Eating Disorders and Diet Culture
Eating disorders can be formed based on multiple elements that influence one’s psychological well-being. While the condition is closely related to one’s physical appearance, recognizing the deep psychological distress is essential. Moreover, the facilitators of said state can be numerous. On the one hand, the conditions can be determined by one’s upbringing, namely, interaction with family members and friends. For example, parents who emphasize the importance of maintaining excessive control over their children can generate a sense of desire to gain control in regard to food intake and body proportions. Moreover, it is vital to recognize the external environment as a major influencer when it comes to body image and self-perception.
Diet culture of one of the terms that illustrate the societal obsession with losing weight, counting calories, and looking a certain weight. Furthermore, magazines and social media are elements that impressionable children and teenagers cannot avoid in terms of forming beauty ideals and perceiving beauty as a certain weight. The fact that most of the online and TV representation consists of slim models, singers, actresses, and influencers generates the formation of aspirations to look similar to those in the spotlight.
As thinness is considered a symbol of beauty, the desire to fit into societal norms may impact one’s relationship with food and self-perception. As a result, it can be stated that eating disorders are, indeed, multidetermined. The elements that can impact their development include one’s internal environment, such as close friends and family members, as well as the external environment. Unhealthy beauty standards, representation of unattainable body proportions, and the overall emphasis on the importance of thinness as an association with success impact individuals into developing conditions such as anorexia and bulimia.
Family and Friends Impact
As mentioned previously, family members and friends may impact or lead to eating disorders in children. For example, parents who overprotect, limit, and significantly restrict kids are more likely to see negative results in their relationship with food. As a result of the overly-protectiveness, individuals tend to seek a sense of individuality when it comes to an aspect of their lives that cannot be influenced, which is their nutritional intake. Similarly, friends who often make weight remarks, compare their friends’ bodies and looks with other people in a negative way, or adhere to diet culture themselves can negatively impact others. Judging one’s appearance can lead to self-perception issues. As COVID-19 was described as significantly negative for people with eating disorders, it can be noted that isolating children from having social interaction is also associated with adverse consequences. Thus, parents who are extremely strict when it comes to meeting friends and peers generate circumstances in which their children can become hyper-focused on food and isolated in their disorder.
Similarly, parents and friends can unintentionally negatively affect one’s relationship with food by praising dieting. For example, a teenager loses a couple of pounds and receives positive feedback about their looks. As a result, the brain interprets dieting as something that can generate love and recognition. Thus, the pattern may take an unhealthy turn and either result in extreme nutritional restrictions, such as in the case of anorexia, or restriction and subsequent relapse through binging, as in the case of bulimia. Once an unhealthy behavior of praised rather than discussed and adequately approached through therapeutic assistance, an individual finds it challenging to understand its negative aspects.
Nutritional Therapist
It is important to recognize the vitality of evidence-based interventions through the assistance of nutritional therapists. Such therapists have expertise when it comes to communicating, interacting, and working with patients with eating disorders. Thus, it is inevitable that the areas of concern of such patients can be effectively addressed through therapeutic measures. There are several areas of a patient’s life that a nutritional therapist can pay attention to. For example, the intervention can tackle potential family problems. The family members of patients with EDs may not be fully aware of the state of their loved ones. Thus, the therapist will recognize the needs of the patient before helping the family members who may not be mindful of the severity of the issues. Moreover, the therapist will approach the patient’s self-perception.
On the one hand, the feelings will be validated as well as the thoughts and emotions one expresses. Moreover, the intervention will consist of a recognition of the psychological distress. Namely, patients with eating disorders are likely to approach problems through their eating patterns. However, nutritional therapists can provide other methods of coping with different emotions. Moreover, it is essential to acknowledge the area of nutritional information. Patients with eating disorders often access information concerning nutrition, and certain facts may not coincide with the medical consensus. Thus, a therapist with knowledge of nutrition can debunk myths and inform the patient of potentially false information that the individual perceives as the truth. Last but not least, the nutritional therapist will address the area of expectations and not put the patient under stressful circumstances concerning recovery. Thus, while family and friends may expect a fast and easy recovery, the expert will guide the patient through the potential relapses and recognize the unevenness of success.
Treatment Resistance
Treatment resistance can occur both in anorexia and bulimia patients. A common reason for not reaching out is the fear of being challenged concerning weight ideals. Both bulimia and anorexia correlate with the presence of the desire to reach a certain weight goal. However, the conditions are different in regard to symptoms. While the reason is present in both cases, the illnesses differ concerning patient reasons for help resistance. Patients with anorexia find it challenging to give up control. The condition gives them a sense of pride as controlling nutritional behavior is challenging, which is why giving up a sense of control stops individuals from seeking medical interventions. Patients with bulimia, on the other hand, are less likely to resist treatment as they aim to regain control over their dietary behavior. Moreover, both conditions are associated with the denial of symptoms. However, patients with anorexia may deny symptom severity or logically explain their reasoning for excessively losing weight.
Individuals with bulimia, on the other hand, are ashamed of the behavior that they exercise. Thus, resistance can be generated by the unwillingness to share their condition and the symptoms that they have. Anorexia is associated with escapism from maturity. Thus, people can be reluctant to seek help because they fear becoming independent and accepting their maturity. The condition is less likely to negatively impact one’s desire to receive medical treatment. Individuals with bulimia, on the other hand, perceive their situation as more damaging as they cannot reach their objectives. Namely, the illness generates circumstances in which they cannot reach their ideal weight. Thus, many individuals may seek treatment because they perceive it as a tool to use to gain control over their food intake. However, as the goals are unhealthy, they may be less likely to be interested once the therapist challenges their desire to restrict their food intake.