The 12 Step program is modelled on black and white thinking - either you are abstaining, or you are engaging in your addiction. This works for substance abuse, as there is no safe amount of heroin, for example, to consume. But eating disorder recovery is about helping clients “find space in the grey”, and challenging black and white/all or nothing thinking. This rigid idea that promotes perfection is highly problematic psychologically, too. Your relationship with food will be nuanced, and organically changing day to day.
The abstinence model inadvertently promotes the idea that certain foods are the cause of binge eating disorder, or, conversely, if you just find the “perfect” way to eat, you will no longer binge.
Eating disorders often start with subtle changes—small shifts in mood, habits, or eating patterns that can easily blend into the everyday challenges of adolescence. There is also still a lot of stereotyping about eating disorders, and what they “look” like, so if your child doesn’t “look” like they have an eating disorder, it can be even harder to imagine that you might be dealing with ED.
Health at Every Size (HAES) is an approach to health and wellness that promotes acceptance of diverse body sizes and emphasizes adopting healthy habits rather than focusing solely on weight control for health. It challenges the traditional paradigm that equates thinness with health and instead encourages individuals to prioritize behaviors that support overall well-being. Simply controlling weight (keeping it low) does not make a person healthy. In fact, many people will adopt unhealthy or extreme behaviors to maintain a lower weight than their natural SET POINT.
Why do we see a decline in health while people wait to be admitted into care?
Why do symptoms and behaviors ramp up, not down (or at least stay status quo) once there is a light at the end of the tunnel, a promise of treatment?
