Blog
About Eating Disorder Awareness Month
by Valerie Walch, Community Impact Coordinator
With the New Year comes resolutions around food and weight loss. In fact, according to Statista, the top three most popular New Years Resolutions of 2025 (behind “to save more money”) are: “to eat healthier”, “to exercise more”, and “to lose weight”. Our society is inundated with messaging regarding weight-loss, food, and appearance. Seeing and hearing these messages can be very difficult for those who have a critical view of their own appearance and who may be experiencing signs of an eating disorder.
February is Eating Disorder Awareness Month. Regardless of if you know someone who struggles, the chances are statistically that someone in your circle is silently struggling; About 1 in 10 people will struggle with an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime, and this number increases among certain groups, such as athletes. Here are some informational points on eating disorders and what you can do to help contribute to a supportive society for those struggling.
1. Messages about weight and appearance can be harmful to those who struggle.
· Language around dieting and weight can provoke anxiety for those who struggle with food or body image.
· Conversations about food, weight, and appearance have become normalized (especially around the New Years) and can be very challenging for those with a history of an eating disorder.
· Action: Try to change the subject if weight or food become the center of the conversation.
2. Words weigh more than even the best of intentions.
· A compliment of “you look so good!”, even with the best of intentions, may be very challenging for someone who is struggling with an eating disorder because it places emphasis on appearance. For example, when this comment is said to someone who is using unhealthy extremes to change their weight, it could be perceived as encouragement to continue their harmful behaviors.
· Action: When complimenting people, try to focus on their character, their style, or how they make you feel, instead of commenting on someone’s weight or physical appearance. Some examples that you could say are: “You’re the best to be around”; “I love how kind you are”; “You’re a wonderful parent/sibling/child”.
3. Activities around food can be exhausting for those struggling.
· For many, food is an integral part of culture, especially around the holidays. Discussions around dieting and food (especially common with the New Year) can be stressful for those who have a complicated relationship with food. It is easy and convenient to make a meal the center of a social activity. For those with an eating disorder, it is good to take the attention off food and put it on a non-food-related activity.
· Action: Host an activity that doesn’t have to involve food, such as game nights, sports, crafts, or movie nights.
4. Youth pick up on adult talk and behaviors around food.
· Talking negatively about your own weight or appearance in front of youth can be harmful to their relationship with food and body image.
· Action: Talking about yourself based on your accomplishments and character (rather than appearance) is crucial for younger ones who will naturally pay attention to your relationship with food and body. Consider things you can say and do to set a positive example for future generations.
To note: eating disorders don’t necessarily have “a look”. It can be hard to know if someone is struggling because it is a mental health disorder that can be very discreet. People of different backgrounds, sizes, races, and social classes can all struggle with an eating disorder. That is why it is important to be compassionate regardless of if you know or don’t know whether someone has an eating disorder.
If you see warning signs and suspect that someone might be struggling, wait until you’re in a private space, and state the signs that you’ve observed and share your worries with them. They may not be open to talking about it, but a conversation opens the door so that they know they can come to you in the future. Have resources on hand too, in case they want to get help.
To learn more about eating disorders, you can visit the National Eating Disorders Association here. You can also check out our other blog post on eating disorders here.
Click these links for more information on eating disorders, or to find local resources in Warren and/or Clinton counties:
Talbert House (Lebanon, Franklin, Wilmington)
Access Counseling Services (Middletown)
Butler Behavioral Health Services (Lebanon)
Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (Lebanon)
National Alliance on Mental Illness (Loveland)
Sojourner Recovery Services (Middletown)
Primary care physician – since eating disorders can have many clinical symptoms, seeing your doctor can be a good first step.
Sources: Prevention Action Alliance – KNOW! How to Create Healthy Holiday Traditions