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There’s a new Netflix documentary called Fit for TV: The Reality Behind The Biggest Loser. Of course, I had to watch it straight away! Calling out the harms of the infamously mean show The Biggest Loser? Count me in. Unfortunately, the documentary series didn’t quite go far enough. Yes, they named a lot of the harm, but they never once mentioned eating disorders, and they still had an overall weight loss message. So let’s talk about what they left out…  Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81670924
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My therapeutic approach to working with eating distress and eating disorders online in the UK Disordered eating is a broad term. It can include restriction, bingeing, emotional eating, obsessive and/or distressing thoughts about food or body image, compensatory exercise, and a whole lot more. Some people meet the criteria for a clinical eating disorder diagnosis, such as anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder, but many do not. Either way, therapy can be a helpful place to start untangling what’s going on beneath the surface. In my work as an eating disorder therapist online, I don’t diagnose - this is usually done by healthcare professionals or psychologists. As a therapist, I’m curious about your unique story and how you experience disordered eating. I work with a wide range of eating, body image and weight concerns, with or without a label or diagnosis. No problem is insignificant - you deserve help.  As an eating disorder therapist, I hear a lot of people say they feel like they can’t stop eating. They say they’re out of control, that food has a hold on them, and they just can’t resist certain things (normally the food deemed "bad"). For many, it can feel like inner conflict, like an angel and a devil on their shoulders shouting at them. Food can certainly feel like an addiction for many people, with powerful thoughts and feelings commanding them to eat. It can feel like a yearning need, with real distress at the thought of not getting what they want. This is not simply just about willpower or weakness, this is a distressing battle of the mind. It can have such a huge impact on daily life and mental health. This distress can be indicative of disordered eating or an eating disorder, for which people deserve tailored help/therapy. There can be similarities in how addictions and eating disorders develop and are maintained, but there are important differences when it comes to treatment/ therapy.  Binge eating disorder (BED) is one of the most prevalent eating disorders, with many people caught in a difficult cycle of negative thoughts and difficult emotions. It can often be a secretive or shameful thing to talk about, so that’s why it’s important we do talk about it! Whether someone has a diagnosis or not, binge eating can have a huge impact on a person’s life. So let’s dive into what binge eating is, the binge cycle, and most importantly, what can help stop binge eating.
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