"How SNAP Benefit Cuts Fuel Eating Disorders—And What We Can Do About It"
When a person is deprived of food, their body is going to respond to just that information – that they don’t have enough energy. The body doesn’t know whether the deprivation is due to intentionally restricting food intake, lack of access to food, or something else – it just knows that the nutritional tank is low or empty. The specifics of how the body responds to inadequate energy intake varies among individuals, but has significant impacts on the person both psychologically and medically (Gaudiani, 2018).
“Just eat” and 5 other things to not say to someone with an eating disorder
Eating disorders are rooted in shame, anxiety, and other uncomfortable emotions - and for a person to share the fact that they’re struggling with an eating disorder with another person is a huge act of vulnerability. The following phrases listed below are common responses that people have when they are told that someone has an eating disorder. While these responses typically are not said with poor intentions, they are actually very harmful.