Welcome to the blog space of the Looking Glass community, where we post our own and others’ reflections and perspectives on eating disorder issues, journeys of recovery, and other helpful tips and tools.
Type in “summer” and “body” into Google and you get pages upon pages of workout and diet plans, usually accompanied by a picture of a shimmering female abdomen (face often not included) against a beach backdrop. As soon as the weather shows any indication of warming up, we are bombarded with messages about our bodies and their "imperfections" which, according to these articles and ads, get more glaring and unacceptable during the summer.
On Friday March 4th, we returned to the Rocky Mountaineer Station in Vancouver to host our 12th Annual Fundraising Gala. Some 325 guests joined us in celebrating our many accomplishments over the past year as well as our exciting plans for the year to come.
Knowing someone who struggles with an eating disorder can often leave us feeling unsure of how to help and afraid of making it worse. While the responsibility to get well ultimately lies with the individual there are a few things you can do to support them in their journey to wellness.
Eating disorders: the illnesses of prepubescent girls and shallow adolescents. At least, that’s how society often perceives them. Yet eating disorders are not solely focused on food, or weight, or even body image; they are not a vain cry for attention. They are mental illnesses, molded and given power by fear, anxiety, a lack of control, and a myriad of other factors dependent on the individual who is suffering.
Q: I have just started my recovery journey and it is so uncomfortable. What are some things I can do to help me get past the uncomfortable feelings so I don’t give in to my symptoms?
A big challenge that I faced in recovery was that I had no idea who I was without my eating disorder. My eating disorder had become my life. My every decision was motivated by whether or not it would allow me to lose weight.
With Something’s Gotta Give, we’re trying to do more than raise awareness about the realities of eating disorders; we’re seeking to change up the way we – as individuals, as institutions, as a society – actually go about beating this disease.
I had an eating disorder in my late teens that has been a secret for a solid chunk of my life. I shared with a few, and very carefully selected people, that I had suffered from anorexia for a number of years. Today, my disordered years feel like a century ago, and I am very proud to say I am fully recovered. What I've accomplished from that time would completely shock my past self.
Eating disorders: the illnesses of prepubescent girls and shallow adolescents. At least, that’s how society often perceives them. Yet eating disorders are not solely focused on food, or weight, or even body image; they are not a vain cry for attention. They are mental illnesses, molded and given power by fear, anxiety, a lack of control, and a myriad of other factors dependent on the individual who is suffering.
Looking Glass Foundation respectfully acknowledges that our work takes place on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
For resources and information
about eating disorders contact the Looking Glass Foundation:
