Myths about anorexia and some facts to debunk them

Today is the start of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in the USA . I’m going to use this opportunity to clear up a few myths about eating disorders, namely anorexia. This is not because the others aren’t important, but because I don’t have experience of them. I’ll also provide links to some informative fact-based pieces, and some articles I’ve written in the past about suffering and recovering from anorexia nervosa. I have always shared my experiences in the hope that they lead to better quality information and understanding. I hope that they provide a window that allows sufferers to realise they aren’t alone, and provides some sort of insight to victims’ friends and families. That said, I urge anyone — or anyone who knows someone suffering — to get professional help from a doctor or therapist soonest. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disease — either as a result of physical medical complications, or suicide. It steals precious time, and precious lives.

Myth 1# Anorexia means people aren’t hungry.

Truth 1# No. Anorexics are starving hungry. Their bodies scream for nourishment. The hunger is crippling. It causes black outs, the brain to stop working properly and other organ function to decline. When a body is starving & has no immediate energy sources from fat stores or incoming food, it starts to eat its own muscle for fuel. This is a good summary of the effects of starvation, from the Scottish Eating Disorders Interest Group.