Combating Food Focus, Maintaining Eating Disorder Recovery

Food is getting more attention than ever during the coronavirus response.

With some shoppers clearing shelves to stockpile groceries, trying to support local businesses through takeout meals and the possibility of gaining the ‘quarantine 15,’ experts say this can be an especially triggering time for people who are living with an eating disorder or are in the process of recovering.

For this week’s #WellnessWednesday episode, MPR News host Angela Davis talked with eating disorder experts about the realities of coping with one while isolating and heard from listeners asking for advice.

According to survey data from the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), 30 million Americans will struggle with eating disorders at some point in their lives. NEDA’s CEO Claire Mysko says her organization often hears people share that they hesitated to reach out for help because they didn’t think they were “sick enough” or fit the image of what people with eating disorders supposedly look like.

“A lot of people when they hear the term ‘eating disorder’ immediately think of a young, white, underweight, affluent woman, and that really doesn't match up with a huge range of people who are struggling with eating disorders. These illnesses affect people of all ages, of all races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status,” Mysko said.

Heather Gallivan, the Clinical Director of Melrose Center, says she and her team have seen general increases in depression and anxiety, conditions that often appear with eating disorders. An important part of the recovery process is helping people connect and find a community of support so secretive and isolating aspects of the disorders don’t take over. Gallivan says forced social distancing has made this step particularly hard for those in the midst of their recovery journey.

“This situation we're in is very challenging for any one of us, even people in the best of mental health,” she said. “As the stress, anxiety, the depression increases, it's very easy to kind of go back to the eating disorder behaviors as a way to manage and control all of that… It’s kind of like a perfect storm.”

On top of that, Mysko says she’s also noticed more focus in the media, particularly social media, on weight gain/loss during COVID-19. For anyone on the spectrum of eating disorders, she says these messages can be seriously harmful and push people to engage in symptomatic behavior. 

“We're really encouraging people to be very intentional about who they're following [on social] and what media they're consuming because that can also have a big impact. And, for the broader community, it's important for us to be aware of our actions and how they may impact others,” Mysko said.

Lizzie from Golden Valley called in about their recovery process and shared that in order to limit potential exposure to the coronavirus, they felt a lot of pressure to go grocery shopping once a week and get everything they need in one trip. Gallivan with Melrose Center assures Lizzie this added pressure is totally normal.

“What we really try to recommend is, although it is additional work, try to go there with planned out meals and maybe some backup options… that you can kind of help navigate the store with,” Gallivan said. “Having some secondary options on that list as well can really help take some of that anxiety out of grocery shopping.”

Another caller, Marie from St. Paul, said they found out in early March their daughter has been battling an eating disorder. Right as Marie’s daughter started attending in-patient treatment the coronavirus response started here, which put Marie in charge of monitoring daily meals and online programming. As difficult and straining as at-home treatment can be on a family, Gallivan says the increased presence of parents is a blessing in disguise.

“Ironically, one thing we've been noticing is that with our adolescents with eating disorders, the gold standard treatment is something called family-based therapy. And, with that treatment, it does require a lot of parental oversight and monitoring,” Gallivan said.

Mysko added that eating disorders “are family illnesses” because they don’t just affect the person who is struggling, much like what Marie has been experiencing. She encourages caretakers to seek support for themselves, by tapping resources like what they provide in the NEDA Parent Toolkit, and find virtual communities of other parents or family members who are in similar positions.

“This is something that can feel isolating for the person who is in the illness, but also for the caregivers. So, be kind to yourself. Get as much information and support for yourself as you can at this time,” Mysko said.

Both Mysko and Gallivan say, now more than ever, it’s important to reach out to loved ones and check in with them or encourage them to start seeking professional help. For someone who has struggled with an eating disorder in the past or is currently in recovery, even just offering to go to the grocery store, setting up meals over video chat and validating the difficulty of what they’re experiencing right now can make a big difference.

If you need immediate mental health help, check out these resources. Learn more about MPR’s initiative to foster new conversations about mental health at www.calltomindnow.org.