Nine Truths Your Eating Disorder Does Not Want You to Know: An Eating Disorder Therapist Perspective

By: Cheri A. Levinson, PhD | EAT Lab Director

1. Food will not hurt you. In fact, food is your route to healing. 

2. Your anxiety, fear, guilt and other emotions will not hurt you. Embrace your emotions and you will start to break free.

3. Your size does not matter. It does not matter. It does not matter. Size does not define who you are or what you can do with your life.

4. Becoming thinner will not make you happy. Running more will not make you happy. Restricting more will not make you happy. Letting go of your eating disorder is the only pathway to happiness.

5. You can and will survive if someone judges you. When it comes down to what matters, people do not care about how big, thin, fat etc. you are. People worry more about themselves than other people. And if they do judge you on how you look, first, it won’t impact your life and second, you probably don’t want to be around them anyway.

6. The more you eat the more energy you will have. The more energy you have the more you can actually enjoy life.

7. You are a unique and special person who does enough and is enough just by being you.

8. Everyone deserves to eat. That voice in the back of your head telling you otherwise is wrong.
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9. Diet culture is an illusion steeped in patriarchy. It’s society’s way of holding you back. It profits large corporations and a corrupt wellness industry. Don’t let it win.  Fight back.