There are currently over 1 million Australians experiencing an eating disorder and less than ¼ are receiving help and treatment. Eating disorders can be caused by various things, including genetics, emotional and cultural influences. Some of the common signs of an eating disorder can include restricting food intake, fasting, counting calories, purging, excessive/misuse of laxatives and/or excessive exercise.
There are a lot of myths surrounding eating disorders, that can undermine the seriousness of the condition:
- Myth: To have an eating disorder you have to be severely underweight.
- Truth: Individuals that suffer from eating disorders may maintain their weight within the healthy weight range or even be overweight or obese. This doesn’t mean that their experience of the disorder is any less serious to someone who is below the healthy weight range.
- Myth: Eating disorders are a cry for attention or a person ‘going through a phase’
- Truth: People with eating disorders are not seeking attention. In fact, due to the nature of an eating disorder a person may go to great lengths to hide, disguise or deny their behaviour, or may not recognise that there is anything wrong.
An eating disorder is a serious mental illness. It is not a phase and it will not be resolved without treatment and support. Regardless of the age of a person at the time their eating disorder begins, there is often a considerable period of time between onset and treatment; an average of approximately 4 years between the start of disordered eating behaviours and first treatment. The person may also see a number of healthcare professionals before receiving a correct diagnosis. A reduction of this delay can result in improved health and quality of life. Evidence shows that early diagnosis and intervention can greatly reduce the duration and severity of an eating disorder. It is therefore vital to seek professional help at the earliest possible time.
- Myth: Eating disorders are about vanity.
- Truth: Eating disorders are a serious mental illness. Individuals with eating disorders experience distorted views of their body image and have extreme fears of weight gain, shape, eating and/or body image that can override rational thought. They often understand that their disordered eating is unhealthy but find it very difficult to change their behaviours.
Visit the butterfly foundation for additional resources to support your recovery from an eating disorder: https://butterfly.org.au
