Forgive the hiatus on this blog, folks. I’ve been off in the wilds of Washington teaching creative writing to my Goddard MFA students. Plus I’ve been buried in a writing project that’s taken over my life.
But I’ve been watching a thread on one of my listservs about the largely unspoken linkage between the various food movements and the eating disorders world. Advocates for slow food and locally grown food are beginning to align themselves with the folks who promote intuitive eating, and all these groups support activists and researchers such as Yale’s Kelly Brownell Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy , who are fighting Big Fast Corporate Food.
Simultaneously, I’ve been corresponding with a woman who has a long history of eating disorders – as well as organic farming, fishing, and wilderness living. Her perspective reminds me that the fixation on food with eating disorders can assume countless masks – including masks that appear noble, wholesome, and healthy to anyone who does not struggle with eating disorders.
For people with eating disorders, the ultimate challenge is not to eat better or even more wisely, but to bring food and weight into perspective within a balanced and authentic life. The most difficult aspect of this question of slow/local/responsible food advocacy for folks with eating disorder histories is the emotion that’s driving the advocacy. When people engage in these movements out of fear or anger, they will only play into the eating disorder, producing more obsession, restriction, and imbalance. If, on the other hand, the advocacy is driven by love of the outdoors, passion for gardening, delight in fresh and healthy eating, connection to farmers and food producers, and a sense of genuine community involvement, well then, what’s not to like?
Alas, there’s no simple single answer. It comes down to the individual. And the question each of us has to ask ourselves is, what do we love? What makes us feel more connected, more grounded, more centered, and more whole? How do we best express ourselves? How do we feel most engaged in life and our communities? For some people, food is the fuel we need to pursue our true passions. For others, food preparation, production, study, or policy may be the true passion – or a big part of it. But as with beauty and fashion, one size does NOT fit all, nor should it.
In one of my projects, I’ve been writing about the chef Wolfgang Puck, who has quite a remarkable story of his own. He fled an abusive stepfather as a boy and found refuge in the kitchens of restaurants in his native Austria, then rose to become one of the most successful chefs and entrepreneurs in America. And I think the motto he’s created speaks volumes about the priorities that have made him this gigantic success. It’s a motto – in just this order –that we would all do well to embrace: LIVE – LOVE – EAT
Hello Aimee Liu-
I have just discovered your blog, and am so happy I did. In this particular posting, you have named so well the complexity of recovery and moving on from an eating disorder. My own work is as a psychologist, having specialized in the treatment of ED's for over 20 years. When folks have moved beyond the acute treatment stages of an ED, I believe that complexity, flexibility and balance are three of the essential goals (and huge struggles!) for so many. My own writing is focusing on the "moving beyond" phases. Some readers of this blog might be interested in checking out my ebook, "Leaving the Labyrinth: 25 Activities for Living Well After an Eating Disorder", which highlights some of the same issues you name in your blog (more info at http://www.susaneallen.net).
Thank you for your wisdom, and I look forward to returning often and referring my clients to your site.
Dr. Susan Allen
Newburyport, MA
Posted by: Susan Allen | March 01, 2010 at 07:53 AM