1. Eating Disorders: CommonMyths

2. There are manymyths surroundingthe subject ofeating disorders, including thetypes of people they affect,the causes and the signs. Hereare some of the mostcommon myths about eatingdisorders: 3. MYTH #1: Eating disorders onlyaffect women.REALITY: 25% of people whosuffer from eating disordersare men. Due to the gender bias ofclinicians, an eating disorder in amale is less likely to be diagnosedasanorexia or bulimia. Also due tostigma and misunderstandingssurrounding eating disorders, males areless likely to admit their problem andseek help. 4. MYTH #2: Menwith eatingdisorders tend to behomosexual.REALITY: Sexual preference has nocorrelation with developing aneating disorder. 5. MYTH #3: Eating disorders are only a problem for people of highsocioeconomic status.REALITY: Eating disorders can affectpeople in all socioeconomicgroups. Because much of the research that hasbeen done on eating disorders only consideredyoung people who were already diagnosed, peoplewho lack the resources or insurance to seek helpwere overlooked. Although difference in income andinsurance coverage have made eating disordersseem like only a "high-class" problem, it has beenshown that eating disorders can affect people fromany socioeconomic group. 6. MYTH #4: Eating disorders are allabout beauty and appearance.REALITY: Eating disorders continue longafter a person has reached his or her"target weight," proving that eatingdisorders cannot be simplified into anissue with appearance.Eating disorders are amental illness usually relatedto emotional issues such ascontrol, low self-esteem and poor body image. 7. MYTH #5: The fashion industry is to blame.REALITY: Although thefashion and modelingindustries may play a role inpromoting eating disorders, theyare not a principle cause. Manypeople are exposed to the media ideal of "thin"everyday, but not everyone develops an eatingdisorder. More important factors that influence thedevelopment of an eating disorder includegenetics and personality traits. 8. MYTH #6:Disordered eatingis uncommon.REALITY: The criteria doctors use to diagnoseeating disorders are very strict, making theincidence of anorexia and bulimia very low (onlyabout 0.5 percent of the population haveanorexia, and 1 percent to 2 percent have bulimia).However, anorexia-like and bulimia-likehabits are very common. Just because it isnot diagnosed as an eating disorder, similar eatinghabits and emotional problems should not bedismissed. 9. MYTH #7: Bulimics onlypurge by vomiting.REALITY: A person does not haveto make themselves vomit in order tohave bulimia. Although vomiting is a common way topurge after binge-eating, people with bulimia may alsoexercise compulsively and/or use laxatives. Therefore,vomiting is not what characterizesbulimia; its core element is the cycleof binge-eating followed by purgingin any form. 10. MYTH #8: Eating disorders are not deadly.REALITY: Fortunately, most people suffering froman eating disorder recover with proper treatmentincluding an extensive team of experts. However, ifleft untreated eating disorders canbe deadly. In five to 10 percent of cases ofthose with the disorder, anorexia causes deatheither from suicide, heart problems or othercomplications of the disorder. 11. SourcesNational Eating Disorder AssociationCommon Myths About Eating Disordershttp://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/information-resources/educator-toolkit.php"Eating Disorders: TheTruth" http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2506959n"Thin Ice: The Internet and Eating Disorders"http://www.teenvogue.com/beauty/blogs/beauty/2009/08/thin-ice-the-internet-and-eating-4. disorders.html#ixzz1t3azHpz2"Eating Disorders inMen" http://menshealth.about.com/od/conditions/a/eating_disorder.htmCBS News9 Deadly Myths About Eating Disordershttp://www.cbsnews.com/2300-204_162-10005824.html?tag=page