By Isake Tom

“I hate it when I overeat because I always end up feeling guilty. Each day is a battle to control my calorie and fat intake either by vomiting or taking laxatives. I really wish I could stop, and I know this is bad for my body; however every day I do the same thing over and over, I am just too afraid of gaining weight.”

If this quote were real it would describe the daily existence of someone suffering from an eating disorder. Through various studies conducted, we know that people coping with any form of eating disturbance often report feelings of powerlessness, anxiety, and guilt. However, as we stop to consider the causes and treatments for these unhealthy eating behaviours, let us also examine our assumptions about the people who suffer from either anorexia or bulimia nervosa, two of the most common eating disorders.

Whether you would like to admit it or not most of us would assume that this quote was spoken by a young, middle class, white female ‘dying to be thin’ both literally and figuratively. The harsh reality though is that this could be the voice of any young woman belonging to the African Canadian community. The truth is that black women and other women belonging to various minority groups are also suffering from eating disorders traditionally thought to affect mostly young Caucasian women.

Unfortunately, young black women today are caught between two varying ideals about body image. While culturally and historically there is an appreciation of full figured women within the black community, young black women are also bombarded by countless images of smaller, thinner women, glorified in today’s dominant mainstream culture.

According to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC), there are three types of eating disorders; anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge eating. Anorexia sufferers usually refuse to maintain a normal body weight and are known to go on severe diets and keep up vigorous exercise routines even if every bone in their body is visible. Bulimia nervosa sufferers differ in that they consume large quantities of food then proceed to purge themselves with the aid of laxatives or self induced vomiting. With binge eating, sufferers continuously overeat to comfort themselves emotionally.

In a 2002 survey conducted by the Canadian government, results demonstrated that approximately 1.5% of Canadian women ages 15-24 had an eating disorder, and these rates increased during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Currently there are no adequate statistics available on the prevalence of eating disorders among African Canadian women, but through clinical research conducted in the United States we know that young black women are increasingly falling prey to destructive eating behaviors. These studies are revealing the fact that black women are sharing experiences of binge eating and the abuse of laxatives as much as white women.

There are ways in which people suffering from an eating disorder can get on the road to recovery. Seeking out professional counseling to help address underlying emotional or psychological issues is pertinent to the treatment of any eating disorder. Also, receiving medical treatment to address any physical damage caused by the disorder as well as surrounding ones self with a positive and reliable support system are all steps to a successful recovery. It is time that black women realized that they do not suffer alone and eating disorders are unhealthy lifestyle behaviour that can be fixed.

The National Eating Disorder Information Centre     www.nedic.ca