Body Image and Eating Disorder Awareness Week
Written by Ashleigh Olive
This year, Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week (BIEDAW) is bringing
awareness and encouraging change regarding how we think, what we say, and what
we do regarding bodies, appearance, food, and eating disorders. The language and
actions that we all use every day have an influence on those around us, and a
community-based approach to deepening understanding is required to prevent
harmful appearance-based, diet culture and fatphobia-driven comments.
The lived experience voices have acknowledged that misconceptions and
stigmatising views unfortunately increase vulnerability to body image and eating
concerns and become a barrier to seeking necessary support. To assist in breaking
down the misconceptions regarding food, bodies, appearance ,and eating disorders
whilst working towards an eating disorder safe community, True North Psychology is
joining Butterfly in sharing Kindly Do and Kindly Don’t advice.
Kindly Don’t: Minimise the seriousness of someone’s eating or body image
concerns.
Kindly Do: Acknowledge that body image concerns are a risk factor for eating
disorder development, and that eating disorders are a serious and complex
illness that can affect anyone living in any body shape or size. Acknowledge
that eating disorders are not a choice.
Kindly Don’t: Talk about dieting or attempts at weight loss in the workplace
lunchroom.
Kindly Do: Use food as an opportunity for socialising and connection.
Engage in meaningful talk and conversation.
Kindly Don’t: Comment on any changes in body weight, regardless of
whether weight has been lost or gained.
Kindly Do: See people for more than their weight and appearance. Comment
on their unique traits, interests, personality, and positive qualities.
Kindly Don’t: Use stigmatising language such as ‘anorexic’, ‘bulimic’,
‘overweight’, ‘obese’, BMI, or ‘skinny’.
Kindly Do: Use person-centred language such as ‘lived experience of
anorexia nervosa’, or ‘diagnosed with bulimia nervosa’. Avoid words or terms
that pathologise or stigmatise weight or shape, or words that focus on
appearance.
Kindly Don’t: Reinforce or perpetuate the unhelpful ideas that food has moral
value or that self-worth should be measured by body weight or shape.
Kindly Do: Take the time to learn about diet culture, unpack your own
internalised weight bias, and challenge your unhelpful beliefs and inaccurate
myths such as health being determined by body weight or shape.
Everyone has a role to play in eating disorder prevention. Take a moment to reflect
on what action you can Kindly Do moving forward, to support a kind, affirming, and
safe community for all.
Additional Resources
Butterfly have created a support script to assist patients to have their needs
met, and to be seen beyond their appearance and weight, when attending
medical appointments.
Butterfly have a free initiative, BodyKind, which provides support in being kind
to ourselves and our bodies as well as helping others to do so. This year,
Butterfly has multiple practical and evidence-informed initiatives including
BodyKind Schools, BodyKind Families, BodyKind Online, BodyKind Clubs,
and the BodyKind Youth Survey.
To access further information regarding support for eating disorders and body image
concerns, the following resources are available:
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