A Dietitians Journey with Disordered Eating
A personal story by Nadia Fathinia (APD)
A lot of people think dietitians are the food police. In most cases, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Aspiring dietitians get into this field of work for many reasons. For me, it was originally a distorted view of the power of food. Let me explain.
Growing up, there were so many societal and family pressures to be slim. From Barbie, to shows like Friends making fun of ‘fat Monica’, to my own mum always wanting to ‘lose the last kilo to be happy with her body’, to boys finally giving me attention when I was in a smaller body. For men, it’s about being ‘manly’, which almost always equates to very lean and muscular bodies.
No wonder about 1/3 Aussie teens struggle with disordered eating.
All of this led to me having what I believe was undiagnosed anorexia nervosa. I won’t get into the details of what I did to change my body, but what I can tell you is that I remember taking a photo in a bikini shop and thinking I was extremely fat (you could see my ribs). I didn’t buy the bikini because of that.
Despite my academic and sporting achievements, I would fall asleep in class, my eczema was all over the shop, hair was thinning and I was often very irritable, particularly towards my loved ones. I got into dietetics thinking how powerful food was to help with weight loss. Boy was I wrong!!!
Only through my degree did I start to understand that food is so much more than a tool to be slim. It is fuel, it is cultural, it is celebratory, it is soulful, it is love, it is connection. I am now thankfully in a place where I feel strong and confident in my body and include all foods in balance. But this took me years to get to.
If you are struggling with your relationship with food and body image, come chat to one of our friendly dietitians to help achieve food freedom. Remember, we aren’t the food police! See here for some helpful tips on understanding and improving your body image: Boosting body image - Butterfly Foundation
In the meantime, let’s break the cycle of the thin/manly ideal and try out these tips to change the dialogue:
Don’t comment on someone’s weight/body shape – instead, compliment their energy, their cool clothes, their actions etc. Remember that weight loss or gain can stem from many reasons such as a health condition (like cancer, thyroid issues, PCOS etc), eating disorder, depression, lack of food security and more.
If someone comments on your body/weight, you can try saying “I know you mean well, but I don’t find that comment helpful”. Something I use with my grandma now when she asks if I have lost weight is “I am not keeping track of it, so I have no idea! But I am achieving ______ in my life now which is making me feel good”.
Change what you see on social media – do a social media cleanse of all accounts that promote fad diets and food restricition. Some good accounts to follow on Instagram are @abbeyskitchen, @gracefield.dietitian, @fuellingperformance, @clean.kweens, @certified.nutrition and @wardnutrition
Remember you (and others) are more than just your weight!
