Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Eating and Body Image Issues?
What Causes Eating and Body Image Issues?
Is it Possible to Recover From an Eating Issue?
What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?
What is a Healthy Weight?
Is it ok to Comment on People’s Weight?
How do I Control my Child’s Food Intake?
My Child is Being Bullied About Their Weight/Body/Appearance - What Can I do?

1) What Are Eating and Body Image Issues?

EDEN uses the term eating difficulties to refer to a wide continuum of women's (and men's) experience. It can include a preoccupation with food, yo-yo dieting, body image dissatisfaction, self induced starvation and vomiting, laxative abuse, eating past fullness, steroid abuse, and excessive exercising (among others). Included in this continuum are the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia. We believe it is useful to view these disorders as an extreme reflection of the anxiety which food and body size holds for many women, and increasingly men, in westernised societies.

2) What Causes Eating and Body Image Issues?

A pervasive feature of westernised societies is the ideal of extreme thinness for women and toned muscularity for men. The pressure to achieve these ideals can cause people to focus on their body size and shape as a source of identity and self esteem. This engages many in a struggle with food, unhealthy weight management practices, a distorted body image, fears about their health and depression. A history of dieting or restricted eating is a common factor in the development of eating difficulties, and has become an accepted part of 'normal' behaviour. However there is no single factor responsible for a person developing an eating difficulty and indeed there is much debate about their origins and nature. However, we do know that dieting often precipitates the development of eating issues along with other factors such as: social pressure to be thin, low self esteem, unrealistically high expectations of self, stress, major life changes and experiences of abuse. Eating difficulties can feel like a solution and means of coping with emotional issues, stress and anxiety.

3) Is it Possible to Recover From an Eating Issue?

Yes. Working through the issues that underlie eating difficulties can lead to acceptance and celebration of ourselves and a nourishing relationship with food. It is important to remember that recovering from an eating issue is not just a return to normal weight and is not necessarily a linear or straightforward process. Just as eating issues develop for a whole range of reasons, pathways to healing and wellbeing are similarly diverse. It is critical to find support that feels right for you (see seeking help).

4) What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

BMI is just a number. It is not an indication of health. Rather, it is a crude calculation of an individual’s weight to height ratio that does not take into account important factors such as age, gendered fat distribution, ethnicity, socio-economic status, dieting history, access to medical care, experiences of discrimination, genetics, smoking history, disease status, and fitness level. BMI figures are used to label underweight, overweight and obesity and to reinforce ideas and prescriptions about dieting and weight management (which overlap with existing negative Western cultural values about fat) (for a more in depth discussion of this see the booklist).

5) What is a Healthy Weight?

‘Healthy weight’ is not a very useful term because health is not determined by weight. Health is a holistic concept determined by numerous factors including mental, emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing. In terms of the latter, eating a wide variety of foods and living actively contribute to good health but are not its sole determinants. EDEN considers a healthy weight to be the weight that a person naturally settles at when they are eating a range of nutritious and delicious foods and exercising in enjoyable and sustainable ways (without focussing on weight control). It is also really important to find ways to appreciate and accept our bodies and the natural diversity of body sizes in general. If you live in this way, you may or may not achieve an ‘ideal’ weight but you will be at the weight that is right for you and you will most definitely improve your health and feel better about yourself.

6) Is it ok to Comment on People’s Weight?

Commenting about weight and size and evaluating others’ appearance is inappropriate in any context. Conversations that focus on appearance (our own, others, or those in the media) leave an impression on the people around us. Even comments that we assume to be complimentary reinforce and reproduce restrictive body ideals and can produce self-consciousness (e.g., “you look great, have you lost weight?”, “that outfit is really slimming on you”, “you look better, have you gained a few pounds?”).

7) How do I Control my Child’s Food Intake?

This issue can cause a lot of anxiety for parents. Children from a young age need to be trusted not controlled or forced around eating. If children are not over-managed they will eat instinctively in a way that is right for them using their internal cues of hunger, appetite and sense of fullness. EDEN believes that fostering the development of this body trust in children from birth is optimal. However, in the current climate of fear and restriction around food, developing our own body trust can be challenging enough, and trusting our children seems impossible. The basis or first step of developing body trust with children involves parents being responsible for presenting a range of wholesome, appealing foods at predictable times and leaving children to decide what and how much they want to eat. (see booklist for Ellyn Satter) It can be helpful to remember that children (and adults) meet their nutritional needs (i.e. cover all the food groups) over a number of days rather than needing to eat a ‘balanced’ meal, every meal.

8) My Child is Being Bullied About Their Weight/Body/Appearance - What Can I do?

It is important to take bullying and weight teasing seriously. These can contribute to problems with self esteem and body satisfaction and has been shown to lead to dieting and disturbed eating patterns. Report teasing and encourage your child’s school (or club) to develop policies around weight harassment. Let your child know that bullying is not acceptable and is not an indicator of some individual failing on their behalf. Do not advocate dieting as a solution. Link respect for size diversity with respect for diversity in ethnicity, intelligence, sexuality, religion etc. Provide opportunities for your child to talk about their experiences with you or another trusted adult.