By: Rian Chase
Edited by Raghvi Sethi
Food is an amazing thing. It fuels and nourishes your body, makes you capable of the things you love to do, and helps you connect with your family and friends. But when you have an eating disorder, you don’t view food in a positive way at all.
My story, social media, and the pandemic
When I was in seventh grade, I struggled with an eating disorder. It started during the COVID-19 quarantine of 2020. Using social media a lot during that time, I quickly became obsessed with the way that certain influencers' bodies looked, and wanted my body to look like theirs. I started to eat insufficient amounts of food for my body and exercised excessively in hopes of achieving the “perfect” body. I would often skip breakfast and reassure myself that I was making the right choices by reminding myself how skinny I would look. And in my mind, what I was doing wasn’t harmful at all. In fact, I was helping myself by making my body “healthier”. But this wasn’t the truth. The reality was that I was harming myself and robbing my body of the nutrients that it needed. Luckily, I was able to overcome my eating disorder, just like millions of teens around the globe have. And the good news is that you can too.
Noticing the signs...
Signs of eating disorders, or an ED, may include restrictive, compulsive, or irregular eating habits. Or in some cases, all of the above. There are also different types of disordered eating: Anorexia, which can be characterized by the restriction of food and excessive exercise; Bulimia, which can be characterized with the overconsumption of food and then self-induced vomiting; and binge eating, which can be characterized by episodes of excessive consumption of food and then the feeling of extreme guilt afterward.
Regardless of which ED you are dealing with, you can and will find strategies you can use to overcome it. One of these strategies is to reach out for help. Although it might be difficult, this is one of the best ways to ensure that you are receiving support and care to help you recover from your ED. Whether that is by talking to a trusted loved one, a therapist, or even a school counselor, these people care about you and are willing to help you find a recovery program, which will coach you through your journey of overcoming your ED.
Seeking treatment as a teen and identifying your supports
A very common ED treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a therapist coaches someone who is struggling to change the habits contributing to their disorder and develop coping skills that will help them through their journey. An amazing resource that I’ve found during my research is Nurtured Nutrition (nurturednutritionrd.com). They offer in-person or virtual appointments that can be set up through their website.
Another coping mechanism is self care and positive self talk. As silly as this might sound to some, it is a crucial part of the healing process. Personally, it helped me so much when I was struggling. When you have an ED, you feel very self critical and vulnerable. Positive self-talk such as, “I am grateful for this food and how it will help me through my day today” or “the expectations that I set for my body are unrealistic, and I don’t have to meet them” are critical when recovering from an ED. While this might seem hard at first, this positivity can completely change your perspective on food and help you regain a healthy relationship with it.
Furthermore, finding a community and environment that relates to your struggles can be a tremendous help in coping with an eating disorder. Connecting with others who have once been in your shoes and have learned or are learning to heal can not only help you to do so too, but can help you feel less alone and more supported through your struggle. Some examples include blogs and support groups filled with incredible, supportive people who are always willing to lend a helping hand.
"Connecting with others who have once been in your shoes and have learned or are learning to heal can not only help you to do so too, but can help you feel less alone and more supported through your struggle"
In particular, the All Bodies Coalition is an organization centered around the mission of raising awareness for teen eating disorders and supporting teens struggling with EDs. As part of the organization, I know that ABC is committed to bettering the lives of teens around the globe, such as yourselves or your loved ones. If you ever need support or want to join our team, please reach out to our team at allbodiescoalition@gmail.com!
Works Cited
"Beat Eating Disorders." Beat Eating Disorders, www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get
information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/types/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.
"5 Coping Strategies to Use When Living With an Eating Disorder." CNET,
www.cnet.com/health/mental/5-coping-strategies-to-use-when-living-with-an-eating
disorder/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.
Gebo, Alysha. "Nurtured Nutrition." Nurtured Nutrition, Alysha Gebo,
www.nurturednutritionrd.com/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.
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