Eating disorders do not care about the colour of our skins.

The importance of anti-discriminatory practice in eating disorder therapy is vital and the idea that eating disorders target white, well-educated, middle-class females is as outdated as it is incorrect. The stereotypical anorexic portrayed in the media of the white malnourished individual looking emancipated and near death may sell papers, however, it is far from reality, and we must endeavour to submit a portrayal of the truth. For the record, a significant number of anorexics present in an average or even a larger body and yet their thoughts and behaviours are as tormenting and controlling as those who are seen to be ‘wasting away’. 

Following on from the latter, eating disorders are nonselective and can affect anyone of any race and of any colour, of that we can be sure. Eating disorders rampage through Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC), the reality being that within Black, Indigenous, and people of colour community can go undetected because of BIPOC identity.

Point to consider:

·      People of colour with self-acknowledged eating and weight concerns are significantly less likely than white participants to have been asked by a doctor about eating disorder symptoms, despite similar rates of eating disorder symptoms across ethnic groups. (Becker, 2003)

·      Black teenagers are 50% more likely than white teenagers to exhibit bulimic behaviour, such as bingeing and purging. (Goeree, Sovinsky, & Lorio, 2011)

·      Eating disorders have historically been associated with heterosexual, young, white females, however, they affect people from all demographics of all ethnicities at similar rates.

·      People of colour –especially African Americans – are significantly less likely to receive help for their eating issues.

·      The most prevalent eating disorder across the BIPOC groups is binge eating disorder. Anorexia can and does show itself, however, it is less prevalent.

·      Black/African American Hispanic/Latinx and Asian American women report higher rates of bulimia than non-Hispanic/White women

·      Asian American women report higher laxative abuse than any other group

·      Black/African American women report less compulsive excessive exercising than non-Hispanic White women.

·      Individuals with Black or African American identities tend to report weight concerns but not body shape concerns. They also report less drive for thinness.

·      Hispanic /Latinx women tend to report striving for a body shape that is slender but curvy and not the ultra-thin version often so fought for in our western society.

We need more understanding in this field and more psychoeducation. Furthermore, it is of vital importance that we do more research with individuals who have a BIPOC identity and suffer from eating disorders so that they are no longer missed in the ever expanding race to get sufficient funding and treatment for those suffering with the trauma of an eating disorder and whose lives are often ruined if recovery remains elusive.