Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are characterised by eating too much or too little. A person may deny themselves anything to eat (even when hungry) or they may eat constantly and binge, and/or purge themselves, and/or overexercise afterwards. The person thoughts are dominated by food and their weight, and very often appearance.
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Eating disorders often occur as a way to exercise control over the only thing an individual feels he/she can.
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Eating disorders very often occur as a result of traumatic events, poor family support in childhood, family problems and bullying, and constant negative comments about appearance and weight.
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To support a healthy relationship with food, trauma must be worked on and food must be viewed as nourishing and not as a source of fear.
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Individuals may be ashamed of their body shape and weight, and may engage in purging and overexercising in an effort to control their weight.
Identify the signs and seek help as early as possible
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Not all people with eating disorders are obese or skinny, and so it may be difficult to spot them. It also means that girls may be over-diagnosed and boys ignored.
One third of all cases are boys between 13 and 17 years old.
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It is very easy to feel frustrated, rejected and angry at a person with an eating disorder.
You need to be kind and you need to listen. If you don’t listen to them, they will not listen to you.
Remember that the problem is not food but control, so creating barrages will not help. In fact, they may just do the opposite and may encourage worse behaviours.
When food is a source of fear and shame.
Identifying the causes.
At Nutrunity, we believe in supporting our clients in improving their relationship with food, no matter why they come to see us. It is established that a disconnection from nature, from food and our environment has led us to where we are today as a species. We have entrusted conglomerates with visions other than our health, and the pharmaceutical empire is too happy to step in when things go wrong.
So where are we today…?
We no longer understand the value of food and its impact on our bodies and ourselves. In naturopathic medicine and other fields of natural medicine, we have to publish (and rely on) sound peer-reviewed papers so that we can be certain that eating broccoli is healthier than eating a packaged sugar-coated (coloured) bagel.
So, if our world is out of control in the name of money, how can you have a healthy relationship with food when it is so easy to eat junk food, when it is cheap, widely available, and always in reach? How can you when your circumstances impact your better judgement, chronic stress leading to physiological changes in your brain that impact your thoughts, emotions and behaviour?
You cannot have a relationship with food when your brain is hooked on fear, fuelled by trauma, and probably unresolved issues over the years.
Nutrunity is a safe place. You can talk safely with us. We will always listen and understand your journey. We work with other therapists so you can feel supported from all sides and take back control of what matters: your life, your health, your happiness.