Do Black Women Get Eating Disorders?

Almost every year, I say, “Spreading eating disorder awareness should be a year-long endeavor, not just one week.”

While that still remains true, I’m going to use National Eating Disorder Awareness (NEDA) Week to shout from the rooftops that there NEEDS to be more eating disorder research in marginalized identities.

Because eating disorders do not discriminate based on size, ethnicity, wealth, etc.

They just don’t.

Take a look at the below stats (that haven’t been updated since 2009, at the latest):

– Black women and white women engage in binge eating (8%) and bulimia (1%) at the same rates (Striegel-Moore 1997).

– Black women are 50% more likely to be bulimic than their white peers (Goeree et al 2009).

– The age of onset for anorexia is lower for Black women and the course of the eating disorder is longer (Taylor et al 2007).

– Black women have a higher frequency of laxative/diuretic use to lose weight (Striegel-Moore 1997).

– Girls from families in the lowest income bracket are 153% more likely to be bulimic than girls from the highest income bracket (Goeree et al 2009).

But if you turn on Lifetime or any streaming service, you’re going to see a thin, white woman suffering from an eating disorder.

Not a Black woman, and, certainly, not a fat woman.

Because if you slap an issue on a white woman then the world will pay attention. The research will be conducted. And all of a sudden there are eating disorder statistics available post-2009.

And with everything being a highlight reel on social media, disordered eating habits are more prevalent now than ever. In our fast-moving culture, it’s so easy for something to be at the height of conversation one week and a forgotten fad the next.

I don’t want this to be one of those things.

There needs to be more awareness for Black women with eating disorders because Black women also suffer from eating disorders just as much as white women.

And that’s what I believe I was put on this earth to do—increase awareness of eating disorders/disordered eating and weight-inclusive nutrition counseling in Black communities 💪🏾 

If you know someone suffering from an eating disorder, you are safe here. Or if you are struggling with an eating disorder yourself, YOU are safe here. There are resources I can help you find and access. Contact me.

I can help.