24/02/2026
With the start of Eating Disorders Awareness week 2026I thought I'd share some common misconceptions around eating disorders.
Many misconceptions about eating disorders come from stereotypes;
-Who gets them
-What they look like
-What causes them.
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions which can lead to serious physical compromise, they are not choices or phases, and they affect far more people—and in far more ways—than most people realise.
What people often get wrong about eating disorders
1. “Eating disorders are about food or vanity.”
Not all eating disorders are about food itself, infact they can be rarely about the food its self. They’re linked to biological, psychological, and social factors, and often function as coping mechanisms for distress, trauma, or a need for control. Food behaviours are symptoms, not the root cause!
2. “Only very thin people have eating disorders.”
People of any weight, body type, or appearance can have an eating disorder. Many individuals with bulimia, binge eating disorder, or atypical anorexia appear to be at a “normal” or higher weight. Weight alone cannot diagnose or rule out an eating disorder.
3. “You can tell by looking at someone.”
You cannot reliably identify an eating disorder based on someones appearance. Many people hide symptoms well, they may look physically healthy while struggling intensely deeply inside.
4. “Eating disorders only affect teenage girls.”
Eating disorders affect all genders, ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
5. “Families cause eating disorders.”
Genetics can increase risk, but families do NOT cause eating disorders, they are often crucial to recovery.
6. “It’s just a phase.”
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, not habits someone grows out of. Without support, they can become deeply entrenched and dangerous. Seeking timely support is key when someone has an eating disorder.
7. “Reaching a healthy weight means the disorder is gone.”Weight restoration can be part of recovery for some disorders, but emotional, cognitive, and behavioural healing takes much longer. Recovery involves rebuilding or newly establishing a more positive relationship with food, body, and self.
8. “People choose to have an eating disorder.”
No one chooses this to have an eating disorder! Eating disorders are complex illnesses shaped by genetics, personality traits, trauma, and social pressures. They are not lifestyle choices or attention-seeking behaviours.
9. “The media causes eating disorders.”
Media pressures can worsen body dissatisfaction, but they do not directly cause eating disorders. Most people exposed to the same images never develop one. The causes are far more complex.
10. “Recovery is rare.”
Recovery is absolutely possible. It can take time and support, and setbacks don’t mean failure. Many people go on to live full, healthy lives but accessing the right support is key and not everyone support may look the same!
Misconceptions or lack of understanding can delay diagnosis, increase shame, and stop people from seeking help. They also contribute to stigma—especially for men, people in larger bodies, and those whose symptoms don’t match the stereotypical image of anorexia.
