For the week of awareness of feeding disorders, I love the issue of mental health of the United States this year «,Convert awareness into action«To honor our collective progress in the advancement of mental health by identifying the challenges» convert understanding into significant steps towards change. «
We cannot act, we cannot bring changes, if we do not know for the first time. I know that this is true about eating disorders, the second most dead of all mental health conditions. As executive director of With everyoneWhere we create awareness not only about eating disorders, but of what we adults can help prevent young people from developing eating disorders, we know that increasing consciousness is necessary but insufficient. We must also equip adults with the simple and specific forms that we can all act, now, to support young people with their body image and food relationship, if we are going to live free of body dissatisfaction, which often is where eating disorders begin.
And let’s be real: it is hard work to raise awareness about the mortal mental health conditions with risk factors that are integrated into our culture as admirable or «healthy.» As a friend once told me, an excellent way to ruin a good party is with a speech about the devastating effects of eating disorders!
Because we are human, our brains with cognitive inertia will resist any new information that challenges the status quo because it requires more work for the brain. In addition, who wants to think of all the time we have invested in the multigenerational myth that everyone can have the «ideal body» with sufficient will and discipline? It is such a massive and widely believed myth that the cost (time, money and lives) is incalculable.
What can we do to raise awareness and inform the action in doing so is equivalent to push against human nature and an entire culture? How do we help people to see that admiring and trying to have those «ideal bodies» is a main recipe for negative self -esteem, negative self -esteem, depression, anxiety, disorderly diet and eating disorders? How the hell to raise awareness and provide clear and processable steps on such a difficult topic? In everything, as we continue learning and growing, this is what we have found that it is useful:
- Involve people with the elements that are so personally related to as many people as possible. For example, even if one has never been diagnosed with a clinical eating disorder, it does not mean that they are not familiar with eating disorder behaviors. Body dissatisfaction, diet and weight loss efforts are elements that are part of eating disorders. Body dissatisfaction is generalized, unfortunately. For that reason, to involve more people to generate awareness and action, he created bodily dissatisfaction «With all talk«That includes specific tips to change these conversations.
- Provide concrete and processable steps that people can take to support mental health, for them and for others. The «body dissatisfaction» phrase seems vague and amorphous. We knew we needed to break down the issue in something concrete and processable. So we did it by creating the «Three simple changes«Guide to end body dissatisfaction, for you and for young people.
- Once you have committed to new people, make sure that the tools they provide for action are applicable to each audience. And remember that everyone has very busy lives, so keep it clear and simple, and relevant based on their unique role in the community. Withall has done this for coaches, parents, pediatricians and teachers. You can learn more here: www.withall.org/resources
