New Year's emphasis on dieting 'hard' for people with eating disorders
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The new year can be difficult for people with eating disorders because of the concentration on diets and New Year resolutions, says Bodywhys, the organisation which supports people with eating disorders.
An estimated 188,895 people will experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives, according to the HSE. It is also estimated that close to 1,760 new cases of eating disorders emerge annually in the 10-49 age group.
Ellen Jennings, communications officer at Bodywhys, said: “New Year can be challenging for people affected by eating disorders, in part due to the emphasis on diets and New Years resolutions. It is very difficult to avoid diet talk as January begins.
"A person may feel caught between trying to recover, developing new coping mechanisms and reducing behaviours that are punishing or restrictive. On the other hand, the person can feel conflicted around diet talk because this is something the eating disorder will try to take advantage of.”
Bodywhys says the shift from a heavy focus on food in December to concentrating on dieting in January is tough for people with eating disorders. The focus on diets and weight loss at the start of a new year can portray a straightforward picture of perfection, happiness or easy changes, according to the organisation.
Michelle McCarthy, who has battled an eating disorder, said her difficulties around food began for her at the start of a new year. She explained: “For me, it was a control mechanism.”
She said it made her feel almost invincible because she felt her eating disorder was her strategy “to cope with January”. “Everyone else did not have the self-control I had. I got complimented so much for my self-control that I just actually thought, well I have this.”
However, she eventually realised her approach to food was “not healthy”, describing it as “so restrictive and so all-consuming that I had no brain space outside of food and exercise”.
Michelle is featured on Bodywhys’s Christmas and New Year podcast, aimed at providing support to people affected by eating disorders at this time of year. Ms Jennings urged anyone who is struggling with eating disorders to reach out for support.
- Bodywhys Helpline: 01-2107906
- Bodywhys E-mail Support Service: alex@bodywhys.ie
- HSE Eating Disorder Self Care App
- Bodywhys PiLaR programme for families of eating disorder sufferers