Dietitian Explains: Why Disordered Eating Happens In Midlife

Dr. Ruth Machin hosts dietician Lorelei Sturm, to talk about a very widespread but little talked-about issue:

Change is the opposite of stability

First things first, about disordered eating vs eating disorders: an eating disorder is a diagnosable mental health condition, while disordered eating refers to unhealthy or inconsistent eating patterns that may or may not develop into an eating disorder.

It may seem a pedantic quibble, but it’s actually useful to be able to separate a non-ideal behavior from a more baked-in problem.

• Disordered eating patterns can include: skipping meals, going long periods without eating, cutting out entire food groups without a scientifically sound plan, eating chaotically, or having an overall unbalanced diet.
• Warning signs of an eating disorder can include: persistent fear of weight gain, an intense drive for thinness, obsessive thoughts about food, compulsive calorie counting, anxiety around eating, and avoiding social situations involving food. In particular, eating alone or in secret, hiding food, binge-eating, purging, or other extreme eating behaviors generally indicate an eating disorder.

With that in mind, what’s this about midlife?

Hormonal changes commonly alter body shape, making it unrealistic to expect a 55-year-old body to resemble a 25-year-old one. Yes, it can be done by some people, but there are many factors involved, some of which are modifiable and some of which aren’t, and while healthy eating and healthy lifestyle changes are certainly worthwhile, they do not guarantee weight loss because like we say, there are a lot more factors than just that.

Consequently, many women spend years learning to accept their bodies, only to face new insecurities when menopause changes their shape again, and to make matters worse for this generation than ones before, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs broadly increase pressure on women who choose not to use them but still feel they should achieve similar results through dieting.

For more on all of this including what to do about it in yourself or a loved one, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like:

Eating Disorders: More Varied (And Prevalent) Than People Think

Take care!