Around 28 million people in the United States are suffering from some form of eating disorder.
Conditions such as Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder seem to be more common than ever. It’s now estimated that by 2030, over 50 million Americans could be suffering from an eating disorder.
The reasons for the rise vary, but it is becoming a major medical issue.
20-year-old anorexia survivor, college student, and co-author of the book “Full: Overcoming our Eating Disorders to Fully Live” Alayna Burke appeared on the Breakfast Club recently to share her thoughts on why these disorders are rising.
“Eating disorders are often paired with another psychological ailment,” she explained. “Mine in this case were anxiety and depression, and THEN I developed the eating disorder. So I think they go hand-in-hand. The things that are causing anxiety and depression to rise, are also causing eating disorders to rise.”
Burke says that she and many others who develop these disorders often have a perfectionist attitude, and it’s very easy for them to fall into the trap of fixating on food as a way to control their own lives.
She says one of the first things you might notice about someone in the beginning stages of an eating disorder is a developing obsession with health and fitness, teamed with isolation from family and friends.
She credits her recovery to a therapist, a nutritionist, and being open about her struggles.
“The more people that I told, the more okay it was,” she told Seehafer News. “When friends would validate my struggles, I had more of a reason to recover because I wanted to be with those supportive friends.”
More information about eating disorders, their causes, symptoms, and help available can be found at www.NationalEatingDisorders.org.
