Tess holiday saying she is in recovery from anorexia

Noreenmarie1234

Thoughts?

https://www.today.com/health/tess-holliday-announces-she-recovering-anorexia-t217304

Noreenmarie1234

My thoughts are summed up by coach Greg. But I am wondering if this is just a publicity stunt. She can’t possibly think she could actually have anorexia nervosa....

https://youtu.be/Vs5VaaWTBog

TwistedSassette

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

My thoughts are summed up by coach Greg. But I am wondering if this is just a publicity stunt. She can’t possibly think she could actually have anorexia nervosa....

With her, it could well be a publicity stunt! But does one need to be severely underweight to have/be diagnosed with anorexia nervosa?
According to the Mayo Clinic, these are the emotional & behavioural symptoms:

Emotional and behavioral symptoms
Behavioral symptoms of anorexia may include attempts to lose weight by:
Severely restricting food intake through dieting or fasting
Exercising excessively
Bingeing and self-induced vomiting to get rid of food, which may include the use of laxatives, enemas, diet aids or herbal products

Emotional and behavioral signs and symptoms may include:
Preoccupation with food, which sometimes includes cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating them
Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat
Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating
Eating only a few certain "safe" foods, usually those low in fat and calories
Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals, such as spitting food out after chewing
Not wanting to eat in public
Lying about how much food has been eaten
Fear of gaining weight that may include repeated weighing or measuring the body
Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
Complaining about being fat or having parts of the body that are fat
Covering up in layers of clothing
Flat mood (lack of emotion)
Social withdrawal
Irritability
Insomnia
Reduced interest in sex

It seems to me that these symptoms could well be observed in a person of any size.

In any case, if she's claiming she has anorexia nervosa, I hope that this is a clinical diagnosis, and she's not just saying she has it. It's an awful, awful disorder and should definitely not be used for a publicity stunt, even with good intentions!

Edited to add: I just searched a little and found that there is a separate disorder called atypical anorexia, where the patient has a normal or above normal body weight. Perhaps this is Tess's diagnosis - she doesn't actually say that she has anorexia nervosa.

Speakeasy76

This seems like a publicity stunt...like "Hey, look at me, even big girls can be anorexic." Which, to be classified as having anorexia nervosa, no they can't.

Did she used to have it, before she was big? I mean, I guess that could make sense, but still...

Whatsthemotive

I have mixed emotions about this. I don’t know if she has an eating disorder and I hope that if she does she is getting treatment. And I think our culture does encourage people, especially women snd girls, to try to achieve thinness at the cost of health. But if someone is morbidly obese, losing weight in a sensible way will lead to better health. It’s just not honest to ignore the fact that obesity causes health problems. We should encourage a healthy weight and fitness instead of encouraging excessive thinness or glorifying obesity.

ninerbuff

Lol, yeah she really tried to starve herself since she was little. Unfortunately, her body doesn't show that.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Theoldguy1

Seems like definitely has some sort of mental health issue. She is morbidly obese, hopefully she gets help.

Busy911

ninerbuff wrote: »

Lol, yeah she really tried to starve herself since she was little. Unfortunately, her body doesn't show that.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I'm not sure results from starving oneself would be fortunate..... in fact, it wouldn't be....

Busy911

I think all of these issues would be null if we stopped glorifying celebrities entirely. Who cares what these strangers do or say? I think celebrity obsessions or preoccupation is an illness in and of itself...

wunderkindking

I.

I absolutely know people can be overweight and have anorexia. Weight loss doesn't happen overnight, even if you're starving yourself and starve/binge cycles can be real things, too and it can absolutely stem from psychological disorders, and a disordered relationship with food.

From what I've seen of this woman, though, and her aggressive stance on HAES and some shaming she has done of anyone who wants to lose weight, I suspect she's pulling some kind of damned stunt to prove that trying to lose weight is unhealthy but being obese is fine.

janejellyroll

We've currently defined anorexia so that one can't get that diagnosis if one is above a certain BMI. I think there's a useful discussion about whether or not that's valid -- I'm not an expert, even though I've read some about it.

There's a good (IMO) episode of the podcast "Maintenance Phase" that talks about this exact thing -- how EDs are sometimes categorized in ways that keep overweight and obese people from getting the help that they need.

I think what everyone can agree on is that all kinds of people can develop eating habits and compulsions that keep them from being well. Anyone can have an ED, even if we're currently disagreeing about what to call it. I hope she gets the help that she needs.

Speakeasy76

According to the DSM-V, she wouldn't fit the technical definition of anorexia nervosa at her size. Could she meet all the other criteria and have a disordered relationship with food-yes? Could it prevent people who are overweight from getting the help they need? Yes. When I was a teenager, I would have met all the criteria for anorexia nervosa except for not being "thin" enough, which I developed going from overweight to "normal size" (even at 5'6 115 lbs). By that point I had developed restrict/binge cycles so my weight didn't drop much lower, no matter how hard I tried. So, I can see how having the criteria of "low weight" can be problematic--and getting to a low "enough" weight to be officially diagnosed may even be a goal to which some would aspire.

From what I've seen from her and her body positivity movement, I have a feeling she'll use this as a reason to justify remaining morbidly obese (which I would venture to say could be the result of a disordered relationship with food as well). I mean, it's her body so she can do with it what she wants, but as someone else said, remaining morbidly obese carries risks with at as well that she can't deny.

LB30

Edited to add: I just searched a little and found that there is a separate disorder called atypical anorexia, where the patient has a normal or above normal body weight. Perhaps this is Tess's diagnosis - she doesn't actually say that she has anorexia nervosa.[/quote]

Actually, that is what she did say:

TwistedSassette wrote: »

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

"Y’all don’t know how science & body works huh. My technical diagnosis is anorexia nervosa and yes, I’m still not ashamed. I’m too damn happy for y’all to even come close to dimming my shine."

I suppose it is possible that at one time in her life this was true, but if she were making attempts at recovery, I think the pendulum has swung too far. I do not mean this in a mean or catty way, but it would appear she replaced one extreme for another, which isn't really recovery. Sadly, though, based on various comments she has made over the recent year or so, I'm not buying this claim. I don't think it is so much a publicity stunt, but more like a shield to dismiss any comments about weight/health that may be directed at her. Very similar to how addicts behave when they are in denial and are trying to convince themselves that their situation is beyond their control. And I don't believe for one second she is truly as "happy" as she claims to be.

janejellyroll

Note: I don't think she is saying she is fully recovered, I think she says she is in "recovery," which I read as trying to actively trying to get well in treatment. So I think it's a bit pre-mature for us to speculate that she has replaced one extreme with another. We simply don't know how she might progress from this point in her life.

I don't doubt that she isn't as happy as she has claimed to be: she says in her statement that she's been punishing her body her whole life. I think this is more a commentary on having an ED than it is on her in particular.

gothchiq

I am as skeptical as I can possibly be about her claim to be anorexic. Some type of ED? No doubt. But as claimed.... I think not.

Noreenmarie1234

I just don't know how she can claim to have anorexia her whole life when she is morbidly obese. She may have an ED, but certainly not anorexia nervosa...

wunderkindking

Is this a good point to say that one of the criteria of anorexia is fear of being or becoming fat. Patholoical fear?

...She's either lying about this or has lied about her entire personality to this point.