CONTENT WARNING: This story contains mentions of disordered eating and body image issues, and may be triggering or disturbing for some.
“If any Gen Z is wondering why every Millennial woman has an eating disorder, it’s because in the 2000s a normal thing to say to a teenage girl was: when you think you feel hungry, you’re actually thirsty so just drink water and you’ll be fine,” tweets Lucy Huber, an American writer, podcaster and aspiring comedian. Her post went viral in 2021, accruing 70,500 likes and replies within a matter of days. A pitch-perfect encapsulation of this particular point in time, Huber’s post captures the fatphobia that ran rampant in the early aughts. Think Britney Spears being shamed for her paunch at her 2007 MTV Video Music Awards performance, or movie plot lines that paint average-sized women such as America Ferrera and Anne Hathaway as ‘chubby’ and ‘unattractive’. Such messaging was pervasive, spawning reactionary measures in the form of disordered eating fads and extreme workout regimes.
For some, these sentiments are impossible to fathom. Body positivity permeated the mainstream consciousness a decade ago, after all, and has endured to our current day and age. Major clothing corporations have rolled out more inclusive size options, while the celebrities of today are outwardly vocal about acceptance and self-love at every size. Amid all this, however, are new entries into the wellness space including metabolism-enhancing powders, appetite-reducing vitamins and detox teas. It brings forth the question: have we truly changed our attitudes with regard to fatness or have we merely revised the way we choose to engage in disordered eating?
Calorie count
“The term disordered eating is more of a behaviour than it is a diagnosis,” explains Charlotte Mei, accredited nutritionist and presenter. “It is one of the results of our messy and complicated relationship with food and could be due to various reasons, from societal pressure to being on the receiving end of body shaming.”
Mei is quick to point out that there is a difference between disordered eating and an eating disorder. While the latter has specific criteria, the former is no less dangerous because of the potential health issues that could arise.
“Disordered eating behaviours include a preoccupation with food as well as one’s weight and body image in a way that negatively impacts an individual’s quality of life,” she clarifies. “There are feelings of guilt and shame around food or having rigid rules around food.”
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It’s safe to say that the conception of newfangled dietary supplements only exacerbates the actions of those who already harbour such a mindset. What’s worse, said products tend to be packaged in a way that exploits the current wellness wave which emphasises self-care. Diet pills are marketed as hunger-quelling vitamins. Laxatives as detox milkshakes. Fat burning tablets as digestive aids.
“The creation of such dietary-focused items plays a part in encouraging disordered eating, but I think it has to do more with the Internet and social media. Access to information has changed the way we do everything, including encouraging different experiments in disordered eating,” muses Sheeba Majmudar, accredited nutritionist and naturopath. “Social media has facilitated the embracing of targeted information.”
Admittedly, it is tough not to be swayed when the likes of Bella Hadid are touting a fistful of vitamins and a single bite of a croissant for breakfast on TikTok, or when Gwyneth Paltrow advocates for a liquid lunch on a podcast. Body positivity can only live up to its full potential when it is built on a stronger foundation that goes beyond lip service; one that is impervious to the latest fads and trends instigated by social media users.
@babybella777 mornings with me before we start making things for you cc @Orebella ☁️🤍🫶🏼🪩 #orebella ♬ ♡ ᶫᵒᵛᵉᵧₒᵤ ♡ – SoBerBoi
Let them eat cake
Rome was not built in a day, and neither will a healthier mentality centring on body acceptance. In the meantime, however, Mei recommends the following ethos to anyone struggling.
“Honour your hunger and fullness. Recognising this helps to repair trust in your body. Challenge the food police, and explore your beliefs and rules. Where do they stem from, how did they get reinforced and are they true?” she asks. “Make peace with food and give yourself unconditional permission to eat something. This removes the intense yo-yo feeling of deprivation that builds into uncontrollable cravings over time, which often results in bingeing. And lastly, discover the satisfaction factor. When one allows oneself to eat what one really wants, in an environment that is inviting, the pleasure one derives will be a powerful force. Contentment will follow.”
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