Turning eating disorders awareness into action

For Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I love Mental Health America’s theme this year, “Turn Awareness into Action,” to honor our collective progress in advancing mental health while identifying the challenges “to turn understanding into meaningful steps toward change.”

We cannot act, we cannot bring change, if we are not first aware. I know this to be true about eating disorders – the second-deadliest of all mental health conditions. As executive director of WithAll, where we raise awareness not only about eating disorders but what we adults can do to help prevent young people from developing eating disorders, we know raising awareness is necessary but insufficient. We must also equip adults with the simple, specific ways we can all act, now, to support young people with their body image and food relationship —if we are to live free of body dissatisfaction, which all too often is where eating disorders start.

And let’s be real: It is hard work to raise awareness about deadly mental health conditions with risk factors that are embedded in our culture as admirable or “healthy.” As a friend once told me, a great way to ruin a good party is with a speech on the devastating effects of eating disorders!

Because we are human, our brains with cognitive inertia will resist any new information that challenges the status quo because it requires more work for the brain! Also, who wants to think about all the time we have invested in the multi-generational myth that everyone can have the “ideal body” with enough willpower and discipline? It is a myth so massive and so widely believed that the cost (time, money, and lives) is incalculable.

What can we do to raise awareness and inform action when doing so amounts to pushing against human nature and an entire culture? How do we help people see that admiring and trying to have those “ideal bodies” is a top recipe for negative self-worth, negative self-esteem, depression, anxiety, disordered eating and eating disorders? How on earth to raise awareness and provide clear, actionable steps on such a difficult topic? At WithAll, as we continue to learn and grow, here is what we have found to be helpful:

1. Engage people with the elements that are as personally relatable to as many people as possible. For example, even if one has never been diagnosed with a clinical eating disorder, it does not mean they are unfamiliar with eating disorder behaviors. Body dissatisfaction, dieting, and weight-loss efforts are elements that are part of eating disorders. Body dissatisfaction is widespread, unfortunately. For that reason, to engage more people to generate awareness and action, WithAll created a Body Dissatisfaction “WithAll Talk” that includes specific tips to change up these conversations.
2. Provide concrete, actionable steps people can take to support mental health – for themselves and others. The phrase “body dissatisfaction” seems vague and amorphous. We knew we needed to break down the issue to something concrete and actionable. So we did by creating the “Three Simple Shifts” guide to end body dissatisfaction – for yourself and for young people.
3. Once you have engaged new people, ensure the tools you provide for action are applicable to each audience. And remember they all have very busy lives, so keep it clear and simple—and relevant based on their unique role in the community. WithAll has done this for coaches, parents, pediatricians, and teachers. You can learn more here: www.withall.org/resources