Food is often seen as merely a tool to supplement our nutritional needs, no more than a tedious distraction to our daily lives. This has led to great neglect on the issues that food presents to humans and our bodies. However, new research and greater visibility about food related issues has allowed us to better understand how food impacts our bodies, including the mental and physical effects it can take on us. We have also gained a greater understanding of how society and outside factors influence food related issues such as eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. New studies also show that certain demographics have been vastly under researched and undertreated when it comes to eating disorders (Thompson, 1992). These new discoveries have allowed us to better diagnose and study food and its impacts on our body, hopefully paving the way for increased visibility and treatment throughout society.

https://www.oasisrecovery.org.uk/addiction/behavioural/eating-disorders/

For the longest time, food related issues have been seen as an issue that only plagues upper middle class white women, but Becky Wangsgaard Thompson, author of A Way Outa No Way (1992), explains the progress being made in the field “Until recently, however, there has been almost no research about eating problems among African-American, Latina, Asian-American, or Native American women, working-class women, or lesbians.” (p. 2) Newer studies have examined these populations better than in past research, which has revealed that these demographics often suffer similar or even higher rates of eating disorders. For example, Latina women suffer anorexia at higher levels than white women do (M. Ford, personal communication, October 8, 2024). Furthermore, cultural expectations within these demographics can play heavy roles in influencing what people choose to eat.

https://restore-mentalhealth.com/can-you-rehab-eating-disorders

Another interesting revelation from newer studies is that the food we eat influences our mood, and vice versa (M. Ford, personal communication, October 8, 2024). For example, when people feel depressed, they tend to gravitate towards “comfort foods” which tend to be warmer and softer foods. This food-mood connection works in many different ways, as almost every mood or type of food can represent a certain feeling within the body. Eating food based on mood can lead to bad habits such as overeating, binging, or coping with food (M. Ford, personal communication, October 8, 2024). Perhaps the most revealing data from these newer studies is that dieting, previously thought to be the best solution to eating disorders, actually fails most of the time and can lead to more drawbacks than positives (M. Ford, personal communication, October 8, 2024). By opening up our eyes to new viewpoints and expanding the populations in which we collect and consider data from, we can greatly increase our understanding of issues that plague our world.

 

References

Thompson, B.W. (1992).  “A Way Outa No Way”: Eating Problems among African-American, Latina, and White Women. Gender and Society, 6(4), 546–561. www.jstor.org/stable/189725.