A Difficult Conversation - Disordered Eating
written by taylor carroll and kishore botla
TW: This article includes a discussion on eating disorders and mentions of disordered eating habits.
With the rise of social media and mass image distribution, issues surrounding body image and eating disorders have also been brought to a greater light. Constant comparison and unrealistic expectations can abound, leaving many with unhealthy thoughts and behaviors. Kishore Botla, a third-year nutrition major here at UT, has made strides in promoting healthy conversation around eating disorders.
“Eating disorders are grossly underdiagnosed and the criteria for diagnosing them are unclear and intrusive,” says Botla, “And male eating disorders are diagnosed at an even lower rate while often hidden in plain sight.” These factors make it difficult to recognize issues, let alone address them.
For many people, and men in particular, this can lead to a specific type of eating disorder called orthorexia. “Orthorexia is where you hyper fixate on specific lists or types of food in pursuit of a body goal or look,” explains Botla. This has become increasingly common as “gym culture” becomes more mainstream and individuals seek to emulate bodies they see on the internet.
Botla argues that, “One of the largest causative factors is social media. ‘Gymfluencers’ can create unrealistic standards for men and women.” These “gymfluencers” have become prominent on many social media platforms, advertising their lifestyles for young viewers and promoting specific diets, exercises, body types, and - unsurprisingly - their own supplements and training plans. “You see these people but don’t know the context,” says Botla, “It’s really not all that great. You can portray that your life is perfect, but you may not feel great physically or mentally.”
Of course, there are many other factors that can lead to unhealthy eating patterns. Botla discusses that pressure from peers and family can play a large role. Disordered eating could manifest via negative remarks from others, but also through reinforcement of negative behavior. “When you hear, ‘oh you look so good, you have a great body!’ this can be really damaging as well. You don’t know what it took to achieve a certain look or if it was even done in a healthy way.”
Often it’s incredibly hard to recognize the difference between healthy and disordered eating, but Botla states that “if you are constantly thinking about calories during daily activities and if it’s significantly influencing your daily functioning, that’s a sign you should re-evaluate.” Sometimes the first step has to be recognizing that there’s an issue at all. “Having that self-awareness is incredibly important, and that only comes with time and understanding of what your ‘normal’ really is.”
So how does one find a healthy lifestyle amidst so much negative influence? Botla states “If you’re trying to get healthier, it’s really difficult to ignore those negative influences, but at the end of the day you want to feel your best. There’s really no specific diet or exercise for that.” Healthy living could manifest itself in a plethora of ways. As far as diet, Botla encourages others to “eat things in moderation; don’t restrict yourself from tasty food but make good choices when you can. I try to follow a roughly ‘80/20 rule.’ I try to eat more whole, minimally processed food 80% of the time and then fully enjoy delicious treats during the other 20%, especially while spending time with friends and family. Balance and being able to still enjoy life is the key to long-term adherence.” Other healthy lifestyle practices could include walking regularly, getting enough sleep, or even finding a healthy outlet like journaling.
One of the difficult questions surrounding eating disorders is how to talk about it at all. “Discussing it is, unfortunately, the toughest part,” says Botla. “There’s stigma, there are people who don’t think they have a problem, and there’s the issue of not knowing what to say. It’s understandably difficult, but listening is important. I want other people to see that it’s more common than they think and to be willing to rally as a community to talk about it and support those who might be suffering in silence.” Sometimes the best thing you can do for a friend who’s struggling is to show them you care. And of course, if you yourself are struggling, there are always resources to help you through the difficult times. We’ve listed a few below, several being specific to our UT community. Together, we can help decrease the stigma surrounding eating disorders and promote healthy conversation on healthier living.
Additional Resources: