In 2024, Mental Health was chosen as a health priority for Green County, one of the main health issues the community needs to address. According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), eating disorders have the second-highest mortality rate among mental health conditions, with one person dying from an eating disorder every 52 minutes in the United States. This mental illness is often overlooked, but it impacts millions of Americans.
Eating Disorder Awareness Week is from February 24th to March 2nd this year. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) declared this year’s theme “The Time is Now.” This week is meant to educate people about the realities of eating disorders and provide hope to people struggling with them. Increasing awareness of eating disorders can help reduce stigma, connect people to the help they need, and improve the likelihood of recovery from eating disorders.
There are a few different types of eating disorders, but they are all serious illnesses that include extreme disturbances in a person’s eating behaviors. Eating disorders might cause a fixation or obsession with weight loss, body weight or shape, or controlling food intake. An eating disorder can impact people of any age, weight, gender, or other identities, and you can’t tell that someone has an eating disorder just by looking at them. People don’t choose to have an eating disorder, just like people don’t choose to have depression, or how people do not choose to break a bone. We’re not yet sure what the exact causes of eating disorders are, but researchers think it may be a combination of genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors.
Eating disorders can have significant long-term health effects on people. Some of the complications people might have include other mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or substance use disorders. Some people may experience gastrointestinal issues as a result of eating disorders due to disturbances in regular digestion. Low levels of iron as a result of an eating disorder can lead to Anemia, which includes fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath. Not consuming enough calories or enough of one type of nutrient can lead to various issues, such as hair falling out, a decrease in white blood cells, making it more difficult to fight infections, and an inability to maintain a regular body temperature. There are several other health issues people may experience depending on their situation.
There is hope for people struggling with an eating disorder, just like there is hope for people dealing with any mental illness. Talking to your primary healthcare provider is a good place to start to get help with an eating disorder, they may be able to refer you to eating disorder treatment. Green County also has several local mental health providers who may be able to work with people with an eating disorder or help connect them to eating disorder-specific services. To find local mental health resources, check out the Green County Community Resource Guide on the Green County Public Health website and view the “Mental Health” section of the guide: wi-greencounty.civicplus.com/404/Resources. Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis can call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 or text Crisis Text Line: “HOME” to 741-741.
To learn more about eating disorders and other eating disorder resources, visit the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) website:nationaleatingdisorders.org/ or the National Institutes of Mental Health website:nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders#hts-findhelp.
— Bridget Zimmerman is the Public Health Educator for the Green County Public Health Department and can be reached at bzimmerman@greencountywi.org or 608-328-9509.
