An Introduction to Eating Disorders

Hi all!  My name is Tabitha, and I am one of the therapists at Marvelous Minds.  If you haven’t met me yet, please feel free to check out my bio.  I specialize in teens and adults struggling with challenges around eating, body image, and self-esteem.  As a professional, I believe that education is power. Join me on this social media journey as I share information on the topic of eating disorders and body image. My goal here is to empower and assist others on the road to becoming their best selves.

Eating disorders.  They are the mental illness with the highest mortality rate.  Nearly one-person dies every 60-62 minutes as the direct result of an eating disorder and more than 30 million people in the U.S. are affected by one.  The unfortunate piece is that they are the disorders that receive the least attention due to stigmas around the body and “healthy” eating habits.

Our culture works in a way where the thinner women are, the prettier they are perceived.   By 6th grade, self-esteem within adolescent girls decreases by nearly half compared to boys of the same age. Men are not immune to this disorder; more than 25% of those that suffer from anorexia and bulimia and approximately 40% suffering from binge eating disorder are male. Societal “norms” are slowly pushing children to develop attitudes and beliefs aligned with eating disorders. In the last decade, the number of children admitted to higher levels of care (i.e. inpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs) for eating disorders under the age of 12 rose 119%.  

I will be doing a 8-week social media segment outlining common signs of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.  I will include additional topics that are related to and associated with the development of eating disorders. My goal is to promote awareness and prevent adolescents from thinking they are “less than” because of their physical appearance.  Stay tuned, and follow these entries more in-depth on our website www.marvelousminds.net 

-Tabitha