My Double Life: Eating Disorder Survivor & Therapist in Training 🤯💖 Discover the twist Plus the Social Justice Article TLDR;

Article Title: Understanding Eating Disorders as a Call for Social Justice

TLDR; Main Idea

This article looks at eating disorders from a perspective of social justice. The writer believes that the reasons behind these disorders are connected to bigger issues in society, like how women are treated and viewed.

Starting Point

   The writer was interested in exploring ideas about how, in wealthier countries like Canada, some people voluntarily stop eating due to issues with their body image. The writer started wondering if there's a connection between these two very different situations. What if we could inspire women not to spend so much energy on changing their looks, and instead use that energy to help mothers feed their children?

Key Points 

1. Eating Disorders Are More Than Just Vanity

    Feminists (people who fight for women's rights) have said that eating disorders aren't just about wanting to look a certain way. These disorders are connected to bigger problems in society, like how women are seen and treated.

2. Eating Disorders and Society

    Some experts believe that because many women across the world have eating disorders, it suggests there's a deeper issue in society. Basically, in many places, women don't have the same chances or wealth as men. When women focus too much on their weight, they might be trying to gain control in a world where they often feel powerless.

3. What is Social Justice?

    Social justice is the idea that everyone in society should have equal opportunities and resources. It's about making sure everyone feels safe and has what they need. A big part of social justice is understanding that some groups have more power and advantages, while others are often left out or treated unfairly.

4. Complexity Science and Chaos Theory

    Systems, like societies or cultures, are complex and made up of many parts. Changing these systems is hard because of this complexity.

    However, the "butterfly effect" from chaos theory suggests a small change can lead to much bigger ones. For example, a small action, like a butterfly flapping its wings in one place, can cause big events, like a tornado, somewhere else.

    The authors believe that a small intervention in the way we think about eating disorders could have a big impact on broader societal issues.

The Research Study

    The authors set up a group discussion (focus group) with professional women who have experience with eating disorders, social justice, and related fields.

    These women were all well-educated and come from professions like nursing and psychology. They were invited by the main author to talk about the link between eating disorders and social justice. Focus groups are discussions where people talk freely about a topic. This method is helpful for exploring new ideas or when it's important to get a specific group's perspective.

A. The Process (What They Did)

    After gathering the participants, they had a structured discussion around certain questions. These questions aimed to explore the connections between eating disorders and social justice, challenges and opportunities in that connection, and next steps.

Everything was recorded and later analyzed by a team.

B. Data Analysis

• The team read through the discussion records several times to identify themes or recurring ideas.
• This isn't a straightforward process because they had to think about both individual opinions and the group as a whole.
• They also looked at both the actual content (what was said) and the process (how it was said and the group dynamics).
• They identified patterns in the way the group interacted, which they labeled as “Shift/Tension,” “Excited/Connected,” and “Scatter/Questions.”
• They also identified content themes, or main ideas, that came out of the discussion: “Realities & Illusions,” “Barriers & Continuums,” and “Solutions & Next Steps.”

C. In simpler terms

    The authors wanted to explore if there's a bigger, societal issue connecting eating disorders and global problems like hunger. They brought together a group of expert women to discuss it. The idea was that by understanding these links, maybe small changes in the way we address eating disorders could lead to bigger societal changes. They found patterns in how the group discussed the topic and identified some main ideas that came out of the discussion.

This section appears to discuss findings from a focus group study on the topic of eating disorders viewed from a social justice lens. 

D. Here's a brief summary

• Purpose: Exploring the perspective of eating disorders as a social justice issue.

Themes from the Group Discussion- Realities and Illusions

• Realities: The group discussed gender inequality, the role and influence of industries (especially advertising and beauty), and cultural ideals on individuals. There's a belief that cultural impositions and inequities lead to problems like eating disorders. The importance of understanding power dynamics, space, control, and societal roles was emphasized.

• Illusions: Participants recognized a feeling of helplessness or belief that they can't effect change, which is prevalent in societies with an abundance of resources.

Barriers and Continuums

• Barriers: A major barrier discussed was societal expectations on women, including the various "shoulds" they are expected to conform to. There's concern about further burdening women with additional societal roles. Another issue is the complexity of the topic; it appears too broad and overwhelming to tackle as individuals or even as a small group.

• Continuums: They delved into the continuum between poverty and excess, visibility vs invisibility, and what issues society chooses to acknowledge versus those it ignores.

Solutions and Next Steps- Proposed Solutions

Ideas included more open discussions, consciousness-raising, getting youth involved as social advocates, a snowball effect from idea sharing, focusing on finding purpose and meaning, targeting systemic issues rather than individuals, and collaboration in finding solutions.

Concluding Remarks

• Both the process of the discussion and its content indicate a need for further exploration of the topic.
• The complexity of the issue made it difficult for the group to reach a concrete consensus.
• The dynamic of the group mirrored society's relationship with power and privilege.
• The date of the focus group, coinciding with the Montreal massacre anniversary, added gravity to the discussion.
• Feminist research and perspectives on power and privilege can further illuminate the findings.

The passage you've provided delves deep into the complex intersection of eating disorders, cultural norms, social justice, and gender roles, with a specific emphasis on the Western perspective. 

E. Limitations and Future Research

    The study acknowledges its limitations – primarily, its results might be specific to the demographic it studied (educated, upper-middle-class Caucasian women). Further research involving a diverse group of participants is needed to validate or challenge the findings.

F. The Importance of a Global Perspective

    The problems leading to starvation, both from poverty and eating disorders, need a global perspective. The article stresses the importance of social justice as the framework for understanding and addressing these challenges. The piece concludes that research and discussions on this topic need to continue, to seek solutions and foster understanding.

    The article strongly advocates for a broader understanding of eating disorders, emphasizing the need to integrate social justice issues and considerations of systemic societal structures.

G. Conclusion

The article is basically saying, "Let's think bigger when it comes to eating disorders." Instead of just seeing them as individual problems, let's see them as signs that we need to change society to be more fair and supportive for everyone, especially women.

My Journey from Patient to Healer: Eating Disorders, Identity, and Inequity

    As a BIPOC woman, therapist in training, and once a patient (not a very good one I might add- see other blog posts for my entire journey of experiencing an eating disorder from multiple perspectives), my relationship with eating disorders is multi-layered to say the least. My journey, both personal and professional, unveils the glaring gaps in our failing medical system and society. The research article, "Eating Disorders as Social Justice Issues," resonated deeply with me and I feel compelled to share. Here's why.

1. What Happens When Culture & Westernization Collide-

    Born into a vibrant culture that supposedly celebrates color, diversity, and unique beauty, I never imagined I'd fall prey to the 'Americanized Western beauty ideals.' But the pressure to fit into (the right) boxes defined by both my cultural norms and Americanized Western standards was overwhelming. It wasn't just about looking a certain way; it was a turbulent clash of multiple worlds. 

*Disclaimer! I am highly aware of my privileges and do not wish to belittle anyone's personal experience or uplift my own in any way. I am simply sharing my experience in hopes of connecting with others and spreading education and advocating for a desperate need for change*

    While I don't fall prey to being perceived as a WOC due to my red hair and pale skin, I can promise you, looks can be deceiving. On the outside, one might assume that I am a white, pale skinned, thin woman, (All are true to an extent, but there is so much more below the surface) because if you look a little closer you can see that I camouflage well through makeup tutorials, strategic planning of clothing, colors, and playing up certain features while negating others in order to blend in to the constraints of society. The eye liner I use ever so slightly gives the illusion that my eyes are bigger, more "American", the bronzer, highlighter, blush combo that I learned from a youtube tutorial hides any essence of my heritage, and let's not forget my hair- "UGGGGG" the red. 

    Not red enough to be viewed as a true ginger, but not deep enough to assume I died it for a summer trend. Nope I have an awkward in between that requires me to dress in certain colors and avoid others in order to hide it's potency. Sorry for the tangent, but I am passionate about how society has literally forced us to contort our bodies to hide our diverse backgrounds in hopes of fitting in.

2. Patriarchy: The Universal Culprit:

    In the community in which I grew up in, being a woman came with a set of unsaid rules. Many of which involved being seen as opposed to being heard. Women were meant to be attractive, agreeable, amiable, proper, and whimsical. I aspired to be a "Proverbs 31 woman" (iyktyk)

    Sadly, the patriarchy isn’t just a Western or Eastern issue—it's universal. I struggled with the weight of cultural expectations and societal norms, questioning my worth, and battling my relationship with food. Men were the head of the household, in charge of the decisions when it came to the fate of the whole family. That seemed to be normal across every culture I had ever been apart of. Men were simply elevated above women. That was indoctrinated into me as fact. There simply was no questioning this, it just was. Yet as a women who so desperately desired to fit in, to conform to societal standards perfectly, I tried to accept the reality presented before me, but to no avail my effort was fleeting. My personality is not quiet, nor is it able to assimilate to rules without understanding the why. My curiosity overrides my desire conform. Thus I do not usually fit in. According to the patriarchy, I stand out, I cause trouble, and I am threat to their perfect way of life.

3. Navigating Broken Systems:

    When I first sought treatment, (There were many attempts, some forced and others voluntary) I was met with an array of challenges. The healthcare system seemed ill-equipped to understand the unique struggles of someone with mental health, and they are even more ill-equipped to understand the struggles of those with eating disorders, let alone the struggles a BIPOC woman faces. 

    My pain was often oversimplified, lost in translation. It wasn't just the illness; it was the battle to be seen, heard, and understood. Sadly, that did not happen through many treatment attempts at different levels of care, different facilities, different staff, it all blended into the same story playing over and over again. As someone who had the benefit of insurance and the internet to ask questions in amazing communities for support for navigating insurance and treatment coverage, I am ever so grateful that I had the privilege to seek out care that so many people will never see unless the system is reformed. Regardless of how terrible and in need of improvement treatment needs, I still gained access to some of the only resources in the world for eating disorder treatment. And for this I am forever grateful. And I am now on a mission. 

4. Bridging the Gap: My Mission

    This long and treacherous journey inspired me to become a beacon of hope for BIPOC teens and young adults struggling with eating disorders. As an ED Recovery Coach, advocate, and therapist in training, I combine my personal insights and professional training to offer a safe/brave space for my clients, especially when the system fails them. My goal is to create curriculum that everyone has access to, to create programs that can be conducted at home by parents, partners, and loved ones. 

    Recovery starts in a building- a hospital, residential center, or even a therapist's' office, but it happens in everyday life, in real time, and in the lives of everyone regardless of color, gender, race, social status, income bracket, or any other metric in which we as humans measure each other. Eating disorders do not discriminate. They impact everyone and everybody. 

5. Eating Disorders: More Than Just Food:

    Through lots of therapy, I've realized that eating disorders aren't just about food. For many teens, it’s a manifestation of battling identity, societal norms, and feeling out of place. As parents, educators, and society, understanding this deeper struggle is paramount. Yet we seem to only care about the medical stabilization and vanity metrics such as appropriate weight ranges (in both directions). Only when we treat eating disorders from a whole body, mind, and emotional stance will we establish SOP's for effective and lasting treatment for eating disorders.  

6. Active Advocacy:

We need more voices to shed light on the systemic inequities and advocate for tailored, culturally sensitive treatment. It starts with us. It starts with the basics; education, conversations, and a commitment to inclusivity. 

    Simply committing to making our small social circles more inclusive and remaining open to hearing to alternative narratives, being open to hard conversations that cause vulnerability, holding space for understanding how someone may have a different perspective surrounding privilige, and accepting that we may not have all the right answers AND that's okay so long as we are open to learning alongside each other. All of these small but monumental actions and commitments can evoke cultural change that we so desperately need in society. 

TLDR;

    Eating disorders, identity, and systemic inequities are intertwined. My journey, from grappling with my own eating disorder to helping teens find their path, underscores the pressing need for reform. And while research like "Eating Disorders as Social Justice Issues" is enlightening, it's OUR collective responsibility to turn this knowledge into action.

Keywords: 

BIPOC, eating disorders, societal norms, Western beauty ideal, healthcare inequity, cultural sensitivity, advocacy.

Resources:

1. ResearchGate Article & Study
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