Eating disorders are a growing problem among individuals whether they have an intellectual disability or not. In the past, eating disorders were an enigma shrouded in mystery and plagued by misconceptions. In recent years research has helped unveil much of the mystery surrounding eating disorders, but many misconceptions and stigmas still exist among the general population.
An eating disorder is a medical and psychiatric disorder. Many people think that an eating disorder is not a big deal, but there is a high mortality rate among those with an eating disorder. Knowing how to respond and promote prevention can be challenging. We can't always know how we should act or how others will react, but there are a few positive steps that can be taken to help support recovery and promote prevention.
Increase your own awareness.
The more that you know about eating disorders the easier it becomes to dispel the myths and false ideas about them. Increased knowledge leads to increased understanding and decreased judgment. Judgment comes easily when there is limited knowledge. Awareness makes understanding easier than judgment. Learning more about eating disorders helps alleviate many of the challenges of knowing how to respond and how to promote prevention. nationaleatingdisorders.org has a great collection of free resources that are easy to access and help spread awareness and prevention.
Be mindful of the ways that you talk or teach about food, nutrition, and exercise.
The vocabulary that we use when teaching nutrition is important in promoting eating disorder prevention. Words are powerful. They allow us to convey our thoughts in meaningful ways. The words that we choose can communicate positive helpful ideas or just as quickly communicate negative, harmful ideas. So, strike from your nutrition vocabulary the terms "good food" or "bad food.” These terms, while often well meaning, can promote harmful thought associations with food.
Rather than dividing food into categories of "on limits" and "off limits," talk about nutrition in terms of balance, variety and moderation. Teaching balance communicates that all food groups can fit into a meal plan. Teaching variety helps show how each food provides needed nutrients and energy in different ways. Fats help protect organs and brain tissue. Proteins help build muscle tissue. Carbs feed your body and brain with energy. Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins. Each food plays its own roll supporting the body. Moderation helps communicate what amount is healthy for that person. Keep in mind, underestimating correct portions can be just as big a problem as overestimating. For a person with an intellectual disability, estimating correct portion sizes can be a difficult skill to learn, but teaching balance, variety, and moderation can help promote healthy eating habits.
Avoid talking about food in terms of calories or weight. Instead, teach about the benefits of each food and what moderation looks like for each one. Likewise, avoid talking about exercise in ways that suggest working off food calories. Instead, explain the benefits of exercise outside of food and what healthy exercise looks like for that person. There are dangers in getting no exercise, but there are also dangers in over exercising.
Promote healthy body image.
Media and American culture have created an ideal of thinness. Don't buy into comments that suggest that being thin will mean being happy and successful or that body fat is disgraceful or something to be ashamed of. Avoid making judgments about people based on their weight, or communicating that a person's value is connected to their body weight. We need to value people for their personality, talents, ambitions and dreams, not for their physical appearance. Awareness, proper nutrition education, and promoting healthy self-esteem can each help increase eating disorder prevention and support.
Do you have ideas that you use to prevent eating disorders and promote healthy body image? We'd love to hear them.
 | Kellie Johnson |
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