Eating Disorders in Black Women

Certain eating disorders --anorexia and bulimia-- are under-represented by black women, but severe overeating is also an eating disorder and it is very common in this community. Any unhealthy relationship with food deserves a spotlight.
-The Spinsterlicious Life

I never considered this. I am enlightened

Addendum: doesn't mean it is a normal way to deal with anxiety!

I DO listen to my psychotherapist, Dr. Warnica! :)

Hurting oneself is a way of relieving anxiety. Whether it be by cutting, starving, or whatever. There is relief found in hurting oneself when thereis no other way to find it ( relief).

Even in my women studies classes, eating disorders were often presented as a "rich, white girl" problem.

Okay - thnx I just always thought we all were women. AND, I am not trying to act like one of those who knows no color. I realize there are specific genetic differences. But come on - eating disorders?

Here's a quick way for you to see how eating disorders are covered. Go to google image search and search first for eating disorders. Then change your image search to anorexia. Then change it to bulimia. How many of those images show women of color? Not many. That is what this story is about. The lack of information, stories and discussion around this issue and how it manifests itself in women of color. That's why this is a story about race and why it's important that we talk about this. - Denise

If women were women, then there would be a full discussion on how eating disorders affect all women, not just a certain audience. Not everyone with a disorder looks like an Olsen twin or Karen Carpenter. Take the blinders off, seeing color isn't always a bad thing, especially when it comes to educating people.

Merik, because it's not typical for a PoC to be mentioned/portrayed/shown as having an eating disorder, unless it's specifically on the topic of obesity.

Why are our eating disorders ordered by color?