The Santa Rosa Press Democrat ran an article on Sunday about a high school athlete with anorexia. Sarah Sumpter, a gifted runner, has decided to go public with her affliction as a way to help others. It is an especially brave move considering that most people with anorexia are obsessed with perfection and being in control. I admire both her determination to regain her health and to help others avoid getting stuck in an eating disorder.
Anorexia (not eating enough for calorie needs, characterized by low body weight) and bulimia (recurrent binge eating followed by vomiting, laxatives, enemas or diuretics) are the more extreme forms of disordered eating. Young athletes – both male and female – are particularly at risk. Some sports such as running, biking and dance emphasize lean body types. However it is not just a risk for the young or for athletes: women of any age can be at risk for developing eating disorders.
There is a whole range of eating behaviors that are not as extreme as anorexia or bulimia, but still cause pain to the affected individual. Binge eating, obsessing about food, excessive exercise and distorted and/or poor body image are really common. These don’t have the serious health implications of anorexia or bulimia, but they do impact quality of life and overall health. Individuals can feel helpless and like they have no choice: getting support can make all the difference.
There is a book on this topic that I especially like: Eating by the Light of the Moon, by Anita Johnston. The book is written for women with eating disorders and uses stories to illustrate the internal journey that women must make within to find their own wisdom and their own voice. She offers many metaphors, which I have found useful in my coaching. One of my favorites is of the labyrinth.
A labyrinth (unlike a maze which has choices and dead ends) has a single path that winds back and forth towards the center. If you just keep taking the next step, you are moving towards the center. It is the nature of the path that sometimes you are close to the center and sometimes you are back out towards the outer edge – this is normal. And it is normal in the work of changing beliefs and perspectives about our bodies and our way of eating. Sometimes we zoom towards the center and feel like we nearly have it – just to see it slip away as we wind back out again. We are not really losing ground, this is just part of the journey and when we stay with it we will gain our center.
If you feel out-of-control with your relationship to eating or your body, or conversely if you feel like you are too controlled, find someone who can support you. And check out the book – it is really good!
If you enjoyed this, visit my website to register for my free monthly newsletter, the Wellness News at www.healthyhabitscoach.com. Also – there are many forms of support, including me!
