When it Hits Home

I was talking with a friend yesterday and she mentioned to me how emotionally drained she is after hearing her mom say day in and day out, "You're fat. You need to lose weight." In addition, she said that her dad often tells her she needs to "hit the gym." This is all being said to a girl who is well in the range of a truly "healthy" weight for her height. Her mom is suffering from an eating disorder and her dad puts just as much pressure on the mom to be thin as he does his daughter. Amazing how people that you live with day in and day out can impact your own lifestyle by their actions and the things they say. My friend told me she's often afraid to even eat in front of her parents in fear that they may call her "fat" again. So the question I am addressing in this blog post is...what does someone do when surrounded by people practicing eating disorder behaviors on a daily basis? How do you stay strong? These people around you could be the media, a parent, a sister, a roommate, a co-worker, etc. Whatever form of influence is creeping in on you, it's important that you stand strong against the eating disorder force that is trying to overwhelm you. The first step to staying of a healthy mind and body is to acknowledge to yourself and those around you that you trust that you are in fact feeling pressured by these people and influences. Acknowledgement it is the first step towards combating the temptation. The eating disorder mindset wants you to think it's not a big deal and to just brush it off like it's nothing. BUT it is a big deal. An outside force is making YOU and YOURSELF feel inadequate. . . that's not okay. Secondly, just like those around you who are waking up making the choice to starve themselves all day, YOU need to wake up and make the choice every single day to eat to live and to take care of your body by nourishing it with what it needs not what those around you are trying to tell you it needs or doesn't need. Thirdly, when someone is so far into their eating disorder that they are trying to drag you down with them, don't try to be their hero and get sucked in, in the process. You need to first take care of yourself. The eating disorder is a powerful force, if you are going to try and help a friend or family member that you are concerned about, don't do it alone, reach out to resources to help you as you approach them about the issue. www.nationaleatingdisorders.org has great resources concerning this. Or even e-mail me at pageb3@gmail.com. I would be happy to help. Lastly, know as much as you can about eating disorder behaviors so that you can be aware of when they are being used by the person practicing the eating disorder. By being aware, you are allowing yourself to be better equipped to not fall captive to the lies that the disease tries to tell you through others who believe the lies themselves. Bottom line, if you are feeling pressure about how you look and you think you're inferior, you are not! Resist the overwhelming tide telling you to fit in with the status quo and remember that you need to focus on keeping yourself healthy according to your personal body type. Always know that the Lord sees you as His beautiful creation and you are perfect in His eyes. When you have moments of doubt read Psalm 139 and focus on just how special you are to God as His own unique creation. <3