Eating Disorder Facts & Myths

Separating eating disorder myths from facts

One of my favorite topics in the world of eating disorder recovery is addressing the myths that surround eating disorders. I write and talk about my experiences with eating disorders often, so I frequently hear interesting questions and harmful comments that reflect real misunderstandings on this topic.

Nearly 1 in 10 people in the U.S. will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. 

Despite how common they are, many eating disorder myths remain. Myths like the ones listed below can be harmful — and lead some people to avoid reaching out for help. 

Help us break the stigma, protect and advocate for those with eating disorders by sharing the facts about eating disorders.

Fact: Eating disorders are very serious, and even deadly, illnesses.

Myth: Eating disorders aren’t serious illnesses.

Eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder (BED) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) are very serious mental illnesses. 

Each eating disorder has clear diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the go-to diagnostic reference for mental healthcare professionals. These diagnostic criteria aren’t based off someone’s opinion. The criteria are based on sound research. 

But how serious are eating disorders? They are so serious that they can be deadly. 

Anorexia facts

• Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder with the exception of opioid overdose. 
• Women ages 15 to 24 with anorexia nervosa are 12 times more likely to die from the illness than any other cause of death ^[1].

Fact: Eating disorders are not just about food.

Myth: Eating disorders are just about food.

While eating disorders often involve a fixation with food, calories, weight or shape, these illnesses are rooted in biological, psychological and sociocultural causes. 

Common eating disorder behaviors like ...

• Restricting food
• Binge eating
• Purging
• Over-exercising

... usually start as an attempt to control something of substance in the individual’s life – not just food. 

But, because friends and family mistakenly believe the myth that eating disorders are just about food, they will often encourage their loved ones to “just eat more,” “just eat less,” or “just eat healthier” to be “cured” of this illness. 

In reality, eating disorders often require some combination of medical, psychiatric, therapeutic and dietary intervention to achieve full recovery. In other words, they can be very difficult to treat.

Fact: Eating disorders affect people of all genders.

Myth: Eating disorders are a female illness.

While research shows that eating disorders affect significantly more women than men, these illnesses occur in people of all genders. 

While males used to represent about 10 percent of individuals with eating disorders, a recent Harvard study found that closer to 25 percent of individuals presenting for eating disorder treatment are male. 

The widespread myth that eating disorders only affect women and girls can prevent accurately diagnosing of eating disorders in males, even by healthcare experts. 

Read more about anorexia in men and boys here.

Fact: People can have an eating disorder at any age.

Myth: Eating disorders don’t develop until the teenage years.

Consider this—up to 60 percent of girls between the ages of 6 and 12 are concerned about their weight or about becoming too fat; this concern endures through life^[2]. 

Not surprisingly, the incidence of eating disorders in children is on the rise. Between 1999 and 2006, hospitalizations for eating disorders in children 12 and younger rose 119 percent, according to a 2010 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Because most eating disorders (approximately 95 percent) surface between the ages of 12 and 25, parents are often a first line of defense against the development of these illnesses in their children [3]. 

However, eating disorders can show up and affect a person at any time in their life, even in their 60s, 70s or 80s.

Learn more about anorexia in teens here.

Fact: People of any weight or body type can have an eating disorder.

Myth: Only very thin people have an eating disorder.

Eating disorders affect people of all sizes, shapes and weights. The myth that an eating disorder can only occur if someone is very thin contributes to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis in many cases, even among patients seeking support from professionals. 

Unfortunately, many healthcare experts lack eating disorder exposure and training, which highlights the important role of eating disorder specialists to ensure effective diagnosis and early intervention. 

Misconceptions about eating disorders and body weight

I have a personal story to share about this myth: a few years ago, I was at JFK Airport, writing a blog on eating disorders at a makeshift cafe in Terminal C. A man sitting next to me pointed at my screen and said, “heavy stuff.” I looked at him, surprised that he’d make a comment about what I was working on in the first place, but I decided to respond. 

As we began to chat, he asked why I wrote about eating disorders. I mentioned that I’d had one and gotten help and delivered my usual spiel about recovery and all that I do. He paused, taking it in, and said, “But why? You look [insert comment on my body].” 

It was a triggering comment for anyone, and it happens often. I've found that most people hold a particular stereotype about eating disorders, which is that the only reason a person would have one is to achieve a certain body frame. 

While I told him that he was not wrong per se, I did want what I thought was a socially acceptable body, I took a few minutes to explain that the motives behind an eating disorder and the cycle itself often evolve into other fillers and coping habits. 

I also told him that it stops being about weight at some point and becomes more just a way of life: an alteration in the brain or a coping skill for daily living. 

I think more people should know this, so that we cut out the narrative that it’s only about trying to be or stay thin. This myth goes along with another common myth which is, “You can tell if someone has an eating disorder by looking at them.” 

See how anorexia affects people of all body shapes and sizes.

Fact: The media doesn’t cause eating disorders.

Myth: Eating disorders are caused by the media.

We know this myth isn’t true because many people are exposed to the media on a daily basis but only a small percentage of them actually develop eating disorders. 

That said, the media can certainly impact how a person feels about their looks and promote a great deal of pressure to look a certain way, but the media does not cause eating disorders. 

As stated above, people with eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. The media and other public discussions about eating disorders often focus on people with eating disorders that appear underweight. But individuals with eating disorders can be of any weight, and they can also fluctuate in weight.

Fact: Families don't cause eating disorders.

Myth: Parents cause a child’s eating disorder.

Historically, parents, especially mothers, have been blamed for a child’s mental health problems, including eating disorders. However, parents do not cause eating disorders. 

Eating disorders are complex disorders and only one of the risk factors even relates to genetics. It’s true that if someone in your family has an eating disorder, you may be more at risk of having an eating disorder, too. But that doesn’t mean that parents directly cause the eating disorder. 

Thankfully, the research shows that parents and caregivers can play an important role in helping a loved one with an eating disorder recover.

See how caregivers can support a loved one with an eating disorder here.

Fact: You CAN recover from an eating disorder.

Myth: Recovery from eating disorders is rare.

Due to the complexity of eating disorders, recovery can take months or years, but with treatment, many people do recover. So, yes, recovery is absolutely possible AND yet it doesn’t mean that you won’t ever struggle anymore. 

Eating Recovery Center recovery advocate Eric Dorsa said it well, 

“Recovery is not a destination to the land of never struggling again.” 

Personally, I had a naive view of recovery when I started treatment in 2013. I thought that, after a couple months of treatment, I’d be eating disorder-free. So, when urges and habits came up, the incessant need to count calories still a monkey on my back, I really struggled with whether the treatment had worked at all. 

Eric related to me, sharing, 

“So often in my recovery I felt ashamed or that I must be doing something wrong because I was still having body image struggles and eating disorder thoughts. Life is life, and life is hard. Struggle and recovery are not opposites. I am still in recovery if I am struggling and still deserving of help and a community where I can openly share my struggles. For me, recovery is about accepting myself as whole and worthy, especially in the depths of struggle.” 

I couldn’t have said it better.

Find 50+ tips to help you get through eating disorder recovery here.

Fact: Eating disorders are complex and can have numerous causes.

Myth: Eating disorders are rooted in vanity.

This is my personal favorite “cringe” myth. While to some degree I understand how the vanity narrative became associated with eating disorders, I feel it’s such a shallow commentary on why an eating disorder develops and it simplifies what becomes a complicated sickness to recover from. 

By assuming that an eating disorder is rooted in vanity, we negate the physical consequences of the eating disorder and what happens to the brain while actively living in the cycle of an eating disorder.

Fact: People with gender dysphoria can have body image and eating disorder issues.

Myth: Gender dysphoria and eating disorders are not linked.

This is a dangerous myth that often leads to further trauma and marginalization for trans and nonbinary people. There have been many studies that support the link between the use of eating disorder behaviors as a way for individuals to cope with gender dysphoria. 

Often a lack of understanding in providers about gender identity and eating disorders keeps trans and nonbinary individuals from receiving appropriate and affirming care. 

It is important to treat gender dysphoria and the eating disorder at the same time. Frequently, only the eating disorder is addressed and individuals with gender dysphoria are left to experience greater dysphoria.

Read more about eating disorders in trans individuals here.

Fact: People of all shapes and sizes can struggle with binge eating.

Myth: All people with binge eating disorder are overweight.

Many people are surprised that binge eating behaviors can be present in people of all body sizes. BED does not necessarily equate immediately to being in a larger body, but it is usually portrayed that way in the media and on television.

Kara Richardson Whitely, a Say It Brave member and BED recovery advocate, wants to clarify another myth: that binge eating is an excuse for not losing weight. As she puts it: 

"To the contrary, BED is a bonafide eating disorder, and recovery is possible. But this is not a conversation about willpower and weight. Recovery includes conversations about boundaries, self-worth, trauma, and more. It's about breaking out of the shame cycles of binge eating, finding healing and community, and rekindling the things that bring you joy.” 

BED is more prevalent than anorexia and bulimia combined yet it’s an eating disorder that most people choose not to talk openly about. 

For me, I lived in what I refer to as the cycle of an eating disorder, so BED was part of my disorder, but it wasn’t my main urge. It was simply a behavior that I interchanged with others. However, for some people, BED is their main eating disorder and it’s much more common than people realize. 

Please know that if you're struggling with BED, you’re not alone.

Read about compulsive overeating and binge eating here.

A note for parents and caregivers

If you are reading this as a parent or caregiver, in addition to educating yourself about basic eating disorder information and understanding myth from fact, please trust your instincts when it comes to eating disorders in your children. 

Eating disorders can thrive in secrecy, but parents often intuitively know if something is wrong. You may feel terrified of saying the wrong thing, but you also don’t want to stay silent. Remember, you can be a champion for your child. If you are concerned, please consult with an eating disorder specialist sooner rather than later—early intervention is critical to lasting eating disorder recovery.

Please share to help break the stigma

In a world still full of stigmas about eating disorders, thankfully the tides are changing. People are becoming more aware that eating disorders are complex mental conditions, but it’s only by having conversations like this -- dispelling myths – that we can undo some of these stereotypes.

Learn more and join Eating Recovery Center's supportive community on Instagram: @eatingrecovery.

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• Eating Disorder Acronyms
• Types of Eating Disorders
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• Eating Disorder Statistics