There is a fine line between glorifying thinness and eating disorders. At times that line is more clearly demarcated than others, and the process of recovery is easier in that cultural moment. When the line is blurry and even hard to see, getting better from an eating disorder is a lot harder.
We’re in one of those challenging moments now.
GLP-1’s have taken over our world. Everyone seems to justify trying them: large and small people, sick and well, diabetic and anorexic. The list goes on and on. Some people are just curious. Even the suspicion that the president is taking one made the news.
Many people, more likely those prescribed too much or inappropriately, don’t eat very much. They feel full quickly, snack instead of eat regular meals. Many lose weight rapidly, often too rapidly, and start to seem sicker the longer they use the shots.
Culture and medicine call these people “healthy.” All of a sudden, looking very thin has become too common in some communities. Instead of calling out this behavior as a dangerous trend anyone can see easily, the mantra is that eating a lot of protein will solve the problem, all to justify getting too thin and sick.
The nonsensical approach to the GLP phenomenon is confusing at best and frightening at worst. Starving and losing a lot of weight is the new goal. Where are the sane minds pointing out the insanity of this collective state of mind?
Add into this morass those in the midst of eating disorder recovery, people struggling each day to complete a meal plan, to adjust to changing body shape and to manage the emotional maelstrom that comes with the process. How do these people ignore the shift around them towards rapid, dangerous weight loss? How can they forge ahead to get better?
The underlying philosophy of weight loss at all costs isn’t new. We just have a new, powerful tool to make it happen, at least for now, one that medicine treats as if it is the second coming.
People in recovery need to use all the tools at their disposal to move forward. They know the pain of an eating disorder, how bad they feel physically and emotionally. They know how personal and professional goals go by the wayside when they are sick. They know how they get trapped and have no joy in their lives. They know, deep down, that no pleasure from weight loss is worth it. Even if the world is playing with fire with the GLP-1’s, they know that recovery gives them a chance to really live.
I don’t have a new or more convincing argument about why it’s important to recover. The thought process remains the same no matter what newfangled medication or weight loss program emerges. The focus on living well has to outweigh the desire for thinness. That’s the way this process works.
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