What is disordered eating? And do you have it? Great question. I’d love to tell to you … but I can only tell you what it is. It’s up to you to recognize your own experience. But I will tell you this …
Life doesn’t begin 5 pounds from now.
Life doesn’t begin after that “one last slice of cake.”
Life doesn’t begin when you fit those old jeans again - that you’ve refused to give away partly because you want to fit them and partly because they prove that you once somehow suctioned your body into them. (And yes, that last statement may sort of be referring to those jeans I’ve had for too many years to count.)
But I know I’m not the only one. But you know what? Many people don’t they’re not alone.
Now, eating disorders are clinically diagnosable conditions, so they are often more recognizable. Disordered eating can be more subtle, more difficult to recognize, and more challenging to address. Also, disordered eating can contribute to the development and onset of an eating disorder. So this conversation is an important little eye-opener - or mind-opener, as it were.
Eating disorders, disordered eating, negative body image …
I’m telling you right now, we have the saddest generation. Posting all of the happiest pictures. Look at me! Look at me! Everyone’s looking at these pictures. And how many people really feel seen? Because they are not even showing who they really are.
Yes, I’ve dealt with disordered eating. Yes, I deal with body image issues. Yes, I am a human.
I have run programs for girls to help them deconstruct the fake societal construct of beauty to redefine what beauty means to each of them. I have experience.
For the past 10 years, every time I’ve done a show on anything eating or body image related, I’ve received messages from countless people who have always thought they are the only emotional eater, the only person who sees food as numbers, the only person who chews and spits, the only person with an addiction to exercise, or an addiction to healthy eating … or whatever disordered eating lifestyle they lead.
Interestingly, I’ve probably been most overwhelmed by the number of messages from men struggling with emotional eating.
But I am not the voice of every person who has ever dealt with eating or body image issues. I can only talk about my own experience and my experience working with people who have had them - and the many brave people who have shared their stories with me.
Look, this little chateroo is not even about solving anything. Especially in a podcast episode. This is not Full House. Everything doesn’t get resolved in an episode. This is about you not being alone.
And yes. As usual, this will include at least one embarrassing story about myself. Well. Some may call it embarrassing. I call it embraceable. It’s ok. You can still laugh at it. I support that.
Also, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify - or wherever you listen to this. Really, it just makes it easier for other people to find this podcast - which is truly growing into a supportive community.
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Coming out next - watch out for my LIVE video conversation with Gabor Maté’s son - and co-author of The Myth Of Normal - Daniel Maté.