"I had no idea": Its National Eating Disorders Awareness week 2014

It is no secret that I have been in a pretty committed relationship with food for most of my life; you can see it, how my eye light up when I am faced with a particularly delicious piece of cake (or scallops for that matter) and you can tell by the fact that I could talk about food (and all the restaurants I am dying to try but technically have no occasion to treat myself to) for quite a while.
I love a good recipe or restaurant blog and am no stranger to posting about cake myself. My Apple Candy Kitchen Aid is one of my most prized possessions and I have a dedicated cupboard in my kitchen for baking supplies and ingredients. You could say I love food!

But in a nation so obsessed with ‘food porn’ we are also currently facing one of the worst eating disorder epidemics. Much like the obesity problem, more and more people are diagnosed with and treated for eating disorders. An increasing number of girls and women find themselves trapped in a rather unhealthy relationship with both food and their bodies. And more worryingly yet, the number of boys and men who are suffering from anorexia nervosa or bulimia is also on the rise.

I am not just blogging about eating disorders this week because it is national Eating Disorders Awareness week but rather because, unexpectedly, it is an illness that I have been confronted with so many times in my reasonably short life. Watching someone you love starve themselves, their bones sticking out and that light in their eyes slowly fading is one of the most heart breaking things I had to witness. And hence it is a cause quite close to my heart.

But let's take a look at some of the numbers! The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence suggests that around 1.6 million people in the UK are suffering from an eating disorder; 11% of which are of the XY chromosomes, aka male. However, the most recent research published by the NHS Information Centre revealed that up to 6.4% of adults display signs of an eating disorder and a quarter of those are boys and men. According to Beat, the UK's leading eating disorder charity, it is estimated that 10% of eating disorder patients suffer from anorexia, 40% are bulimic while the remaining 50% fall into the EDNOS category (for us non medical folk; that is short for "Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified"). 

 

Scarily enough, “anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, from medical complications associated with the illness as well as suicide. Research has found that 20% of anorexia sufferers will die prematurely from their illness. Bulimia is also associated with severe medical complications, and binge eating disorder sufferers often experience the medical complications associated with obesity. In every case, eating disorders severely affect the quality of life of the sufferer and those that care for them,” says Beat.

Recognizing that you have an eating disorder and asking for help is just as difficult as any mental illness. I can only speak from experience, having watched one of my closest and oldest friends suffer from eating disorders for so many years. Treatment is hard and long and there are many people who say that once you have an eating disorder you will always carry that demon with you. Just like an alcoholic or a recovering drug addict.

One of my favourite blogs, PostSecret, this week published some of their most powerful eating disorder secrets. You can take a look at all of them here until next Sunday, the 2^nd March, when Frank will post new secrets.

Kirsten Haglund, Miss America of 2008, recovering anorexic and this year’s Ambassador for National Eating Disorder Week in the United States, wrote a brilliant article in the Huffington Post. The theme this year is “I had no idea” for them and Haglund looks at eating disorders are often overlooked or ignored because our society actively encourages the very thin ideal.

“Eating disorders happen behind closed doors. Signs are frequently overlooked (particularly among minorities), even by medical professionals... until the damage is undeniable. And even today there is often a reluctance to seek help, fearing that others might consider the disorder self-imposed. An eating disorder is a bio-psycho-social illness, not a lifestyle choice. We wouldn't judge someone with cancer or diabetes. Yet someone suffering from an eating disorder is sometimes criticized or dismissed,” Haglund writes. 

Treatment can be hard to get and often isn’t extensive enough, however, looking back at the experiences I had with my friend, it is a very difficult thing to overcome or even to start to battle. Education and awareness is key to changing not just the lives of those affected but also to intervene and administer treatment in the early stages of the illness.

Eating Disorder Awareness Week sets out to ”raise awareness and understanding of eating disorders, challenge stereotypes and stigmas and raise funds for Beat.” This year’s fundraising campaign is called “SockIt to Eating Disorders” and is build up all around being “silly with socks”. You can find more information and request a fundraising pack from Beat.

So if you are in any way affected by eating disorders, this is the week to get involved! Of course it is an ongoing cause but at least it is a good excuse to make a start. 

You can follow Beat on Twitter or the NED staff on Twitter and Instagram to get some more info on the wonderful work they are doing. 

And if you are a reader, Emma Woolf wrote a brilliant book about her experience of suffering from an eating disorder called "An Apple a Day", buy it here. Portia de Rossi, Ellen DeGeneres wife, also wrote a book about suffering from anorexia, called "Unbearable Lightness"; find it here. 

Picture credits: Postsecret.com