Recovery: Reclaiming Your Life from the "Energy Vampire"

If you’ve ever watched What We Do in the Shadows, you’re probably familiar with Colin Robinson. Unlike his fellow vampires who go for the jugular, Colin is an energy vampire. He feeds by boring or frustrating people—monologuing about tax codes or the history of the pencil—until his victims are literally slumped over, drained of their […]

Atypical Anorexia: Anorexia in a Larger Body

Did you know that you can have anorexia, even in a larger body? Atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN) is a serious diagnosis with a clear clinical profile. It’s a profile of someone organizing life around restriction in ways that have begun to affect their ability to function at work or to be present with the people […]

Eating Disorders in Sport: Risk, Recognition, and Care

Eating disorders affect athletes at every level of competition, at rates that exceed the general population, and they are treatable. Yet they remain among the most underidentified and underaddressed conditions in sport. Athletes have always represented something larger than themselves. Soviet ballet dancers carried their country's cultural identity in their bodies; defection was a geopolitical […]

Social Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders: What the Research Is Really Telling Us

It’s no longer surprising to hear that social media use is linked to body image concerns and eating disorders—especially among adolescents and young adults. Over the last decade, research has consistently shown that image-driven platforms can intensify appearance comparison, disordered eating behaviors, and mental health challenges. As social media becomes increasingly embedded in daily life, […]

When Failure Means Freedom: Diet Programs and Disordered Eating

Diet culture calls it dedication. Eating disorder treatment calls it restriction. One woman followed Weight Watchers for 12 years, became a lifetime member, and did everything the program asked of her. She was successful by every measure the program used. She also developed an eating disorder. The Making of a Model Member I started Weight […]

Respecting Your Body in Eating Disorder Recovery

An important component of eating disorder recovery is learning to respect your body. Our culture's obsession with dieting fuels the belief that, if you restrict and sacrifice enough, you can achieve a smaller body size. The reality, though, is that 95% of dieters regain weight over time. Bodies resist chronic restriction and have genetically influenced […]

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