Sunny June means the start of summer, the freedom of a break from school, and the bright celebrations of Pride Month. For people in the LGBTQIA+ community, June is a time to come together, remember the origins of this important month, and be unapologetically queer. However, during Pride Month and year-round, queer folks can experience increased body dissatisfaction due to heteronormative beauty standards.
Navigating summer break following a year at college can be daunting, especially if you or someone you love is on the path to recovery from an eating disorder. The shift from a predictable life at college to an unscheduled summer can be disorienting. However, with proper preparation, those in recovery can experience an enjoyable and healing summer.
Eating disorders are incredibly manipulative conditions that play on your emotions. They can feel like an important coping mechanism and a toxic presence simultaneously. Often, eating disorders erode your sense of self and overwhelm your life and identity. When pursuing recovery, it can be challenging to separate yourself from your eating disorder, but it is more than possible with the right support.
Diet culture often influences us to try new weight loss methods perpetually, be it Weight Waters, Noom, or trendy diets such as Keto or Intermittent Fasting. Although society sees these as “healthy” or “normal,” the sustainability and benefits of these restrictive dieting practices are harmful to most individuals.
Young adults and adolescents develop their appearance ideals from media, social media, dating apps, family, etc. Accordingly, research indicates that individuals identifying with a different gender than assigned at birth tend to relate their appearance ideals based on sources that align with their gender identity.
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that impacts an individual's social and cognitive skills. While early intervention helps with symptoms in children, individuals may not get diagnosed until adolescence or adulthood. However, research in recent years indicates a possible overlap between eating disorders and autism spectrum disorder.
ARFID, or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, is an eating disorder where individuals avoid specific foods due to texture, smell, or taste, resulting in a lack of proper nutrients. Previously known as a selective eating disorder, ARFID had evolved into a new diagnosis found in the DSM-5-TR. However, misconceptions and myths surrounding ARFID make this eating disorder more difficult to treat and understand.
An eating disorder diagnosis is overwhelming and challenging. It is common for those with eating disorders also to have other mental health disorders. Anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are mental health disorders that often co-occur with eating disorders.
While the predominant stereotype around eating disorders focuses on women, other people along the gender spectrum, including men, struggle with eating disorders. However, because of the difference in gender ideals, male presentation of eating disorders can look different than females.
Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED may be the most notorious eating disorders, but many lesser-known conditions often fly under the radar, going undiagnosed and untreated. Though they may not have made it to the pages of the DSM or receive an official diagnosis, they're just as real and devastating.
Social media can be hard to navigate during recovery. We use social media accounts to stay connected in the world today, but how can we make them a safer space during recovery and afterward? With unlimited access to social media, it is essential to acknowledge and minimize exposure to posts that give unrealistic views of what is “normal.”
Unfortunately, diet culture surrounds us every single day. It is woven into the fabric of our society. While it may not be possible to avoid diet culture altogether, there are tools we can use to navigate our way through it, allowing us to reframe the harmful beliefs that diet culture has instilled in us.
