Diet Culture, Disordered Eating, and Why Black Families Need to Unpack it too.

TW: Mention of Eating Disorders, Dieting, and Body Dysmorphia

ATTN: I am choosing to not include photos from my own history of disordered eating or from anyone else's it can be triggering and also a form of both positive and negative reinforcement.

According to NEDA (The National Eating Disorder Association), Black teens are 50% more likely to exhibit bulimic behavior and disordered eating habits than White teens. Another fact reported by the non-profit is that People of Color in general that self-report an interest in weight-loss are less likely to be asked by doctors about exhibiting the symptoms of an eating disorder even though the rates of disordered eating habits are similar across ethnic groups. Eating disorders have been linked to individuals and cultures that have taken part in or have had a significant amount of exposure to Western ideals surrounding thinness. Regardless of race and ethnicity, all members of Western society are likely to develop disordered eating habits that can evolve into an eating disorder. Suffering from an eating disorder doesn't have a specific look and doesn't require someone to be runway skinny. Eating Disorders are experienced alone and typically you suffer in silence. Similar to high functioning addicts there are high functioning bulimics, anorexics, and binge eaters who spend years battling their disorders undetected.

Black Teens Have Eating Disorders Too:

A common misconception is that Eating disorders, especially Anorexia, is a White thing. Many believe that Black girls who eventually will become Black women do not have these problems: WRONG. As mentioned before Black teens (boys also suffer from eating disorders) are more likely to be bulimic than their White counterparts. Black women are also more likely to have a binge eating disorder than White women. However, it is difficult to take the stats reported for eating disorders as fact because Black people, in general, are less likely to be asked the proper questions to be diagnosed with an eating disorder; it is assumed in both societies and by medical professionals that eating disorders are a thing of White suburbia. So when a Black girl or boy is displaying the symptoms of an eating disorder they are less likely to get a diagnosis and ultimately receive treatment. Medical professionals not taking Black women seriously or working in their best interest is a recurring issue in all aspects of the medical field. But what happens when you are the Black girl dealing with an eating disorder and no one catches it or is equipped to handle it? 

My own struggles:

I was born in 1999 and grew up in the early 2000s. I don't know a world without the internet, Keeping up with the Kardashians, or extreme photo editing. During my pre-teen years, there was one social media platform I and my friend group became obsessed with: Tumblr. Tumblr is a microblogging platform that allows users to post a variety of digital content in a perfectly curated style.When presented with the dangers of the internet I was taught: don't talk to strangers and don't look up sex. But how many parents know about Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia pages? Pro- Ana and/or Mia pages ran rampant on Tumblr. Ana short for anorexia and Mia short for bulimia, the accounts provided endless amounts of thinspiration and tips on how to restrict calorie consumption and/or tips on how to binge and purge. Thigh gaps, collar bones, and coin slot belly buttons were in, and if you didn't have one, you weren't. As my peers began to discover all the raunchy things the internet had to offer and were sneaking to read Fifty Shades of Grey I was alone in my room becoming enthralled with making my thigh gap wider and looking like the girls I saw on Tumblr.

Since the age of 12 or 13, I have struggled with disordered eating. Once I moved away for college those struggles with food only grew worse. I have never been diagnosed with an eating disorder--despite my family's concern about my weight getting as low as 115 pounds at 19. Like many of the girls from the NEDA studies, I was never asked the proper questions to receive a diagnosis, and neither my doctor nor my therapist linked my low weight to the possibility of an eating disorder. In fact, both my doctor and therapist linked my lowest weight point to me being a runner. I was like the functioning alcoholic father no one was allowed to talk about. I wouldn't allow anyone to discuss my issues with food or my weight fluctuations. At 15, I cried when my mom bought me yogurt that had 2% fat instead of 0% because of the 40 calorie difference. I used calorie counting apps and exercised to make sure I stayed in a calorie deficit. Food and my weight were and continued to be the only thing I thought about. When I left for college, it became easier to become consumed with it due to the amount of alone time I was able to have and the stress surrounding leaving home. My family would only see me periodically during breaks so it was easy for my behavior to become undetected. Ultimately, it had gotten to the point that my hair began to fall out which forced me to cut a significant amount off and my vanity became my savior. Today my social media feeds continue to be filled with thinspo pictures and flat tummy tea ads even if I no longer wish to view them. In an age of Instagram and face tune, the messages to be stick thin have only gotten worse. The numbers of women following extreme diets and the number of people being diagnosed with eating disorders are at an all-time high. However, the stigma surrounding them being for white teenage girls still exists. For all communities, people having eating disorders, as well as getting plastic surgery under the age of 18, are the highest they have ever been. Eating disorders being perceived as an issue for only White women prevents many people from talking about their personal issues with food and getting the help they need. The majority of women I have met, known, and loved regardless of race, class, and religion have experimented with yo-yo dieting and have at some point in their lives struggled with food or weight. So why don't we unpack unhealthy relationships with food and struggles with body image within the community? 

How to Address It:

Most academic research done on eating disorders looks to study Anorexia in white teenage girls. A lot of the research being done on African American women and eating disorders is fairly new and limited to binge eating disorders only. Psychologists ultimately need to tap into EDs in the Black community and the impact social media has on Black teens. However, outside of the work that needs to be done by Academics, I think Black parents should realize it is a possibility their child is struggling with or could struggle with their relationship with food and their bodies. Black girls are hypersexualized at an earlier age than any other race and ideas surrounding becoming "fast" can lead to an automatic discomfort in their own skin. How can we expect someone to grow up to be comfortable in their body when they are shamed for it before they can have an awareness of it? For parents: think about how you discuss food, different body types, and your child's own weight changes. A comment about the amount of food they are consuming as well as their weight changes can actually make things worse. Keep in mind that during recovery eating a salad isn't a relapse, your kid could actually like vegetables. Recovery is a journey: it takes time but also never goes away. Eating Disorders are linked to OCD, Anxiety, and Depression; they are not phases but actual mental conditions. The behavior patterns and ability to relapse will never disappear, but the support from loved ones will always help. There are generational differences as well as lifestyle differences between many Black parents and their children. The world they grew up in and the one we have grown up in is somewhat different and the dinner time conversations must evolve with it. 

As usual thanks for Keeping Up with Kat