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Health Wellness

30 Ways To Make The World Better For People With Eating Disorders

Easy things you can do to make a hard experience a little bit easier.

Katie Regittko

Aug 08, 2018

University of North Carolina

1044

30 Ways To Make The World Better For People With Eating Disorders

Going through an eating disorder is inevitably hard. By nature, they involve endless, obsessive thoughts about food and weight, self-isolation, and a number of less-than-fun mental and physical symptoms.

There are over thirty million people in the United States alone who suffer from an eating disorder. However, they are one of the most stigmatized and misunderstood illnesses. Many people with eating disorders feel ashamed and therefore refrain from reaching out for help. Others don't even have access to the resources that educate them about what an eating disorder is. Regardless of a person's place in their eating disorder, be it early in its development or years into recovery, everyone deserves respect, help, and compassion in what is probably one of the hardest times of their life.

And lucky for you, it doesn't require becoming a therapist or registered dietician to make that struggle less hard! Here are 30 things you can start doing now:

1. Don't make assumptions about who you think has an eating disorder or not

2. If someone tells you they have an eating disorder, don't assume which one they have based on their body type

3. If you're worried about someone, approach them (privately) in a way that isn't confrontational, but comes from a place of compassion

4. Let's talk more about privacy: don't 'out' someone's eating disorder (or what you perceive to be someone's eating disorder) to other people

5. Stop the diet talk. Literally no one wants to hear about your diet. Sorry

6. This also goes for talk about weight, shape, muscle mass--you get it.

7. Stop categorizing foods as "healthy" or "unhealthy"--start seeing them as just food

8. Educate yourself on eating disorders--it's more than just anorexia and bulimia

9. While you're at it, learn the warning signs

10. Encourage people to seek out help in whichever form that is accessible to them

11. Offer to go with them to that first therapy session, support group, residential intake, etc.

12. Stop being so self-critical. Recovery is a journey of self-love which is hard to do when you're surrounded by others' self-criticism

13. Offer to eat with them, or have them join you at the table

14. Try to make mealtimes with them a fun experience rather than a stressful one

15. Don't make their eating disorder about you

16. Avoid being the "food police" or "behavior police". Relapses and slips happen, try to support them rather than chastise them.

17. Delete your dieting and fitness accounts. Or at least make them private.

18. Do whatever you can to promote positive self-esteem

19. Listen without judgement, giving advice, or criticizing.

20. Don't generalize the "eating disorder experience". Everyone manages their illness in different ways

21. Some people choose to talk about their experiences openly and others don't. Recognize and honor this.

22. Don't offer simple solutions like saying "just eat" or "just stop"

23. Try to be consistent--don't change plans surrounding food last-minute

24. Model healthy eating at mealtimes (eat a variety of foods, eat when you're hungry & stop when you're full)

25. Offer to go to the grocery store or clothes shopping with them

26. Try to find activities that don't center around food

27. Donate to or share out organizations that advocate for eating disorder awareness, prevention, and treatment (Project HEAL, NEDA, ANAD)

28. Don't make jokes about eating disorders! (This one's at you, Kim Kardashian)

29. Learn the difference between eating disorders and disordered eating

30. Recognize that people with eating disorders are whole people outside of their eating disorder. Help them rediscover their passions

In short, avoid triggering others, model a healthy relationship with food and your body, and never stop learning and advocating for eating disorder prevention, awareness, and treatment. These are things that not only can help relieve some of the suffering of people with eating disorders, but they can also facilitate prevention.

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30 Ways To Make The World Better For People With Eating Disorders

Easy things you can do to make a hard experience a little bit easier.

1. Don't make assumptions about who you think has an eating disorder or not

2. If someone tells you they have an eating disorder, don't assume which one they have based on their body type

3. If you're worried about someone, approach them (privately) in a way that isn't confrontational, but comes from a place of compassion

4. Let's talk more about privacy: don't 'out' someone's eating disorder (or what you perceive to be someone's eating disorder) to other people

5. Stop the diet talk. Literally no one wants to hear about your diet. Sorry

6. This also goes for talk about weight, shape, muscle mass--you get it.

7. Stop categorizing foods as "healthy" or "unhealthy"--start seeing them as just food

8. Educate yourself on eating disorders--it's more than just anorexia and bulimia

9. While you're at it, learn the warning signs

10. Encourage people to seek out help in whichever form that is accessible to them

11. Offer to go with them to that first therapy session, support group, residential intake, etc.

12. Stop being so self-critical. Recovery is a journey of self-love which is hard to do when you're surrounded by others' self-criticism

13. Offer to eat with them, or have them join you at the table

14. Try to make mealtimes with them a fun experience rather than a stressful one

15. Don't make their eating disorder about you

16. Avoid being the "food police" or "behavior police". Relapses and slips happen, try to support them rather than chastise them.

17. Delete your dieting and fitness accounts. Or at least make them private.

18. Do whatever you can to promote positive self-esteem

19. Listen without judgement, giving advice, or criticizing.

20. Don't generalize the "eating disorder experience". Everyone manages their illness in different ways

21. Some people choose to talk about their experiences openly and others don't. Recognize and honor this.

22. Don't offer simple solutions like saying "just eat" or "just stop"

23. Try to be consistent--don't change plans surrounding food last-minute

24. Model healthy eating at mealtimes (eat a variety of foods, eat when you're hungry & stop when you're full)

25. Offer to go to the grocery store or clothes shopping with them

26. Try to find activities that don't center around food

27. Donate to or share out organizations that advocate for eating disorder awareness, prevention, and treatment (Project HEAL, NEDA, ANAD)

28. Don't make jokes about eating disorders! (This one's at you, Kim Kardashian)

29. Learn the difference between eating disorders and disordered eating

30. Recognize that people with eating disorders are whole people outside of their eating disorder. Help them rediscover their passions

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The Best Lines from the Fab Four

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make

The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you

Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you

There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be

Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend

He say, "I know you, you know me", One thing I can tell you is you got to be free

Oh please, say to me, You'll let me be your man. And please say to me, You'll let me hold your hand

It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. They've been going in and out of style, but they're guaranteed to raise a smile

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see

Can you hear me? When it rains and shine, it's just a state of mind

Little darling, it's been long cold lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it' s been here. Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say it's alright

We danced through the night and we held each other tight, and before too long I fell in love with her. Now, I'll never dance with another when I saw her standing there

I love you, I love you, I love you, that's all I want to say

You say you want a revolution. Well you know, we all want to change the world

All the lonely people, where do they all come from. All the lonely people, where do they all belong

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday

And when the brokenhearted people, living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be.

And anytime you feel the pain, Hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders

I'll give you all I got to give if you say you'll love me too. I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you. I don't care too much for money. Money can't buy me love

All you need is love, love is all you need

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Though I know I'll never lose affection, for people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life, I love you more

Obviously the best superpower.

There have been many lessons learned.

1. The importance of traditions.

2. How to be thankful for family and friends.

3. How to give back.

4. What the word "community" really means.

5. That it isn't about the destination, but the journey.

6. The consequences of making bad choices.

7. To trust people, until you have a reason not to.

8. To be welcoming and accepting of everyone.

9. How to be my own, individual person.

10. How to work for what I want.

11. How to be great at giving directions.

12. How to be humble.

13. To be well-rounded.

14. How to be great at conflict resolution.

15. The beauty of getting outside and exploring.

16. To be prepared for anything.

17. That you don't always have to do it alone.

18. How to be creative.

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