Eating disorders are seldom what outsiders presume them to be. So before we delve into some of the heavier material, let’s take a moment to dispel some common myths and misunderstandings that people have about eating disorders.

Myth: It’s all about controlling weight and looking good

Fact: While concerns about weight can instigate the disorder and certainly play a role, for many if not most people with a serious eating disorder, psychological components are more important than weight issues. It’s not so much about the weight itself, it’s about the sense of empowerment or related feelings of euphoria that children derive from starving themselves.

Myth: When anorexics look in the mirror, they see themselves as fat even when they are clearly not

Fact: This isn’t always the case. While some individuals may be completely detached from any sort of objective reality, most look into the mirror and see ribs jutting out covered by a thin coating of skin. But there is always some tiny aspect of their body that needs to be pared away. Chunky wrists, inner thighs that seem a little too thick, a belly that protrudes out just a little too far (which, of course, may be caused by the starvation itself). Just as excess weight seems to go to all the places you don’t want it, an anorexic or bulimic sees their body as always out of proportion.

Myth: People with eating disorders don’t care about food

Fact: Actually, it’s precisely the opposite: food is actually the whole point of it all. Hunger can become an addictive high, and food the obsession to be ritualized; the drug that consumes their every thought.

Myth: Every person with an eating disorder looks like they’re starving

Fact: Those struggling with bulimia typically have body weights that are indistinguishable from those without the disorder. This is because induced vomiting is actually a relatively poor way to lose weight – by the time purging occurs, the body has absorbed 50-75% of the calories. (Arkowitz & Lilienfeld, 2015) Bulimia is also commonly tied to binges. This doesn’t stop the condition from being dangerous, however. The binge and purge sessions can create dangerous imbalances in the body.

Myth: Only white girls get eating disorders

Truth: Some studies have suggested that white girls are more likely to suffer from eating disorders than blacks or other minorities, but this is mostly explained by socioeconomic factors, in that eating disorders are closely related to high-pressure, high-achieving perfectionist environments. Others believe eating disorders are just as common among minorities, but that these groups are less likely to seek treatment for it.