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09 Mar, 2009

Eating Disorders and Normal Eating

Posted by: joanna@recoveryconnection.org In: Drug Addiction| Dual Diagnosis| Eating Disorders| Women's Treatment Programs

Often individual’s will ask what an eating disorder is? If a person does not restrict food or purge after bingeing do they have an eating disorder? A normal eater does not question if how they eat and what they eat is normal? A normal eater is flexible not rigid or punishing to themselves. Times have changed and the focus of what an individual chooses to eat is constantly being questioned?

Elementary aged students are being taught about health and fitness, to make better food choices, to stay physically active and daily exercise is important. This is a double edged sword depending on how the family dynamics are and the self esteem of the young person, this message can be turned around in a negative way and stress eating disorders.

A normal eater eats when hungry and stops when satisfied. They make healthy food decisions. A normal eater eats because He or she is aware the body needs fuel to run efficiently. He or she will eat foods which assist them in feeling good and satisfied. Eating high carbohydrate, refined sugar type foods do not make any “body” feel good.

If an individual has to ask whether he or she has an eating disorder? He or she already knows the answer. How can he or she get help? The individual take’s an eating disorder quiz, they start to see an eating disorder specialist, or he or she may go to a support group for eating disorders. Ultimately going to an inpatient eating disorder treatment program for help is the most effective method.

3 Responses to "Eating Disorders and Normal Eating"

1 | Joanna Poppink, MFT

March 10th, 2009 at 2:11 pm

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Thank you for helping to increase eating disorder awareness!

Your definition of a normal eater may be more in keeping with a definition of a healthy eater.

Becoming a person who eats when hungry and stops when satisfied is a healthy goal for all of us, eating disordered or not.

Unfortunately our 24/7 culture puts many normal people in a situation where their time is so pressured that they skip meals or gulp food down on the run. Many of these people do not have eating disorders, but they may have a disordered life, i.e. a life so full of time and task demands that they cannot tend to their genuine human needs.

Joanna Poppink, MFT
Los Angeles eating disorder recovery psychotherapist

2 | joanna@recoveryconnection.org

March 11th, 2009 at 9:09 am

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I wanted to thank you for taking the time to comment on this article I value your words and know your time is limited with your practice.
I appreciate the dedication you have to helping people become aware of the choices they make that cause their lives to be disordered.
It is true that the culture today is 24/7 and people have difficulties setting healthy boundaries and eating disorder’s are certainly on the rise as a result of this.
The more awareness people have on eating disorders and where they originate will assist them in making better choice’s. Ultimately this will assist them in living a joyful life.
Thank you,
Joanna Painton

3 | RaiulBaztepo

March 28th, 2009 at 7:55 pm

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Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language ;)
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo

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