Disordered eating: A national epidemic?

In a national survey by Self magazine, out of 4,000 women ages 25 to 45, it was revealed that 65 percent of women report disordered eating and 10 percent suffer from eating disorders; in other words, three out of four women “eat, think and behave abnormally around food,” says the article.

Other notably distressing findings include:

- 37 percent skip meals on a regular basis to shed pounds.
- 35 percent take diet pills.
- 26 percents banish certain food groups from their diet.
- 13 percent smoke to lose weight.
- 39 percent are so concerned over their weight and food intake that it hinders their happiness.
- Though 53 percent are at a normal weight, they’re working toward slimming down.
- Women in their 30s and 40s are just as likely to report disordered eating as younger women.
- 27 percent would be “extremely upset” if they gained five pounds.
- 16 percent have lived on 1,000 calories or less per day.

Along with providing these results, the Self article also intertwines the personal heartbreaking stories of women who don’t have an eating disorder diagnosis but whose unhealthy habits interfere with their lives.

I absolutely applaud Self magazine for this study, which was conducted in partnership with Cynthia R. Bulik, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; however, Self isn’t always the model of healthy habits and promoter of positive body image.

As Rachel Richardson, the blogger of the fantastic blog, The F-Word.org, points out, “Every edition touts some kind of diet and weight loss plan, along with some half-naked airbrushed woman on its glossy cover.”

Richardson lists off a selection of Self’s article headlines: “New fixes for stubborn fat!,” “A Diet to Shed Pounds Fast!,” “The 10-Calorie Secret,” “Drop Weight, Look Great and Never Go to the Gym,” “Shortcut to your Best Body,” “A Super Simple Slim-Down!,” “The One-Month Total Body Makeover,” “Peel off the Pounds!,” “Lose Weight Every Day!”

She also emphasizes another Self article that recommends delivering messages in person instead of email so women can shed about a pound per month, “ as well as the same kinds of advice distributed on pro-ana boards, like encouraging women to wear tight jeans on weekends so you don’t overeat and to give away clothes the moment you drop a size to ‘ensure you won’t drift into them again.’”

Though I try not to fall for these sorts of articles, even as someone with years of experience studying eating disorders, I still find myself at times seduced by the desire for thinness and quick-fixes and feeling down if I don’t look my best.

What do you think of this study’s findings? Does Self possibly contribute to the very things their own study reveals?