NBC News reported today that an estimated 8 million Americans suffer from eating disorders, and patients over the age of 35 have increased 42% since 2001. - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/43647591#43647591
EIGHT MILLION AMERICANS... and those are just the cases of reported, diagnosed, clinical eating disorders. Aren't these things supposed to be getting better, not worse?! That doesn't even include the additional millions with low body image and emotional eating habits. These issues can strike at any age, any time, and for many people they represent a lifelong battle.
According to a survey published in the May 2008 issue of SELF magazine, 65% of women ages 25-45 consider themselves to have disordered eating. I'm going to yell again... SIXTY-FIVE FRIGGIN' PERCENT! This is a vastly under-reported, under-addressed problem. It is so unnecessary, and we are passing it down from generation to generation. It makes me sad and incredibly frustrated that so many people are suffering with eating, what should be a joyful part of life.
I ask my clients to start by giving themselves a break and taking stock of all the amazing things their bodies accomplish every day: working, driving, communicating effectively, even breathing. All of these things are accomplished with the help of nutrition... food. It is a partner, not an enemy. So try to start by eating a piece of fresh fruit every day this summer. Small steps go a long way in the long run. Give your body a little bit of what it needs, and over time, it will yearn for more.
In the meantime, let's give ourselves a break and give everybody else a break too. If there is a heavy woman on the beach who you might not expect to see in a bathing suit, instead of judging her, celebrate her for having the confidence to enjoy her life and not give a damn what anybody else thinks.
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