Binge Eaters - not “just fat” but hurting inside and in need of support

One thing that never fails to shock me is the general attitude towards binge eating disorder. I’ve heard all manner of very negative aspersions cast which generally all point towards the idea that someone suffering from binge eating is simply lazy and fat and that if they wanted to change they could.

Well, here’s a newsflash; they can’t.

Different outside, same inside

Despite their very different outward appearances, people suffering from binge eating disorder are suffering from many of the same psychological problems as people suffering from anorexia or bulimia. One might be very underweight, the other very overweight, but they share a hatred of their own body, severe concerns about their shape and their weight and they share a common medicine – food. One deprives himself whilst the other over indulges, but both are using food (or lack thereof) to numb their pain and try to make sense of and take control of the emotional turmoil they’re feeling. Read the rest of this entry »

PrintFriendly and PDF

What’s the difference between a diet and an eating disorder?

These days, dieting is so commonplace that it’s often accepted as the norm rather than the exception. So if you’re a teacher, or a parent at what point should you be concerned that your pupil or child is suffering from an eating disorder rather than just dieting along with all their peers?

Here are 6 tell-tale signs – you may not be able to spot them all yourself but a chat with their friends may help you glean some more information.

Her diet is very restrictive, allowing consumption of only a few hundred calories a day

One of the key differences between a regular diet and an eating disorder is one of scale. Generally speaking, a young person with an eating disorder will restrict their calorie intake to only a few hundred calories per day. Allowing themselves to eat maybe half or maybe even less, the number of calories they are likely to expend in a day.

Read the rest of this entry »

PrintFriendly and PDF

Eating Disorders – Dispelling urban myths

When I talk to teachers about eating disorders, one of the common things I hear is that eating disorders are completely taboo in the staffroom due to some incorrect, but commonly held beliefs. For this reason, I thought it would be helpful to dispel a few urban myths about eating disorders which you likely come up against often. Perhaps you’d like to leave a comment with some of your own too?

 

If we talk about eating disorders, we’ll start an epidemic

This is a really commonly held belief. Many people within and beyond schools believe that in talking about and especially in teaching about eating disorders that you’ll convert your healthy cohort into one that is starving themselves to death left right and centre. This simply isn’t true. Eating disorders are deeply complex and you will not cause a pupil to develop an eating disorder simply by talking about it. What you might do is raise awareness amongst staff and pupils of the symptoms of eating disorders which may lead to you recognising some new cases. But that is a GOOD thing. It is only once you have recognised a problem that you can begin to support and address it.

Eating disorders are just a passing phase

This absolutely isn’t true and believing that eating disorders are a passing phase is a very dangerous point of view. In fact, eating disorders can endure for decades if not supported promptly and appropriately. Eating disorders symptoms, no matter how mild, can be indicative of a deep underlying problem that needs to be addressed and supported. The sooner the pupil receives help the better their chances of not developing a fully blown eating disorder and/or recovering. This is unlikely to happen without support. Read the rest of this entry »

PrintFriendly and PDF

How can we best work with parents to support pupils with eating disorders?

In many instances, pupils welcome the opportunity to have their parents support them through their eating disorder, and parents are supportive and helpful when approached by the school. In these cases, the three way relationship between parent, school and pupil is fundamental in terms of offering a structured system of reliable support that helps a pupil through the period of recovery.

“I don’t know what I’d have done without my mum and dad. They knew when I was down and they would always offer their help which meant I could get through the hard times easier than if I was trying to manage on my own.” (James, 15) Read the rest of this entry »

PrintFriendly and PDF

Book Review: A Girl Called Tim by June Alexander

June’s story of her epic battles with eating disorders is a touching, interesting and fascinating read. It’s hard to remember sometimes that you’re reading a memoir and not a work of fiction - how could one person go through so much for so long and live to tell the tale eloquently, beautifully and inspirationally?

June first suffered from anorexia aged 11 whilst growing up on her parents farm, trying desperately to live up to her mother’s expectations of her - trying to work hard and fulfil the role of ‘Tim’, the son her mother never had. June’s anorexia morphs into bulimia during her teenage years and she battles with it incessantly for decades. Read the rest of this entry »

PrintFriendly and PDF

Worried a pupil might have an eating disorder? When should you say something?

Once you’re aware of the risk factors and warning signs for eating disorders you may find yourself noticing pupils in your class who cause you some concern. You might be anxious that they could be in the early stages of developing an eating disorder - but when should you say something? Should you sit back and monitor the situation until you’re sure there’s a problem or should you speak to them as soon as possible? It’s a difficult question and as much as anything it will depend on your relationship with the pupil. Here are my tips for working out what to do next, once you have that niggly feeling that something’s not quite right. Read the rest of this entry »

PrintFriendly and PDF

Bullying can trigger and fuel eating disorders – it’s time to take it seriously

When I surveyed 800 young people about their experiences of eating disorders in UK schools, only 20% said that their school felt like a safe and supportive environment for someone suffering from an eating disorder. There were several reasons for this but the number one reason was teasing, rumours and bullying.

And not just from their peers. From the staff as well.

“You might as well go around with ‘freak’ written on your head. Everyone treats you like one. Even if they’re not being horrible then they’re freezing you out ‘cos they don’t know what to say.”

Kelly, Year 9

“My maths teacher joked about me being fat. Now I’m better I can tell it was a joke, back then I was skin and bones but I took him seriously and ate even less that day. Everyone made ‘jokes’ like that the whole time but it’s not funny.”

Michael, Year 11 Read the rest of this entry »

PrintFriendly and PDF

12 Tips for Writing an Eating Disorders Policy for Your School

An effective eating disorders policy can ensure that students causing concern don’t ‘fall through gaps’:

“A boy in year 10 was suffering badly from anorexia and ended up in A&E – when staff were debriefed several of us realised that although we were very concerned about him, we had all assumed someone else was dealing with it – but nobody was. We now have a policy with a named member of staff who all these concerns are passed to.” (Secondary School Geography Teacher)

According to my research, less than a quarter of schools have an eating disorders policy in place. I’ve developed one that you can download and adapt, but if you’d like to write your own, here are my 12 top tips.

Read the rest of this entry »

PrintFriendly and PDF

Eating Disorders Policy for use in your School

As many as one percent of school aged children meet, or nearly meet the criteria for anorexia or bulimia. Yet most schools don’t have a policy in place – of 800 schools I recently surveyed, only 40 schools had a specific eating disorders policy in place. In 540 schools, eating disorders were not referred to at all in any of their policies.

Why have a specific eating disorders policy?

My research with schools has shown that majority of school staff would not know what to do if they became concerned that a student was suffering with an eating disorder. And many more felt that they wouldn’t know what warning signs to look out for at all. Read the rest of this entry »

PrintFriendly and PDF

How and Why You Should Alter Your Academic Expectations for Eating Disorders Sufferers

The stereotype tells us that eating disorders sufferers are A* students, perfectionists and generally succeed at all they do. Superficially, this often appears to be true - so their academic work may be the least of your concerns. But this is a mistake. It’s really important for us to revise our expectations of pupils with eating disorders because encouraging a constant strive for perfection can be damaging, especially if their illness makes them unable to succeed like they’re used to.

 

Aiming for perfection

Whilst it’s not a universal truth, many eating disorders sufferers are high achievers. One of the key risk factors for developing an eating disorder is a perfectionist personality. As such these young people are the type who will be expecting to achieve very highly across the board and would probably consider anything less than perfection failure. This point of view is likely to become more and more extreme as the illness takes grip and their thinking becomes more and more black and white.

Read the rest of this entry »
PrintFriendly and PDF

Designed by Your Company Name
©2013 Eating Disorders Advice