Joking about weight during social distancing isn't helpful for eating disorder recovery
Making fun of social distancing weight gain isn't cute, especially to those recovering from disordered eating.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, more people worldwide are confined to their homes in an effort to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. The practice of social distancing — avoiding crowded places, maintaining at least six feet of space between individuals, and staying home — is an effective, but boring method of containing the virus. Naturally, those who are home are turning to snacking to fill their days.
It's a stressful time for everyone, but especially for those who have a complicated relationship with food.
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My disordered eating began in high school, and in the decade since, I've learned to develop a healthy mindset when it comes to food. Being physically active and eating when I felt hungry taught me that eating regularly would keep me strong.
When my gym closed last week to contribute to "flattening the curve" and limit the risk of overwhelming our healthcare system, I briefly panicked over the climbing skills I'd lose. I worried that the strength I gained over the last year would be undone with just a few weeks of being stuck in my small Los Angeles apartment. I worried that without regular hiking and climbing, my mental health would slip. Most of all, I worried that I'd be bored.
But I didn't worry about my weight until I saw other Twitter users joking about gaining the "quarantine 15."
"Social distancing has an element of isolation," Ashley Lytwyn said in a phone call to Mashable. She's a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and the Executive Director of Breathe Life Healing Center, an eating disorder treatment clinic in West Hollywood. "It's this fear provoking time, and then putting pressure on people [by] saying, 'Oh my god, you're going to gain so much weight because you're in isolation,' or that you're going to eat all your quarantine snacks in one night...that can be scary for people that have dealt with eating disorders."
I'm privileged in that I have a therapist who I can see once a week via video calls, the financial stability to be able to stock up on food, and a job that keeps me occupied while I'm stuck at home. I also have a supportive roommate who reminds me that I need to eat regularly, even though I'm not as physically active as I usually am. Worrying over body image was a fleeting thought, but for others, it can be all-encompassing. For many struggling with disordered eating, seeing jokes about weight gain, binging on snacks, or restricting eating to avoid body changes is incredibly triggering.
Other Twitter users noted how upsetting it is to see jokes body-shaming weight gain during an already stressful time.
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Lytwyn noted that eating disorders often stem from a need to control something, and that those who have a history or are currently struggling with them may relapse because the world feels so out of control right now. Learning to get comfortable with eating regularly also involves consistent access to food and working with RDNs to establish a healthy meal plan. Panic-buying and stocking up on groceries can threaten that.
"Going to a grocery store and seeing empty shelves [and] no longer having access to food, it's almost like scarcity, which can also trigger eating disorder behaviors," Lytwyn said.
Seeing content about the need to stay fit to avoid gaining weight during quarantine or social distancing can also be triggering for eating disorder recovery. While staying active is important right now, so is treating your body with compassion.
"You exercise program and routine is going to look not like it typically does, and we have to be flexible with that," Lytwyn said.
Being inside doesn't mean that you have to be sedentary; there are plenty of ways to stay active while being cooped up in the house. But you don't need to feel pressured to stay a certain size. Again, we're living through an unprecedented pandemic, and that's terrifying. If there's any time to treat yourself with kindness, it's now.
If you do want to exercise at home, Lytwyn suggests following fitness instructors who use body positive language — think phrases like "strength building" instead of "calorie burning." There's nothing wrong with wanting to maintaining a workout routine, as long as you're doing it with a healthy mindset.
Fitness instructors like yoga teacher Irene Pappas, trainer Kaisa Keranen, and dancer Jessie Diaz-Herrera all teach online fitness classes that focus on moving, not losing weight. They show it's possible to stay active without needing to feel guilty for not looking a certain way or being a certain shape.
And when it comes to social media, feel free to joke about your changed eating habits. Just do it with sensitivity! You can still post about how much you're enjoying your snacking. Just keep the weight-related comments to yourself.
"The reality is, this pandemic is affecting so many different people in so many different ways," Lytwyn concluded. "Now is not the time to be insensitively joking about the circumstances that we're in."
If you feel like you’d like to talk to someone about your eating behavior, call the National Eating Disorder Association’s helpline at 800-931-2237. You can also text “NEDA” to 741-741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at the Crisis Text Line or visit the nonprofit’s website for more information.
Topics COVID-19
