My comment piece for Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2017, published in the i Newspaper
If somebody with alc
oholism drinks to be drunk, surely somebody with anorexia fasts to be skinny? Maybe. But when the alcoholic first picks up that drink, are they primarily running towards intoxication, or away from pain? I’m sure there are individuals who have developed drink problems through their enjoyment of a party lifestyle. Equally, I’m sure there are individuals who may have developed an eating disorder through their desire to be as thin as society tells us we should be. But it’s actually much more complex than that. Food and drink may actually be triggers, rather than causes of such illnesses.
oholism drinks to be drunk, surely somebody with anorexia fasts to be skinny? Maybe. But when the alcoholic first picks up that drink, are they primarily running towards intoxication, or away from pain? I’m sure there are individuals who have developed drink problems through their enjoyment of a party lifestyle. Equally, I’m sure there are individuals who may have developed an eating disorder through their desire to be as thin as society tells us we should be. But it’s actually much more complex than that. Food and drink may actually be triggers, rather than causes of such illnesses.
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