Why We Need To Stop Normalizing ED Culture in College

12-25% of college women will struggle with an eating disorder where many most likely won’t seek treatment, and 40% of incoming freshmen will already have some experience struggling with disordered eating.

These numbers are scary, right? As scary as they are, though, they’re unfortunately true. I recently came across this statistic in an Instagram post on my feed, which has since changed my overall perspective on having a healthy relationship with food and your body.

This post, in the form of an infographic, explained how the normalization of eating disorder culture in college has become more common and why it needs to stop. They go further into explaining how certain phrases that are often said by college students are harmful to the other person receiving the comment.

(Source: @haleytoch on Instagram)

This post struck me for many different reasons. As someone who’s personally struggled to have a healthy relationship with food, I felt like I could easily relate to everything the creator was explaining in their post. Being a college student while going through the recovery process at the same time is arguably one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do, because even simple comments like these can erase my progress and shoot me back to square one. For once, I felt like my struggles were being recognized and legitimized, because I’d always believed that something was wrong with me for having too strong or emotional reactions towards these comments.

Another thing that struck me from the infographic were some phrases I would have never guessed to contribute to the normalization of eating disorder culture. Since coming to college, I’ve become so used to terms such as the “freshman fifteen” and “pulling trig” as they’re almost embedded into the everyday language for college students. I’ve found that conversations with my friends comparing our workouts and how much we accomplished to simply be another typical conversation. Yet after reading this post, I’m surprised at how I never could see how even these common phrases are harmful, especially since they’re used so often.

If there’s one thing I want you to take away from reading this, it’s that you have the power and the time to put an end to this normalization.

That’s right, YOU have the power. You have the ability to avoid using this language, to become more educated on eating disorders, and to hold others accountable who might not be aware of how toxic and harmful their words can be for people in recovery.

This might sound like a lot to do, but it actually can go a long way towards helping those around you. Eating disorders aren’t always visible and don’t take a specific form; they can affect anyone and can affect them in different ways. While some might be further along into recovery and have the strength to be more vocal about it, others might try to hide it because they feel ashamed or embarrassed, or they might not even be aware of it. And if you relate to the latter: you’re not alone, because I see you and I’m here supporting you, and am always willing to talk and be a friend (say hey in the comments!)

So next time before you compare the amount of food on your plate to your friend’s, think about the impact your words will have. Understand that your words might have a stronger effect on them than you realize, because all of our relationships with food are significantly different. But most importantly, acknowledge how this language ultimately perpetuates the normalization of eating disorders, especially in college.

If you or a loved one is currently struggling with an eating disorder, or if you would like more information, visit the National Eating Disorders Association's official website at https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/.