What is disordered eating?

Disordered eating encompasses a range of unhealthy eating behaviors and attitudes toward food, body image, and weight, which can lead to significant physical and emotional distress. In a society heavily influenced by diet culture, individuals often face unrealistic standards of beauty and restrictive notions of health that can perpetuate harmful beliefs about food and body worth.

Diet Culture is a pervasive belief system that promotes weight loss and thinness as the primary indicators of health and success. It often encourages restrictive eating, intense exercise regimens, and a preoccupation with body size, leading to shame and guilt around food choices. This culture can create a toxic environment where individuals feel pressured to conform to narrow definitions of health and beauty, contributing to the development of disordered eating patterns.

The beauty standard and diet culture our interrelated and both harmful societal forces working against mental health on a mass level. The relationship between beauty standards and diet culture is intricate and often detrimental to mental health.

Diet culture promotes various restrictive eating habits and often encourages a cycle of weight loss and regain, which can foster feelings of failure, shame, and low self-esteem. The pressure to conform to these standards can result in disordered eating patterns, anxiety, and depression, as individuals may feel they are never enough in their pursuit of beauty.

Furthermore, the relentless focus on appearance through social media and advertising can distort body image perceptions, leading to body dissatisfaction. When people constantly compare themselves to curated images of others, it can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and contribute to an unhealthy relationship with food and self-image. The intersection of beauty standards and diet culture creates a harmful environment for mental health, promoting unattainable ideals that can significantly impact emotional well-being.

Our Approach to disordered eating and body image/dysmophia

In my practice, I take a compassionate and holistic approach to treating disordered eating, integrating principles of Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size (HAES).

Intuitive Eating encourages individuals to reconnect with their body's natural hunger and fullness cues, fostering a healthier relationship with food. By promoting self-trust and breaking free from the constraints of dieting, clients learn to listen to their bodies and make choices that honor their needs rather than societal expectations.

Health at Every Size (HAES) promotes the idea that health is not solely determined by weight or appearance. It emphasizes that individuals of all sizes deserve respect and support in their pursuit of health and well-being. This approach recognizes that sustainable health encompasses physical, emotional, and social dimensions, allowing clients to embrace body diversity and prioritize their overall well-being.

Through this integrative approach, I aim to create a safe and supportive environment where clients can explore their relationship with food and body image without judgment. Together, we work toward healing, self-acceptance, and the development of a positive, nourishing relationship with food.

Fun Fact: “In this, the largest epidemiological study ever conducted, the highest life expectancy is among individuals who are overweight by our current standards and the lowest life expectancy is among those defined as underweight. What’s more, individuals who fit into what is deemed the ideal weight range had a lower life expectancy than some of those who were obese.”

-Linda Bacon