How to Stop Glamorizing Eating Disorders in the Media
A Fresh Perspective
As a fat-positive eating disorder therapist, I’ve often observed how the media perpetuates harmful myths and misconceptions about eating disorders. These narratives not only distort public understanding but also contribute to a culture that trivializes the gravity of these illnesses. To move forward, it’s crucial to reframe the way eating disorders are depicted, centering on facts, nuance, and inclusivity.
This blog explores alternative approaches to reshaping media portrayals. By addressing overlooked aspects and offering fresh solutions, we can push the conversation into new and transformative territory.
Avoid the Sensationalism Trap
One of the most damaging ways the media mishandles eating disorders is through sensationalist storytelling. Whether it’s a headline that exaggerates a celebrity’s struggles or a dramatic plotline in a TV show, sensationalism reduces complex human experiences into shock value.
The Problem with Sensationalism:
Sensational stories often prioritize drama over accuracy, portraying eating disorders as extreme or rare events rather than as widespread public health issues.
They focus on the most visible symptoms, such as rapid weight changes, while ignoring the internal suffering and less visible symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, or isolation.
Eating Disorders do not have a look, and by only depicting emaciated images it perpetuates the stereotype that eating disorders only exist in certain bodies.
A Better Approach:
Media creators should consult with professionals and individuals with lived experience to ensure depictions are grounded in reality.
Nuanced storytelling that highlights the emotional and psychological toll of eating disorders can foster greater empathy and understanding.
Shift the Focus Away from Physical Appearance
Eating disorders are too often framed as issues of vanity or appearance, leading to the false perception that they’re about “wanting to be thin.” This narrative not only oversimplifies the causes but also invalidates the experiences of individuals whose struggles don’t align with this stereotype.
Missed Opportunities:
When media emphasizes weight and appearance, it erases the deeper factors driving eating disorders, such as trauma, systemic oppression, or genetic predisposition.
It perpetuates the harmful belief that recovery is synonymous with achieving a specific body size.
What Needs to Change:
Media should emphasize the emotional and relational aspects of eating disorders. For instance, exploring themes of control, perfectionism, or coping mechanisms can deepen audience understanding.
Avoid visual tropes like showing characters obsessively weighing themselves or pinching their stomachs, which reduce complex illnesses to clichéd imagery.
Highlight Structural and Societal Contributors
The media rarely acknowledges the systemic factors that contribute to eating disorders, such as diet culture, fatphobia, and economic inequality. By focusing solely on individual struggles, these portrayals miss an opportunity to critique the broader systems that perpetuate disordered eating.
Key Issues to Address:
Diet Culture: The normalization of restrictive eating and the constant pressure to lose weight are major drivers of disordered behaviors.
Anti-Fat Bias: The stigma against larger bodies creates an environment where individuals feel immense pressure to conform to narrow beauty standards.
Access to Resources: Socioeconomic disparities often determine who gets diagnosed and who has access to treatment, yet this is rarely discussed in media portrayals.
Examples of Change:
Instead of focusing on individual blame, portray how societal norms around food and weight contribute to eating disorders.
Highlight stories of activism and advocacy, such as those working to dismantle fatphobia or promote intuitive eating.
Challenge the “Before and After” Narrative
The “before and after” trope is a staple of media coverage on eating disorders, often showing photos of individuals at their “best” (read: thin) and their “worst” (read: larger or struggling). While these images may grab attention, they are deeply harmful and reductive.
Why It’s Problematic:
It reinforces the idea that thinness is inherently better or healthier.
It ignores the ongoing and nonlinear nature of recovery, which often doesn’t conform to a neat “before and after” arc.
Alternatives to Consider:
Share stories that focus on the internal milestones of recovery, such as rebuilding relationships or rediscovering joy in food.
Use visuals that celebrate diversity in body size, race, and gender, challenging the narrow standards often associated with eating disorders.
Engage with Experts and Communities
Too often, media creators rely on stereotypes or outdated information when depicting eating disorders. Engaging with professionals, activists, and individuals with lived experience can lead to more authentic and respectful portrayals.
Practical Steps:
Collaborate with eating disorder specialists to ensure accuracy and sensitivity.
Include the voices of marginalized communities, such as people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those in larger bodies, to broaden the narrative.
Partner with organizations like ASDAH or the National Alliance For Eating Disorders to vet content and avoid harmful tropes.
Create Space for Diverse Narratives
One of the most effective ways to counteract glamorization is to tell diverse and authentic stories. Eating disorders don’t look the same for everyone, and media should reflect this truth.
Stories That Need to Be Told:
Individuals in larger bodies who face stigma when seeking treatment.
Men and nonbinary individuals whose struggles are often erased.
People of color navigating the intersection of racism and body image issues.
Those who develop eating disorders later in life, challenging the notion that these illnesses only affect teenagers.
Why This Matters:
By expanding the range of stories told, media can break down stereotypes and foster greater inclusivity. Diverse narratives not only resonate with a broader audience but also validate the experiences of those who feel unseen.
Encourage Media Literacy
Finally, it’s important to empower audiences to critically analyze media depictions of eating disorders. Media literacy can help individuals recognize harmful tropes and demand better representations.
How to Promote Media Literacy:
Educate viewers about common myths and stereotypes around eating disorders.
Encourage audiences to seek out accurate information from trusted sources.
Highlight media that gets it right, creating a standard for others to follow.
Final Thoughts…
The media has a responsibility to depict eating disorders accurately and respectfully. By moving away from sensationalism, challenging harmful tropes, and amplifying diverse voices, we can create narratives that educate and inspire rather than harm. As a fat-positive therapist, I’ve seen the profound impact that inclusive and truthful storytelling can have on individuals and communities.
Let’s use the power of media to foster understanding, empathy, and change.
Ready to Challenge the Narrative?
The media’s portrayal of eating disorders has real consequences—and getting it right can save lives. Edie Stark Consulting offers services to media professionals, providing guidance on ethically and accurately depicting eating disorders in their content. Let’s work together to create impactful, stigma-free narratives that honor the complexity of these illnesses.
Reach out today!
Want to learn more about portraying eating disorders ethically in the media?
Check out these blogs!
How the Media Gets it Wrong: A Fat-Positive Therapist’s Perspective
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In addition to media consulting, Edie Stark Consulting offers expert eating disorder support in the following areas:
Business Consulting: Build a thriving, values-based practice that supports both your clients and your lifestyle.
Clinical Consultation: Access ethical, inclusive, and social justice-oriented guidance for your eating disorder work.
Parent Coaching: Navigate your child's recovery with compassionate support and tailored strategies.