Facts and Myths About Eating Disorders

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Last updated on June 30th, 2024 at 07:56 pm

Myths about eating disorders are common. 

Some faulty beliefs about eating disorders are harmful because they can: 

• Influence whether someone gets treatment for their eating disorder
• Increase shame and guilt for someone with an ED
• Amplify the eating disorder voice 
• Encourage an eating disorder 

Common misconceptions about eating disorders can amplify the eating disorder as well as limit access to appropriate healthcare during recovery.  

Let’s explore some of the most common myths about eating disorders, the facts behind these myths, and what we can do to debunk this misinformation.

Myths About Eating Disorders 

Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) can’t have eating disorders

BIPOC are less likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder and often have the eating disorder for a longer period of time. 

We typically see higher rates of binge and purge and food restriction among black, Hispanic, and Asian populations.  Black Americans are 50% more likely to have binge-purge behavior. 

People with ARFID are just picky eaters. They’ll eat when they’re hungry

ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorders) involves severe taste and texture aversions that can result in severe malnutrition.  When someone with ARFID doesn’t eat because of food aversions, they develop metabolic shifts that alter hunger and fullness cues and digestion. 

Without proper intervention with an eating disorder dietitian that may involve food chaining, those with ARFID’s malnourishment will likely progress. 

There is only one path to eating disorder recovery 

There are many paths to recovery from an eating disorder. Some will require an inpatient program while others will progress well in an outpatient setting or even find their own support or family network.  

Not everyone’s path to recovery involves being completely symptom-free from the eating disorder voice forever. Sometimes recovery means harm reduction or a permanent mechanical eating plan. 

Eating disorders are a choice

Eating disorders are serious mental health disorders with real clinical impacts.  There are real physical and psychological components happening in an eating disorder that make it difficult or impossible to eat. 

No one would choose an eating disorder. This myth is harmful and often delays life-saving treatment interventions. 

You can’t go from one eating disorder to another

Many people experience 2 or more eating disorders throughout the course of their lives.  There are many cultural and biological reasons for this. 

It is common for people to move from anorexia to binge eating disorder as a result of the body trying to overshoot weight. 

Missing your period is  just part of being an athlete 

Missing a period can be a symptom when athletes do not properly nourish.  Missing a period for athletes is often part of the female athlete triad. 

While missing a period can be common among athletes, especially for sports with a high aesthetic component (cheerleading, swimming, dance) it is not normal and it is dangerous.  

Bulimia and Anorexia Myths 

You have to be super skinny to have anorexia or Bulimia

You can experience any eating disorder at any body size. Anorexia does not have a “look”

The prevalence of people with anorexia that are underweight is less than 6% The belief that someone with anorexia must look emaciated leads to a lack of appropriate diagnosis for eating disorders.

If you are in a large body, your anorexia symptoms are less severe 

People in larger bodies experience eating disorder symptoms just as severe as those in smaller bodies.  

Symptoms of an eating disorder may be more severe for people in larger bodies because these individuals might not get early or adequate treatment for their eating disorder.

People in larger bodies, often referred to as atypical anorexia often: 

• Experience the same clinical symptoms of anorexia 
• Experience greater weight loss than those in small bodies 
• Have a greater risk of low pulse rate than those in small bodies 

Parents are responsible for their children’s eating disorder

When it comes to eating disorders, there is never just one cause.  Genetics, culture, and home environment can all play a role. 

Parents can be an excellent ally in eating disorder recovery.  While parents are not to blame for a child’s eating disorder, most parents will benefit from learning about health at every size, intuitive eating, and body trust to support their loved one in recovery. 

If you wanted to you could just eat 

There are physical and mental reasons why a person can’t “just eat” when it comes to eating disorders. 

In fact, simply eating without appropriate medical guidance can be dangerous or even deadly. A person with an eating disorder will require a custom recovery meal plan which will likely involve a gradual calorie increase for safety.  

Anorexia and other eating disorders do not discriminate against age. While Anorexia often develops in adolescence, it can develop at any stage of life.

Your eating disorder will go away when you hit your goal weight/body size

No body weight, shape, or size will satisfy an eating disorder.  When someone with an eating disorder hits their “goal weight” they are likely to just raise the goal they’re trying to hit, or focus on a different body flaw. 

People with eating disorders also often suffer from body dysmorphia, so they are unable to observe a true representation of their bodies. 

Anorexia is a young person’s disease 

Anorexia that is not treated in childhood will not go away as an adult.

You might also develop anorexia later in life.

Some life transitions that may trigger an eating disorder include:

• Anorexia in menopause
• Anorexia after a pregnancy
• Anorexia after an injury
• Anorexia after an illness

Binge Eating Disorder Myths

If you live in a large body, you must be binge eating 

Your body size is not correlated with your eating behaviors.  Many people in larger bodies may be undernourished because diet culture says that people in large bodies need to lose weight. 

To assume someone in a large body is binge eating is dangerous. It may cause providers to prescribe food restrictions or weight loss. This could result in weight loss rebound greater than starting weights or disordered eating patterns. 

People in small bodies do not have binge eating disorder

Like any other eating disorder, binge eating disorder comes in all body weight shapes and sizes.  

Many people who live with or are recovering from a restrictive eating disorder or ARFID will also at some point experience binge eating. 

If you just had more self-control, you wouldn’t binge eat

Eating disorders including binge eating disorder are not about a lack of self-control.  They are complex mental health disorders that influence food decisions and physiology. 

Trying to control binge eating or restrict after binging will likely cause more frequent and more severe binge eating. 

If you stop binge eating, you will lose weight 

Food is only one small component of what makes up body weight.  Weight loss is more heavily influenced by genetics, access to food, access to healthcare (including equal healthcare for BIPOC and people of color), access to safe places to move your body, and even the temperature outside. 

Your body weight might increase, decrease or stay the same when you stop binge eating.  This will depend on your body’s natural set point weight.  

How Eating Disorder Myths Harm

Eating disorder myths influence what we say to someone with an eating disorder. 

We might unintentionally encourage an eating disorder by: 

• Offering up beauty compliments
• Encouraging or complimenting weight loss
• Discouraging treatment by sending the message a person with an ED just needs more willpower  
• Food shaming leads to fear foods 
• Praising food rules 

Debunking Eating Disorder Myths

It is not uncommon that the symptoms of eating disorders for those in small bodies are prescribed as a treatment for clients with eating disorders in large bodies. 

To debunk eating myths we need to: 

• Realize eating disorders don’t have a size
• Recognize eating disorders exist across all cultures and ethnicities
• Understand that eating disorders exist in all genders
• Realize that our biases about eating disorders harm 
• Advocate for access to eating disorder treatment regardless of body size 
• Share your knowledge with friends, families, and healthcare providers

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, these recovery tips can help you to stay strong during the difficult journey of healing. Getting the facts and challenging the myths of an eating disorder are critical for a full eating disorder recovery.