Fat people have them too! This week, special guest Erin Harrop tells us about one of America's most under-diagnosed and misunderstood problems. Along the way we talk about elbow bumps, Twitter etiquette and '90s sweatpants. Our content warnings are becoming increasingly threatening.Here's Erin's faculty page and a bunch of her research!Support us: Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase shirts, stickers and moreThanks to Mitra Kaboli for production support and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
The hosts discuss the challenges of recording during uncertain times and provide a content warning for their discussion on eating disorders, which includes mentions of specific calorie counts.
The lack of representation of eating disorders in marginalized communities perpetuates the biases and pushes them out of even seeing themselves as having eating disorders. Anecdotally, fat people seeking inpatient treatment for their eating disorders have been met with clinic staff who deny their need for treatment.
Relying solely on weight to determine a person's health can be problematic as it misses the majority of people who have eating disorders but aren't under a certain weight. Additionally, repeated attempts to lose weight can lead to weight gain, which reinforces the cycle of trying to lose weight and is not always an accurate indicator of overall health.
The speaker describes her experience with an eating disorder throughout college, including purging and restricting. She discusses the internal conflict and the impact on her daily life.
The speaker shares her personal experience with anorexia, including her struggle to break away from disordered thinking and seek help from medical professionals.
The societal notion that thin is healthy and fat is unhealthy can be hard for people with eating disorders to accept, and some people's larger body size should not be viewed as a problem as long as they are healthy and happy.
This episode discusses how a white-centric view of eating disorders can harm individuals who do not fit into the stereotypical image of a person with an eating disorder. The episode also highlights the long-term physical consequences of eating disorders and the lack of proper diagnosis and treatment.
Feeding aversion in gay male culture is often driven by fear of choking or aversion to textures, and sometimes stems from pathological body and food issues rather than a drive to be thin.
The transition to old age or a higher level of care can trigger a person's eating disorder and make it a bigger part of their lives for the first time. It's important to have conversations with loved ones and reflect on universal issues rather than assuming it only affects certain demographics.