Myth: "You're just doing it for attention. People 100 years ago didn't worry about this stuff."
Fact: People with eating disorders tend to be very secretive about their habits; the last thing they want is for someone to notice and take it away from them. While it is true that peoples' priorities have changed, eating disorders have existed for centuries. Today's society does place an obscene amount of importance on body image, but an eating disorder is on a whole other level, and isn't realy about weight at all.

Myth: "You just need to go to the hospital-they'll fatten you up, and you'll be just fine."
Fact: Most eating disorder programs take an authoritarian approach, which, although it may see to work temporarily, often only teaches the individual to be even more sneaky. Since food is not the real issue, forced feeding is often futile, as the anorexic eats, but with every intention of losing the weight as soon as they go home. Hospitalization may be a necessary evil in cases where an individual's life is at stake, but unless they really want to get better, the effects will only be temporary.

Myth: if you just think positively, you won't be depressed!
Fact: you can't get yourself out of depression. it's a chemical thing. yes, changing your thought patterns helps, but it's not all about the pollyanna mindset.

Myth: treatment makes you get fat.
Fact: treatment makes you whole and happy again.

Myth:"You just need to eat"
Fact: yeah, it's that fucking simple - i wish. thruth behind ED's is that it's about control. NOT FOOD. food ends up beinging the one thing a person w/ an ED feels they can control in their life and because it's the ONLY thing, it becomes the entire focus of all their attention, energy, and emotion. it's easier to focus on one thing that's easy (relatively speaking) to control, compared to many things which are completely out of our control.

Myth: "It's all in your head"
Fact: no. plain and simple. no it's not. this is a *real* problem that is masking OTHER *real* problems. this is not something that will simply go away if you will it to.

Myth: "If your not emaciated, you're not sick enough"
Fact: BULLSHIT. you are sick the instant you regularly engage in this type of thinking, habits, etc. this is not the actions/thoughts/feelings or a person who is totally healthy. something is wrong when someonw chooses to take this path, whatever their weight may be. the DSM guidelines to the criteria for diagnosing an ED are quite archaic and bullshit entirely. they badly need to be updated and compleatly overhauled. DO NOT LET A DOC THAT READS STRICTLY FROM THE DSM TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT SICK. if they do, slap them in the eye w/ a dead fish and waggle your in their face because that's what kind of insane treatment an insane statement as that deserves - ESPECIALLY from a medical professional.

Myth: Only females have eating disorders.
Fact: Although the majority of people with an eating disorder are female, the numbers of males are increasing significantly.

Myth: Only good little rich girls become anorexic.
Fact: Although anorexia appears more pronounced in times of plenty, culture is currently preoccupied with thinness and many young women, regardless of their background and status, have bought into this obsession.

Myth: Bulimia is a good way to lose weight - to have your cake and eat it too. Fact: Bulimia is a poor weight reduction method. First, it doesn't work (as was concluded in a London study of 500 bulimics where a weight gain of 7-10 pounds occurred for each) and secondly, it is very dangerous and creates an altered biochemical state predisposing one to numerous physiological and psychological problems.

Myth: Bulimia is only true of those who consume huge amounts of calories (1,000-30,000) in one sitting and then throw up immediately afterward.
Fact: Bulimia is a word used to describe people whose eating is out of control. A binge may be as small as several cookies or as large as three bags of groceries. People who are bulimic think about food, feel guilty about it, binge, then think about how to get rid of the food/weight -- any number of methods are used ... purging through vomiting or the use of laxatives and/or diuretics, exercise, sleeping it off, and/or fasting for the next several hours or days.

Myth: Compulsive overeating is not as serious a problem as anorexia or bulimia. (In fact, most obese people are jolly.)
Fact: Those who are compulsive overeaters have an equally difficult struggle with their life and suffer from numerous physical problems and emotional strain. Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and depression are only a few of the potential consequences of compulsive overeating.

Myth: If you have an eating disorder you will always have an eating disorder -- it will be a lifetime struggle and process of recovery.
Fact: Although many persons who seek treatment for their eating disorder still think about food and losing weight, these same persons can achieve a new perspective on life which allows them to live life fully -- without being obsessed and driven by their thoughts and feelings.

Myth: There is a deep underlying pathology that must be uncovered before getting well. (You need to know why you have an eating disorder.)
Fact: Knowing why you have an eating disorder and getting into the details of your problem won't bring about resolution. Resolution comes through rediscovering contentment, your own innate wisdom and your capability for making healthy positive choices.

Myth: You are helpless, inadequate and powerless over your life and your eating disorder.
Fact: Although someone with an eating disorder "feels" helpless, dependent and powerless, no one is. We all have what we need to feel OK, adequate and whole. Dwelling on our "helpless thoughts seriously limits our potential to experience our unlimited capabilities.

Myth: Being thin will mean being happy.
Fact: Being happy is within you. It is a state of mind you create that is not dependent on anything else. You can be happy regardless of your weight or circumstances.

Myth: "It's Barbie's fault! Every little girl wants to look like her!"
Fact: I think people target this doll because she pretty much embodies the messages we give to little girls about beauty. However, I played with Barbies, but I was well aware that she was a doll, and I never wanted to be 11 1/2" tall, with shoes that always fell off, and a boyfriend with plastic underwear (in fact, I have never met anyone whose eating disorder was caused by a doll). The idea behind this myth is that our culture values thinness, therefore people have eating disorders. I do blame society for most people's, especially women's, unhappiness with their bodies, but there is a difference between losing weight to fit this ideal and losing weight to the point of emaciation. Children are more likely to be influence by the way their family and peers react to weight issues. This includes boys as well as girls, older people as well as younger.

Myth: "You don't have an eating disorder unless you're really skinny."
Fact: This is one of the most harmful assumptions about e.d.'s because it might prevent "normal-looking" people who may nevertheless be very unhealthy from seeking help. Although losing 25% of your body weight is a symptom of anorexia, it is only one symptom. Starvation alone does not make one anorexic; the real disorder is in the mind, and the thinking patterns can continue even if the individual is well-nourished.

Myth: "The best little girl in the world"
Fact: Oh, this is one of my favorite stereotypes to rip apart-just ask my Mom! Seriously, though, while I do have standards for myself, I don't think they're unreasonable. You might be thinking of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which many people with e.d.'s also have. In fact, the symptoms of my eating disorder are the only things I have been unreasonably and irrationally inflexible about. Granted, people with e.d.'s often feel guilty for problems that aren't theirs, and often put others' needs before their own because it is their nature to be what is considered oversensitive. However, I am not "perfect" by any means; I can be a total snot when I want to, so I don't want to mislead you into thinking that I'm some delicate little doll.

Myth: "It's the parents' fault, especially the mother."
Fact: I wish professionals would think of the unnecessary pain they've cause my mother and the parents of other people with e.d.'s. True, parents are a major influence on their childrens' eating habits and attitudes towards weight. Statistics show that most mothers who hate their bodies will have daughters who do the same (I've heard of mothers teaching their daughters how to throw up-in this supposedly "enlightened" age!). Although some people may try to lose weight for external reasons, a person with an eating disorder is driven my something inside themselves, not by the media, their parents, or their friends.

Myth: "Fat people just need to get off their lazy butts and get some willpower. All they need to do is eat less and exercise more."
Fact: There is almost nothing that makes me angrier than hearing things like this. There are different reasons why people become overweight, and some may be able to lose the weight with no problem. No matter what the reason, though, why is it anyone else's business? It does take some initiative on the part of the individual, but stopping the unhealthy habits should be the goal, not weight loss. This is every bit as harmful as telling an anorexic to "Just eat."

Myth: "I wish I could be anorexic for a month, just so I could lose a few pounds."
Fact: I wish I could have been anorexic for just a month, too! The fact is, an eating disorder is not something you can just turn off and on at will when it's convenient for you. An eating disorder is not a conscious decision. If you feel that you want to be anorexic, think about why you "need" to lose weight so badly.

Myth: "You're just doing it for attention. People 100 years ago didn't worry about this stuff."
Fact: People with eating disorders tend to be very secretive about their habits; the last thing they want is for someone to notice and take it away from them. While it is true that peoples' priorities have changed, eating disorders have existed for centuries. Today's society does place an obscene amount of importance on body image, but an eating disorder is on a whole other level, and isn't realy about weight at all.

Myth: "You just need to go to the hospital-they'll fatten you up, and you'll be just fine."
Fact: Most eating disorder programs take an authoritarian approach, which, although it may see to work temporarily, often only teaches the individual to be even more sneaky. Since food is not the real issue, forced feeding is often futile, as the anorexic eats, but with every intention of losing the weight as soon as they go home. Hospitalization may be a necessary evil in cases where an individual's life is at stake, but unless they really want to get better, the effects will only be temporary.

Myth: "Vegetarianism is a sign of an eating disorder."
Fact: Ah, another touchy one for me! Most inpatient programs believe this muth, but really, forcing someone to go against their belief system is cruel and counterproductive. I think many people with eating disorders give up flesh-eating because we are generally more sensitive, and are repulsed by the thought of eating dead animals. Malnutrition is caused by a lack of food in general, not by a lack of meat. In fact, a balanced vegetarian diet is far more healthy than one with flesh. Vegetarianism is about respect for life, and eating disorders are the complete opposite.

Myth: "Anorexia affects mainly white, upper-middle class teenage girls."
Fact: It would be nice if I were "upper-class," but the fact that I am a white teenage girl has nothing to do with my eating disorder. It is somewhat true statistically, but this may have more to do with facing too many choices and expectations at a young age. Also, statistics only count sufferers who seek treatment. Many people do not because they cannot afford to, or because their culture sees it as something to be ashamed of. I have met people of every race, age, and economic background, male and female. The one thing we all have in common is the self-loathing that drives us to the eating disordered behaviors.

Myth: "Eating disorders are caused by traumas such as abuse, divorce, or death of a loved one."
Fact: Victims of abuse do often resort to self-destructive behaviors to deal with their pain. However, not every person with an eating disorder has been abused, and vice-versa. Again, while dealing with the abuse is necessary, an eating disorder develops from the individual's interpretation of the event. Ironically, some victims may not even feel traumatized, since they feel that they deserved to be abused. There is some truth to this, but it doesn't apply to everyone.

Myth: "Eating disorders can never be cured, only managed."
Fact: Believe it or not, I hear this most often from so-called "professionals," and it saddens me. A hospital staff member actually had the nerve to tell the mother of a friend of mine that her daughter was "going to be one of the 30% that spends their life in and out of hospitals." I think this may be the professionals' way of saying that they simply don't know what to do anymore, and instead of admitting that, they put the blame on the patient. Their frustration is completely understandable, and it would be much better if they referred the patient to another doctor rather than giving the message of hopelessness.

Myth: Only teenage girls suffer from eating disorders.
Fact: Many eating disorders do begin in the teenage years, but children, men, older women and just about anyone can fall victim to this terrible disorder.

Myth: You can never fully recover from an eating disorder.
Fact: Recovery takes a long time, but with hard work and the proper treatment, you can fully recover from your eating disorder.

Myth: Eating disorders are solely a problem with food.
Fact: With all eating disorders, weight is the focus of life. By focusing on food, weight and calories, a person is able to block out or numb painful feelings and emotions. Some use food as a way to comfort themselves. Eating disorders are NOT a problem with food. They are in fact only a symptom of underlying problems.

Myth: Bulimics always purge by vomiting.
Fact: Not all bulimics try to rid themselves of the calories they have consumed by vomiting. Purging can take the form of laxatives, diuretics, exercising, or fasting.

Myth: You can always tell someone is anorexic by their appearance.
Fact: Not all anorexics look like the extreme cases shown on talk shows, etc. Some anorexics may be anywhere from 5 to 15 lbs. underweight. They look thin, but they do not have what society considers to be the "anorexic" look. Just because someone does not look emaciated, does not mean they are not anorexic or that their health is not in danger.

Myth: Anorexics do not eat candy, chocolate, etc.
Fact: Many anorexics do avoid such foods, but some do eat them on a regular basis. If an anorexic decides to only allow him/herself 300 calories a day, they may very well choose to eat a chocolate bar, candy, etc.

Myth: Anorexics do not binge or purge
Fact: Many anorexics will go on occasional binges and purge. Some anorexics can become so fearful of any food or drink that they will purge whatever they put into their system, including water.

Myth: You cannot die from bulimia.
Fact: Bulimics are at a high risk for dying, especially if they are purging, using laxatives and doing excessive exercise. Many bulimics have died from cardiac arrest which is usually caused by low potassium or an electrolyte imbalance. Others have dies from a ruptured esophagus.

Myth: People with eating disorders do this to hurt their family and friends.
Fact: People with eating disorders are doing this to themselves. They are usually very upset when they know the people around them are worried or hurt by their eating disorder.

Myth: Compulsive eating is not an eating disorder.
Fact: It is very much an eating disorder and is just as serious as anorexia and bulimia.

Myth: Compulsive eaters are just lazy people.
Fact: Compulsive eating is a way to cope just like anorexia and bulimia are. A person uses food as a way to comfort or numb themselves, block out feelings and emotions, etc. They are not lazy! They are people in emotional pain trying to cope using the only way they know how. Like anorexia and bulimia, they need proper treatment to overcome it. They do not need to be sent to health spas and diet clinics.

Myth: People cannot have more than one eating disorder.
Fact: Many people have more than one eating disorder. It is very common for someone to suffer with more than one eating disorder. That just proves that the eating behaviors are only the symptoms, not the problem.