For many, summertime means vacations, long, warm days, and a much-appreciated break from school or work. It is a season of sunshine and recreation. For the millions of people with an eating disorder, however, summer often means something much more difficult than carefree leisure and freedom.
As the school year ends and summer approaches, now is the time to plan for and address the common challenges facing people with eating disorders during the summer. In this article, we discuss some key factors that make this season difficult for those affected by these illnesses and describe how providers and loved ones can help to connect them with support.
While no time of the year is easy for those with eating disorders, the summer season presents unique difficulties that can trigger and worsen symptoms if left unchecked. Changes in routine and environment, as well as additional food-related activities and body image concerns, are among the particular factors that can make the summer especially difficult.
The change of the seasons often brings a change in routines, a key trigger for those with eating disorders. School breaks and more flexible work schedules may impact eating patterns, as may summer calendars full of activities or simply additional free time. Like any disruption to regular eating, these changes create an opportunity for eating disorder symptoms to take hold or worsen in those susceptible.
Changes in routine that can trigger or exacerbate an eating disorder include:
Much like changes in routine, changes in physical environment can pose challenges for those with eating disorders. People often spend more time at home or on vacation during the summer months, and with this change in scenery often come changes in food availability and options. Interaction with support systems may also change, introducing stress to those who benefit from the presence of particular friends, family, or professionals during the rest of the year.
Examples of environment-related challenges include:
The season of barbeques, picnics, and backyard parties often brings an additional focus on food, a stressful situation for those with eating disorders already preoccupied with it. Triggers associated with food-centric social gatherings range from a change in structure around meals to the presence of fear foods to the pressures of eating around others.
Potentially triggering food-related activities include:
As temperatures rise in the summer, feelings of body dissatisfaction often do as well. Wardrobes change to include clothing that exposes more of the body, often exacerbating body insecurity, body checking, and comparison behaviors in people whose eating disorders include a body image component. Diet culture amplifies these concerns further in the form of messaging that promotes diet and exercise as means to make ourselves “beach body” or “bikini body” ready—that is, to try to force our bodies into resembling the bikini-clad ones seen in the media.
Situations that can trigger body image concerns include:
The warning signs that someone may be struggling with an eating disorder during the summer are similar to those present during the rest of the year. Look for:
If you notice signs of an eating disorder in a patient you treat or someone you love, acknowledge it. Don’t ignore the feeling you have that something might be wrong or justify disordered behaviors with an alternative explanation. Early detection and intervention are critical to a person’s recovery.
Open the conversation with your patient or loved one by expressing concern about the signs you see.
If you suspect an eating disorder, connect your patient or loved one with a specialty treatment center such as The Emily Program. Eating disorders are assessed and treated most effectively by specialists who provide multidisciplinary and evidence-based support.
While summer may present additional challenges for those with eating disorders, it can also be the season your patient or loved one finds help. Professional support is key to understanding and caring for these complex illnesses so that people can fully enjoy health in recovery, no matter the season.
Call 888-364-5977 for help now.
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