Anorexia is a mental illness, not a weight illness

Saturday, 1 August 2020

People with eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. FILE IMAGE.

OPINION: Underweight, emaciated, and malnourished are some of the terms that come to mind when thinking about someone with anorexia, right?

Well yes, that can be true.

And because this stereotype is portrayed in the media, being overweight or of normal weight couldn't possibly mean someone has anorexia right? Wrong.

Anorexia is a mental illness, not a weight illness.

* A lifelong battle: Five Kiwis on their journey with anorexia

* Anorexia survivor says 'system is failing them'**

Being someone with both a 'healthy' BMI and anorexia is a concept I have had to grapple with. My mind tells me that I am a 'bad anorexic', so since my diagnosis I've spiralled further, trying to attend to society's perceptions of what someone with anorexia should look like.

I want to change this. Mental illness does not discriminate, neither do eating disorders.

At least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the US, and with eating disorders having the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, this is an alarming number.

In the South Island, our DHB has eight beds for inpatient eating disorder treatment, and the waitlist to get an assessment to go onto the waitlist to get one of these eight beds is 3-4 months long. How is this acceptable?

Educating yourself on such a complex illness is so important. You wouldn't look down on someone who has cancer, so why would you to someone with anorexia.

Finding out someone has an eating disorder can be tough, but trust me it's tougher to be the one with the eating disorder.

Here are some basic education points for understanding this complex illness.

Eating disorders aren't a choice. Why would I choose to compromise my happiness, my studies, and my life to be starving, brain fogged, and thin?

I did not choose this, I do not want this, I do not wish this on anyone. This is simply an unhealthy coping mechanism, like how some people bite their nails, pick their scabs, abuse alcohol or bottle up feelings.

Don't comment on someone's body. If you say they are looking healthier, they will instantly think that they are fat. If you say that they are looking skinnier or that they've lost weight, their thought is 'yes, something I'm doing is right'. No body talk.

Don't tell me to eat a burger and I'll be fine. I really do wish it were that easy, I want to eat a burger so bad, I just can't.

And trust me, I know how warped this sounds, but that's the reality of eating disorders - warped, misunderstood, and stereotyped.

Help me by encouraging me to go to the doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist instead.

And don't tell me I have a problem. I'll probably get angry and I'm sorry, its the eating disorder defending itself, not me talking. Inside I'm scared as hell, so just be kind, please.

People with eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. Anorexia is one of many many eating disorders; binge ED, bulimia, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), orthorexia, pica, other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) and more.

Any of these illnesses can be diagnosed to anyone, regardless of their body size, weight, gender or race.

Don't intentionally watch me when I eat. Yes, we do eat, but please don't stare, I'm already battling an insane battle in my head to eat something and I don't need your judgmental looks putting me off the food.

Thank you for taking the time to educate yourself on such a misunderstood illness. I hope that you never have to encounter one in your life.