Diet Culture, COVID-19, and Weight Stigma: 2020 in Review

Posted on December 16, 2020December 15, 2020 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

At the end of every year, I like to put together a post that collects everything I’ve published on my blog over the last year. And what a year it’s been. This year is nothing like we imagined it would be. We have lost almost a year of being with family and friends, experiencing new things, and living our ‘normal’ lives. If you’re feeling grief about this year, the lives lost and changed, and what could have been, you’re not alone.

This year has been hard, sad, lonely, scary, weird, and pretty much any other adjective out there. It can be hard to hold space for all of those things at once, so be gentle with yourself as you work through your feelings about 2020.

Here’s what I wrote about this year:

This year, I wrote a lot about the COVID-19 pandemic and how that interacts with folks in eating disorder recovery.

When things get hard, communities thrive. The eating disorder recovery community is more important than ever with many of us isolated and unable to connect with other ED survivors in real life. I wrote about 5 Ways to Stay on Track With Eating Disorder Recovery During COVID-19, Virtual (and Free) Eating Disorder Support Groups During COVID-19, and Coping With COVID-19 and Eating Disorder Recovery: Tips for College Students.

Rejecting Diet culture

One of my favorite ways to learn about rejecting the diet mentality is through podcasts! I put together a list of my top podcasts to help you break free from diet culture. (I also included a tip for how to find anti-diet resources: “It’s easy to be wary of what you find related to body positivity and anti-diet resources, since the movement has been flooded with people trying to cash in without spreading the actual message of the anti-diet movement. When looking for a trusted resource online, make sure that they mention on their website (hopefully prominently!) that they believe in dismantling diet culture, center larger bodies, and don’t mention weight loss anywhere on their site.”

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are a complicated subject. One of my goals is to help people challenged with ED and other food & weight-related concerns to move from constantly worrying about food and their weight to being free to create the lives they want. The first step here is understanding what eating disorders actually are. To help, I discussed 3 Important FAQs about Binge Eating Disorder on the blog. While some of us understand the basics of eating disorders and anxiety on our own, it’s rare to see a blog post connect the two and tell you what you need to know if you’re living with an eating disorder and an anxiety disorder. I wrote about frequently asked questions related to eating disorders and anxiety to share what I know!

Weight Bias + Stigma

Weight bias is everywhere we look in our culture. It’s led to systematic discrimination of larger bodies in many areas of life – medical care, job opportunities, social interactions, to name a few. So many folks railing against people in larger bodies don’t realize that what really causes negative health outcomes is a result of stigma, not a result of having a larger body, so I wrote about how weight bias and stigma are the real hazards to health, not body size.

If there are any topics you’d like me to cover in 2021, let me know! You can message me here. If you’re looking for even more resources, make sure you’re following me on Facebook and Pinterest!Every week, I share resources from myself + other experts in the field on both platforms!

Coping With COVID-19 and Eating Disorder Recovery: Tips for College Students

Posted on September 23, 2020September 22, 2020 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Let’s face it – starting a new year in college during the COVID-19 pandemic is rough. College life looks much different than it used to, with virtual classes and less socializing, to name a few things. If you add an eating disorder into the mix, it can make starting the semester feel downright daunting.

If your eating disorder symptoms have increased since the pandemic started you are not alone. Eating disorder behaviors are a way to manage and cope with stress, so more stress can equal the exacerbation of eating disorder symptoms.

Furthermore, the nature of physical distancing can lead to feelings of worry, sadness, hopelessness, and loneliness which also can trigger eating disorder behaviors, including dietary restriction, purging, binge eating, and overexercising.

Starting a new semester (or starting college for the first time) is associated with many “positive feelings” and excitement. However, along with these positive feelings, students may experience feelings of isolation, worry, and sadness, again exacerbating eating disorder symptoms.

Remember it is normal to be experiencing more stress, worry, and sadness during the pandemic. However, there are tools that you can use to manage your feelings.

Below are some tips to help you cope with stress, the pandemic, and your eating disorder:

Keep connected with your treatment team.
- Whether you are doing treatment in person or virtually, keeping regularly scheduled appointments is key to keeping your eating disorder recovery on top of the priority list. If you feel like you need more support during this time, ask your team about more frequent visits and/or attending virtual groups. To learn more about eating disorder treatment teams or how to get treatment, click here.

Stay social.
- College with a side of COVID can be very isolating especially if you participating in virtual learning. It is not uncommon to experience an increase in loneliness. Social connection with family and friends can help reduce feelings of loneliness, sadness, and worry. Keep socializing in whatever way feels safe to you a top priority.

Make time for hobbies and other coping skills.
- Coping skills and hobbies can help manage stress and uncomfortable feelings such as worry, sadness, and anger. Healthy coping skills are activities that you can help you positively manage stress. These can include talking with a friend, spending time outside, playing with a pet, reading, cleaning, doing a puzzle, praying or meditating, or volunteering, to name a few. Hobbies such as crafting, art, photography, and the like can also help reduce feelings of stress.

Keep a routine.
- Having a routine can help reduce stress levels by adding structure and organization to your day, even during the pandemic. Having a general—but not rigid—routine around eating, sleeping, socializing, and studying can be helpful in your recovery from your eating disorders and generally improve mental health.

Remember that it is normal for eating disorder symptoms to increase during times of stress, and the COVID-19 pandemic is a very stressful time. By practicing the tools above, you can learn ways to reduce your stress and continue with recovery.

If you would like to learn how I help clients manage stress or you need help in your eating disorder recovery, please click here to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation.

Virtual (and Free) Eating Disorder Support Groups During COVID-19

Posted on April 15, 2020April 14, 2020 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Eating disorder recovery may feel like a struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is normal because times of stress and uncertainty, which most of us are feeling, can put a strain on our mental health. Virtual support groups are readily available and often at no cost.

Fortunately, you do not have to go through eating disorder recovery alone during this time. It can be helpful to connect with others going through similar experiences. Many eating disorder treatment centers and professionals are offering virtual services on-line, including support groups.

Virtual support groups can be a great addition to your current treatment.

Groups can be a great way to reduce social isolation while the stay-at-home orders are in effect. In general, support groups can offer many benefits, including improved motivation to recover, strengthened positive coping skills, increased sense of control, and reduced feelings of shame, isolation, depression, hopelessness, and anxiety.

For some, support groups can be a little anxiety-provoking, but a virtual group may be good for a first-time. Due to the nature of the internet, there is some degree of privacy and anonymity. Additionally, groups usually have a leader and a set of groups “rules” to help make you feel emotionally safe.

There can be some downsides to support groups, particularly if they are not well run. Some of the downsides include excessive amounts of complaining (the purpose of a support group is to provide hope), monopolization of discussion by one group member, and potential issues of confidentiality.

Together with your treatment team, you can determine if a virtual support group would be helpful in your recovery. If you don’t have a treatment team or are currently not receiving eating disorder treatment, please click here to learn more about how to find a treatment team.

Free + Virtual Eating Disorder Support Group Resources

Below is a short list of virtual support groups. Many offer multiple support groups that meet the needs of different populations, including adults, teens, families, and LGBTQ folks, to name a few. Also, ask your treatment provider about support groups which they may be familiar with.

A virtual support group can be a great way to augment eating disorder treatment, especially during the pandemic. Together with your treatment team, you can determine if a virtual support group may be helpful to you.

5 Ways to Stay on Track With Eating Disorder Recovery During COVID-19

Posted on April 9, 2020April 8, 2020 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Keeping your eating disorder recovery front and center during the COVID-19 pandemic may be the furthest thing from your mind, given that we are all adjusting to a new way of life, navigating uncertainty, and dealing with loss and worries about our health, to name a few pressing issues.

Here are some tips to help you maintain and even thrive with your eating disorder recovery during this unusual and trying time:

1. Keep eating disorder recovery on the priority list during COVID-19.

Of course, your priorities have shifted in the wake of COVID-19. First and foremost, you are dealing with the stress of this health crisis. Time and energies have shifted because you are adjusting to a new way of life, including being cooped up in the house; working or schooling from home; health risks; and isolation.

While these changes may seem overwhelming at times, know that you can tend to your eating disorder recovery during this time. As with everything right now, your recovery may look different than usual, and that’s okay.

2. Stay in touch with your eating disorder treatment team.

If you have not checked in with your treatment team—including your therapist, dietitian, and doctor—that may be a good first step. Most clinicians are conducting telehealth appointments, which may include video conferencing, telephone, email, and FaceTime appointments. Telehealth may feel a little daunting at first, but I am finding it to be an effective way to continue to support clients with eating disorders.

If you don’t have an eating disorder treatment team, read more here about how to find eating disorder services in your area.

3. Accept that your eating may be different during COVID-19, and that’s okay.

Changes in food accessibility, cooking at home vs. eating out, living situation, mood fluctuations, and activity level can all contribute to changes in eating patterns. Talk with your treatment team about any changes you have noticed with your eating as well as alcohol consumption.

4. Stay curious about your eating disorder symptoms.

Your eating disorder symptoms may change, or they may wax and wane during this time. Try to refrain from being judgmental about your eating disorder symptoms.

Instead, ask yourself something like, “I am noticing that I am doing this eating disorder behavior more. What may be going on or what may I be feeling?” Being curious rather than judgmental allows for problem-solving rather than shame.

5. Be as social as you can while physical distancing and stay-at-home orders are in place.

Social isolation and loneliness can affect your physical and mental health. Regularly connecting with family, friends, co-workers and/or classmates via telephone or virtual meetings can help reduce feelings of loneliness. Check with your treatment team, as they may be aware of virtual eating disorder support groups that can help support your recovery during the pandemic.

Your eating disorder recovery may look different than it usually does during the pandemic, and that’s okay. Using the tips above and taking it one day at a time is a good place to start.