Can veganism lead to eating disorders (article)?

sarko15

This is a super old article, but I just came across this recently, as I just started following said blogger on Instagram, and really wanted to share it: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-22577/can-veganism-lead-to-eating-disorders-a-nutritionist-weighs-in.html

I'm a vegetarian, dabbling vegan, and want to share this in every new plant-based/raw/vegan/gluten free thread that ends up just being a list of unnecessary restrictions. I love my eating patterns and lifestyle, and of course would advocate for it, but man, it's not meant to be a restriction "diet" that labels foods good or bad. There are ethical reasons, but meat or dairy isn't inherently "bad," at least for most, and I don't know how many vegans would disagree.

"When a client tells me they follow a vegetarian or vegan diet I want to know the “why" — not because I necessarily believe they need to be eating meat, dairy, and eggs to be healthy but because allowing them to restrict "fear foods" could subsequently allow an eating disorder to persist. "

What do you think?

shelleyrhoads

People who have eating disorders have a serious medical/psychological condition. They often diet and use restrictions as a reason to validate the eating disorder. This can be said for any diet. Veganism does not cause said disorder. Personally I think that this is a ploy to sell more books.

That being said I have not read the book, I have heard about it from others.

Christine_72

shelleyrhoads wrote: »

People who have eating disorders have a serious medical/psychological condition. They often diet and use restrictions as a reason to validate the eating disorder. This can be said for any diet. Veganism does not cause said disorder. Personally I think that this is a ploy to sell more books.

That being said I have not read the book, I have heard about it from others.

Yeah, I agree. You're either susceptible to this mental condition or you're not, any way of eating will trigger it. I love food too much to ever become an anorexic, and i also like a variety of different foods to ever unhealthily cut any out.

Alatariel75

I agree that in my (limited) experience, it's been the other way around - people with an eating disorder have adopted a vegan lifestyle in order to a) control the food they do take in and/or b) as a "legitimate" reason for them not to eat in company

Julia_Emm

I suspect veganism might not trigger it, but I have known a couple of people with eating disorders who I suspect became vegan to disguise/mask their eating disorder. It's much easier to explain away your reasons for not eating when you're out with friends at a restaurant and most of the food on the menu isn't suitable for vegans. I also know vegans who certainly don't have an eating disorder!

livingleanlivingclean

Christine_72 wrote: »

shelleyrhoads wrote: »

People who have eating disorders have a serious medical/psychological condition. They often diet and use restrictions as a reason to validate the eating disorder. This can be said for any diet. Veganism does not cause said disorder. Personally I think that this is a ploy to sell more books.

That being said I have not read the book, I have heard about it from others.

Yeah, I agree. You're either susceptible to this mental condition or you're not, any way of eating will trigger it. I love food too much to ever become an anorexic, and i also like a variety of different foods to ever unhealthily cut any out.

my love of food actually made me scared of food, and was part of what caused me to restrict things (to the point of being orthorexic). it was an all or nothing thing - I was never vegan/vegetarian, but limited myself to certain foods because they were better/healthier than others, and I needed to stay ridiculously lean after losing a lot of weight (I thought it was pretty). if I didn't have the rules, I could have eaten anything (and everything) and ended up back where I started, I didn't understand or think "moderation" was ok or healthy!

if someone has the same type of personality, I agree that rules can be applied to any way of eating - I do think that often those with eating disorders use veganism as a way to control their diet though, as a way to hide their controlling behaviour behind the diet rules.

comptonelizabeth

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I agree that in my (limited) experience, it's been the other way around - people with an eating disorder have adopted a vegan lifestyle in order to a) control the food they do take in and/or b) as a "legitimate" reason for them not to eat in company

I think this is probably spot on. I know someone who works in an eating disorder clinic and she claims that many patients say they are vegan/vegetarian to explain their eating habits and avoid eating in company.
(That's not to say that people with EDs may not have perfectly valid,ethical reasons for following a vegan lifestyle)

Orphia

People think they have to starve themselves or restrict their choice of foods to lose weight.

You could say that eating disorders are a "natural progression" of the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry.

I'm so thankful I found MFP's free app and eating the foods I love in moderation within my calorie limit.

Veganism is a nice vague ideology, but every vegan is different, and you can't say Veganism per se causes anything in general.

singingflutelady

Orphia wrote: »

People think they have to starve themselves or restrict their choice of foods to lose weight.

You could say that eating disorders are a "natural progression" of the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry.

I'm so thankful I found MFP's free app and eating the foods I love in moderation within my calorie limit.

Veganism is a nice vague ideology, but every vegan is different, and you can't say Veganism per se causes anything in general.

Eating disorders were around before the multi million dollar weight loss industry. It's a mental illness not a lifestyle choice no matter how much the pro ana people claim it is.

jadetravers

I know people who have decided to become vegetarian/ vegan so they could eat less without people questioning it. The eating disorder was there first though.
I am anorexic and I only eat a small range of foods which in turn has lead to an almost vegetarian lifestyle. But again this was as a result of the anorexia that is already there.

DietVanillaCoke

sarko15 wrote: »

This is a super old article, but I just came across this recently, as I just started following said blogger on Instagram, and really wanted to share it: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-22577/can-veganism-lead-to-eating-disorders-a-nutritionist-weighs-in.html

I'm a vegetarian, dabbling vegan, and want to share this in every new plant-based/raw/vegan/gluten free thread that ends up just being a list of unnecessary restrictions. I love my eating patterns and lifestyle, and of course would advocate for it, but man, it's not meant to be a restriction "diet" that labels foods good or bad. There are ethical reasons, but meat or dairy isn't inherently "bad," at least for most, and I don't know how many vegans would disagree.

"When a client tells me they follow a vegetarian or vegan diet I want to know the “why" — not because I necessarily believe they need to be eating meat, dairy, and eggs to be healthy but because allowing them to restrict "fear foods" could subsequently allow an eating disorder to persist. "

What do you think?

I know a girl that has serious body image issues that keeps wanting to go vegan but she doesn't have the discipline to do so. Which is a major concern because If she finally was able to stick to it for more than a day she would not eat right to get the correct nutrients. She's also been bulimic, though she claims puking after eating a whole cake is fine and it's just called "purging". She also starves herself.. she keeps doing "detox drink" diets and a few other horrible things. Worst part, she's about to become a GP. I can see vegan being a gate way into serious eating disorders when people think it's a good way to lose weight and my family was vegan for 8 years. I don't disagree with people going vegan.. I do keep seeing it in teen mags as a way to lose weight and i think that's where there's wrong information and it's getting a bad rap.

coreyreichle

I think any overly restrictive dietary program be either a trigger for an eating disorder, or be used to mask one. I also think a completely rule-free dietary program can either be a trigger for an eating disorder, or be used to mask one.

burnsdesi

I think the two are mutually exclusive. You need to already have an eating disorder to turn veganism, or any way of eating, for that matter, into disordered eating. Eating a plant-based diet itself is not a type of unhealthy/disordered eating.

MaybeLed

I know someone who tells everyone she's gluten free so she has a 'legitimate' reason to avoid office cake and biscuits even though she’s not.

I can see how people with disordered eating patterns could use vegan/vegetarianism as an excuse not to participate. Just like I’ve heard someone with an ED used excuses as ‘I ate at home’, ‘I’m allergic’ etc. If you want to become vegan for ethical reasons, go for it. make sure you research your nutrition and see how you feel.

I think it’s a reasonable question for a dietician to ask ‘why are you doing this?’ The psychology of ED relies on deception, saying ‘I’m vegan’ rather than ‘I have anorexia’ just adds a layer of that deception.

cmtigger

I have known people who used a diet with a lot of restrictions like veganism to hide an eating disorder. I don't think it triggered the eating disorder in most of them, but was used to hide it. I think it could trigger an eating disorder in some people, but not most- there are other factors needed before it gets that serious.

WickedPineapple

I agree with everyone else that it would be much more likely for someone who already has an ED to use a very restrictive diet (not just vegan) to rationalize their disorder, both to them self as well as others.

My n=1, I worked with a guy who said he was vegetarian. I didn't think anything of it, until he mentioned he only eats three things (ever) and that meat made him physically ill. And these three things were not general like plants, eggs, and dairy; it was very specific (I think blueberry poptarts were one).

SoDamnHungry

Pretty much anything can lead to an eating disorder if you're inclined to have one. People who struggle with control issues or negative body image going vegan would be more likely to develop one than a perfectly happy and confident person.