The National Eating Disorder Association says that approximately 20 million women will develop abnormalities in their everyday eating habits, at some point in their life. The same will happen to approximately 10 million men. The National Institute of Mental Health defines an eating disorder as, " an illness that causes serious disturbances to your everyday diet." They state that the three most common of these illnesses are anorexia nervosa, where one limits caloric intake and manages their food in extreme ways; bulimia nervosa, where one binge eats and then purges their body by vomiting, or taking diuretics or laxatives; and binge-eating disorder, similar to bulimia nervosa, though no purging follows bouts of excessive eating.
Eating disorders can stem from a traumatic event. One of the biggest events can be sexual assault. Defined by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), sexual assault is, "sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent from the victim." When assaulted, a victim can lose their sense of control, their sense of power, in terms of how they view themselves and their bodies.
As the body has been victimized and violated, survivors of sexual assault can feel that they need to regain control. This may lead to them developing an eating disorder. An eating disorder such as Anorexia Nervosa, allows the survivor to meticulously plan meals and count calories. RAINN says that while this is satisfactory in the short term, it is extremely harmful in the long term.
Another way that survivors may develop eating disorders is through excessive overeating, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder. According to RAINN, due to the trauma caused by sexual assault a survivor may find comfort in consuming food and may excessively overeat, as it puts them back in control.
There is no doubt that the correlation between sexual assault and eating disorders occurs. The link between traumatic events and eating disorders is not one that is random. This makes it all the more important that people close to survivors of sexual assault are able to identify warning signs. The National Eating Disorder Association has identified some of the warning signs as being the denial of hunger, dramatic and intense weight loss and anxiety about gaining weight.
It is important to be open about these topics especially if you think you may know someone who is struggling with the problem of an eating disorder after a sexual assault incident, or even just one of these struggles singularly (eating disorder or sexual assault).
There are so many ways that you can learn more about sexual assault and eating disorders and how the two are related. One great resource is the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network where you can find Information regarding eating disorders and how they can stem from sexual assault. Another great resource for learning more about how to help people who supporting others through the struggles of sexual assault and eating disorders is Eating Disorder Hope, who offer information on trauma and eating disorders.
There are also several hotlines that are there to help people who have experienced sexual assault such as the National Sexual Assault Helpline which can be reached at (800)656-HOPE (4673). The National Eating Disorder Association helpline can be reached at (800)931-2237.
Without a doubt, these symptoms spiral and can be extremely harmful to survivors of sexual assault.
