Interviews with Eating Disorder Professionals
Interview #1: Conversation with Dr. Emily Derouin.
Do you believe language has an impact on eating disorders?
“Yes, 100%”
What do you consider to be negative words regarding food, eating habits, and body image?
“Calling food good or bad. Saying you look bad today. Commenting on amount of food eaten.”
Can you describe the reason why language affects someone from a psychological, social or biological view?
“If you say things enough then you will start to believe what you are saying. Positive self-talk sinks with negativity and can feel true at a certain point.”
How can someone’s own language regarding food, eating habits, and body image affect themself? How can an individual be more mindful of the impact of their own words on themselves?
“You can internalize that information. In therapy I say that that’s the message you are sending yourself. I also have them pick a word or phrase that causes negativity and to be aware of those phrases and see where they come up during the day and what situations”
How can a friend’s language regarding food, eating habits, and body image affect their friend? How can a friend be more mindful of the impact of their own words on their friend?
“Try to understand that everyone is on a different path with food and are or aren’t ready to be better. You should be able to have conversations about this with your friends, it might be uncomfortable but it’s important to be better and be aware, be better and own that.”
How can a parent or family members language regarding food, eating habits, and body image affect their child? How can family members be more mindful of the impact of their own words on their relatives?
“This is off the charts in families. Families have a tricky way of getting it. Self-educating can help inform parents about what’s going on and help them understand there are different paths and more going on with their child than just caring how they look. Diet culture is also something that can effect parents’ children. It’s hard for a parent to wrap their heads around the fact that they are sick, and they are slower to understanding. Have them see the empathetic side.”
What language do you suggest people to use to replace certain words?
“Fat – rethinking how we use that word. It's not a bad word, its description, it can be empowering. Eating candy isn’t good or bad. A candy bar isn’t going to heaven or hell. When you describe food, take the judgment out of it. Yes, its greasy and yes, its delicious. When describing body image, reframe from using the word gross, think more about what you are feeling underneath those words, are you emotional? Anxious?”
How can we be more conscious of our word choices?
“Become more aware of how pervasive negative words are. Think of the morality part of it and pick an area to work on. Zoom out and think about what you are saying and how that kind of talk can be pervasive. Spend a day and pay attention to a diety body issue and see how it makes you feel. I have a client that says they still think about what their mother said to them 50 years ago.”
How do you suggest we let people know that their words are negatively affective towards others?
“It depends. If you have a good relationship, I could be helpful to sit down and say why those words hurt and educate them. It feels more conversational and less confrontational. Talk about the subtle things that hurt and create boundaries. It takes vulnerability. Calling in is heart to heart. But call out culture sometimes works. Its uncomfortable but sometimes snarky comments work best. Sometimes just saying wow that was rude can be impactful.”
Interview #2: Conversation with Dr. Margaret Piper
Do you believe language has an impact on eating disorders?
“Definitely”
What do you consider to be negative words regarding food, eating habits, and body image?
“Labeling food as good or bad can put food into a positive or negative judgement. More words include light, heavy, gross, processed, fat or greasy”
Can you describe the reason why language affects someone from a psychological, social or biological view?
“From a CBT framework, it can create a rigid thought pattern and can reduce flexibility with food. It limits awareness about food and can impact access to food. There’s no room for compassion and creates a black and white thinking pattern. Can cause someone to value and aesthetic appearance over food.”
How can someone’s own language regarding food, eating habits, and body image affect themself? How can an individual be more mindful of the impact of their own words on themselves?
“Look at your mood after self-talk about food. It can create anxiety and/or difficulties with mood and can become a pattern. I typically tell my patients to ask themselves if they would ever say these things to who they love the most and to pause before treating themselves critically.”
How can a friend’s language regarding food, eating habits, and body image affect their friend? How can a friend be more mindful of the impact of their own words on their friend?
“Friends never know when people are going through something or when someone has an eating disorder. Negative talk about food can worsen someone’s relationship with food that they were already struggling with.”
How can a parent or family members language regarding food, eating habits, and body image affect their child? How can family members be more mindful of the impact of their own words on their relatives?
“Similar to friendships, it can create a heightened awareness of food and body and can make someone’s relationship with food worse. It can cause their children to think that body is more important than food and applies more value.”
What language do you suggest people to use to replace certain words?
“Nourishing, filling, satisfied, dissatisfied, energized”
How can we be more conscious of our word choices?
“Think about where you can replace things with food and body to a value that isn’t about appearance. People sometimes make compliments based on appearance, make compliments not around body by saying things such as I love the energy you have. Come up with comments not related to body, make space from food and body in conversations and commenting”
How do you suggest we let people know that their words are negatively affective towards others?
“it’s complicated in families where its engrained. I suggest that you voice that you are trying to work on your relationship with food and ask to change the subject. Another suggestion is to say that you are struggling with an eating disorder and this conversation is hard for you. One other tip is to just be sassy.”