. These experts are in effect lying to those struggling. Eating disorders may begin with a desire to lose or control weight then spiral into what feels like an incontrollable situation.

‘Incontrollable’ is a lie! This deception steals hope the eating disorder can be overcome. This is wrong and damaging to a person fighting with an eating disorder.

Lies #4: You can’t control what you think

Eating disorders often coexist with other mental health struggles such as depressive feelings, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive thinking on a particular situation or the way the body looks. Psychological traits of a person such as perfectionism, low self-esteem, and/or impulsivity are associated with a higher risk of choosing ED thoughts and behavior.

Athletes who are more rule compliant tend to restrict food as an emotional coping mechanism rather than turning to other vices such as drugs or alcohol. Those who tend to seek risk, fun, and pleasure, may turn to food as an emotional coping mechanism to meet those desires then feel guilty, and choose to purge.

These behaviors are generated by inaccurate thinking related to body image and the use of food to solve problems. Sadly, ED treatment clinicians often declare these inaccurate thinking patterns are NOT BY CHOICE.

How appalling to tell someone they do not have a choice in how they think! The truth is every human being has the superpower of choice and CAN choose their thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

Lie #4: Trauma or abuse leads to an eating disorder

While experiences of trauma and abuse often are associated with eating disorders, it is not a forgone conclusion an ED will develop. Again, this suggests a person cannot appropriately manage the effects of trauma nor reason and choose their thoughts and behavior.

Lie #5: Can’t overcome the Cultural Influences

No doubt about it, our culture, social media, and certain sports environments influence outcomes. The emphasis on a certain body standard prompts beliefs about body image and eating behaviors. Gymnastics, swimming, running, figure skating, wrestling, even football or baseball place a high value on specific body types increasing the risk of developing an eating disorder.

I have had athletes who were told by coaches or teammates they were ‘too fat’ and needed to consider losing weight to fit performance expectations. In reverse, I have had coaches expect young men to quickly gain a certain amount of weight to play their sport leading to damaging ideas and activities to reach that standard.

Again, these are choices the athlete is making to please others and meet a perceived norm. These choices are under the athlete’s control. While the influence coming from a coach is a strong one, it can be corrected and changed into choices that fuel athletic performance versus damaging it.

Lie #6: Family made me do it

Unfortunately, I have seen parents restrict an athlete’s intake to force her to reach a certain weight goal. This is abusive. Similarly, when athletes are teased about their weight, this demeaning action can contribute to the development of disordered eating beliefs and choices.

Common sense knows this type of influence and parental stance towards food, body image, and diet can promote the development of disordered eating beliefs and choices. Treatment, again, should focus on equipping both parent and athlete with correct knowledge about food choices for optimal performance and to replace inaccurate thinking and actions with ones supporting stated objectives.

Lie #7: LGTBQIA+ and BIPOC individuals are at greater risk

While the LGTBQIA+ and BIPOC community statistically have more numbers of people with an eating disorder, the development of the eating disorder is the same for every individual regardless of sexuality or skin color. Everyone chooses behavior, thoughts, and feelings. These two groups carry inaccurate thinking the same as those individuals not in these two groups. Their risk is not somehow different. And the treatment options are also the same regardless of skin color, sexuality, or sexual confusion.

Lies #8: There are no bad foods

This is my personal favorite lie. Plain and simple, bad foods do exist and do damage to the brain and body. The eating disorder community does not educate their clients of this truth. In fact, they typically refuel and place clients on eating programs which include these enriched, processed, and chemically laden foods and drinks.

Research repeated shows a body full of processed and enriched foods, artificial ingredients, and natural flavors increases mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and attention deficit struggles. Thus, why the eating disorder community does not instruct their clients to the reality of the food industry is beyond comprehension. They are, in effect, aiding and abetting more mental health disruptions with this narrative of 'no bad foods'.

Treatment

Effective treatment often requires a multidisciplinary approach given the potential medical dangers of eating disorder choices. Again, many facilities offer this important and life-saving treatment. Regrettably, psychotropic medications are among the first things doctors do once a client is admitted. This is dangerous given the client is already medically and physically compromised plus the unknown nature of psychotropic meds can cause and is known to create further harm. (See here for the dangers of psychotropic medications)

• Medical care may be warranted to address the physical health issues caused by disordered eating
• Nutritional counseling from specialists trained in sport dietary needs proves essential to learning and maintaining appropriate fuel for activity needs
• Therapy to address the above underlying lies, psychological, cultural, and familial influences remain mandatory to changing beliefs and behavior to accurate ones
• Support systems involving family, friends, coaches, and teammates also help provide a network of care, accountability, and encouragement

Conclusion

The eating disorder treatment community is lifesaving in vital ways, but the general recommendations err on the side of teaching inaccuracy keeping individuals stuck. These deceptions ensure life-long medical and psychological treatment. Treatment should lead to freedom in understanding CHOICE. Choice leads to healing and restores an individual to a normal relationship with the body and food.