Posts Tagged “Eating Disorder Recovery”

Mainstream ideas about nutrition are often rigid and heavily influenced by diet culture. Those with eating disorders often have thoughts and behaviors surrounding food that reflect the rigidity of diet culture. 

In order to help our clients with eating disorders nurture a more flexible, balanced, and mindful relationship with food, The Emily Program provides nutrition experiences, education, counsel, and skills—all of which are guided by our “Can Eat” philosophy. But what does this philosophy entail?

Dr. Charlotte Markey (she/her) is a psychologist and professor at Rutgers University. She is the author of The Body Image Book series, and her next book Adultish: The Body Image Book for Life comes out in 2024. You can find more of her writing at Psychology Today and on Substack.

For many people, an important part of eating disorder recovery is learning to reframe how they think about their bodies and the importance of caring for them. Understanding your body as a vehicle that moves you through your life and not tying your worth to your appearance can be essential to recovery.

As a professional who writes about body image and eating disorders, I always want to set a good example and “practice what I preach.” Like many people who work in this field, I also have a history of disordered eating, maladaptive dieting, and overvaluation of physical appearance. Fortunately, those experiences are now 30 years in my past, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have bad days where those disordered thoughts and feelings come back. 

The back-to-school season can trigger unique stressors and anxieties for students, especially those struggling with their relationship with food and their bodies. It’s important to remain on the lookout for signs of an eating disorder in your adolescent patients during this busy time of year.

Your role in supporting your patients with eating disorders cannot be overstated. By remaining compassionate and committed to your patients’ well-being, you have the ability to intervene early when you notice signs of an eating disorder, thereby improving treatment outcomes and reducing the risk of long-term harm. 

Read on to learn why the back-to-school season can be a catalyst for eating disorders and what you can do to help your patients.

In our appearance-obsessed culture, exercise is often portrayed as a means to attain the “perfect” body, rather than a practice that can nourish your mind and body in ways unrelated to weight, shape, or size. As a result, societal pressures often distort the true value and potential benefits of physical activity, leading to unhealthy attitudes and behaviors related to exercise. 

When exercise becomes excessive, compulsive, or compensatory, your relationship with it has likely become disordered. In fact, overexercise is a common symptom in those with anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders. It can be a challenging process to rebuild a healthy relationship with activity once you’re in recovery. 

Learn how you might shift your mindset toward exercise and begin to embrace mindful movement instead.

Eating disorders can seem rare because they are not always discussed—an unfortunate result of a lack of education and the stigma surrounding mental health. In reality, these illnesses affect nearly 30 million Americans in their lifetime. 

With Americans spending approximately one-third of their lives at work, their place of employment plays a significant role in their overall well-being. Employers who foster a safe environment for people with eating disorders and other mental health concerns give their staff—their most valuable resource—the support necessary to thrive both professionally and personally. 

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed.

By Mollie Twitchell

I am starting to accept that I may not be able to change or erase some things from my past — which includes the things I have lost from having an eating disorder. I am trying to learn how to manage better, live a healthy life, and achieve the things I want to do despite the things that have happened.