February is Eating Disorder Awareness Month
By: Jon M. Tynjala
February is Eating Disorder Awareness Month, and the week of February 23 to March 1 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. The purpose of these designations is to shine a light on a set of conditions that all too often tend to be overlooked or ignored. It is often said that eating disorders hide in plain sight. That is because only about 6% of people with an eating disorder are medically underweight. As a result, many people with an eating disorder may appear to be perfectly healthy.
Eating disorders affect around 30 million Americans. While there have not been any definitive studies of the incidence of eating disorders among lawyers, there have been some studies that looked at the incidence of eating disorders among law students. In 2014 and 2021 the Survey on Law Student Well Being found that law students suffered from eating disorders at rates above those for the general population. Just under 30% of law students screened positive for further evaluation for disordered eating in both surveys. Further, the percentage of law students that had a prior diagnosis more than doubled between the 2014 and 2021 administration of the Survey, while the percentage of students receiving a diagnosis during law school increased by a factor of 4. While further research is warranted for lawyers as a group, there is no reason to believe that the elevated incidence of eating disorders and disordered eating is not similarly high for practicing lawyers.
These statistics are even more alarming given that, after opioids, eating disorders are the deadliest mental health condition. While the stigma and bias associated with substance use disorder and other mental health conditions like depression and anxiety has lessened over the years, the bias and stigma around eating disorders remains stubbornly prevalent, which negatively affects our willingness to seek help.
There are many in-patient and outpatient treatment programs here in Minnesota that focus on eating disorders while also recognizing that eating disorders are also often associated with or co-occurring with other mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. Thus, finding the right program can be daunting. If you or someone you know is showing signs of an eating disorder you can reach out to LCL. We can talk about how to approach the person you are concerned about and next steps, including treatment options. The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) is also a great place to start to learn more about the signs to look for as well as treatment and recovery resources. You can find those resources here.
Recovery from eating disorders is possible. LCL is here to help and to walk with you as you begin your own recovery journey or are looking for ways to support another as they do so. You can call us at 651-646-5590 or reach out to [email protected].