To all those who want information for school projects, media blogs, uni projects:
I will not share or comment on:
- my daugher’s lowest weight
- pictures of her at her worst
- a detailed state of her fingers nails, hair or other physical attributes
- how eating disorders affect your looks
- my daughter’s detailed list of safe foods or fearful foods
- BMI weight for either my daughter or make suggestions for your BMI
- the words healthy, beauty, inner beauty, protein diets, fresh diets
- dieting or food tips
- what are better foods or healthier foods to eat
why:
- it takes the focus of just how dangerous and devasting eating disorders (particularly anorexia) are
- it diminishes eating disorders to the physical and superficial
- it is not helpful or useful for recovery or media intake
- sends the wrong message about foods, health, body weight etc.
- eating disorders are not an illness about food or weight
- there are far, far more devasting consequences and ill health from having an eating disorder than your nails, skin, hair etc
- there are no good or bad foods
However, I will share:
- the real body and mind breakdowns that occur (did you know the uterus thins out to almost paper and only thickens once the body is repaired and periods start – just learnt that)
- how incidious, manipulative, dangerous and all consuming eating disorders are
- that it is an illness of the mind that affects all genders, cultural and social areas
- that physical health and healing comes when a varied and wide food range is eaten
- the long lasting effects of eating disorders are those under the skin: the mind, behaviours, organs, bones, teeth, reproductive system, endocrine system …
- what research has been done and how much more needs to be done
- what resources (including financial) are not being funnelled into eating disorder areas
- how eating disorders affect families and relationships
- recovery and healing that encompasses all areas of an eating disorder.
I have met some wonderful people who are creating great stuff, from documentaries, short films, very informative and balanced websites. But others still have a lot to learn about eating disorders. These are the ones I want to grow and stretch in their ideas of what an eating disorder is really all about.
