Eating Disorders and Medical Stigma: When the Place We Seek Help Hurts Us

Imagine finally gathering the courage to say out loud:

“I’m afraid of food.” “I’m scared of gaining weight.” “I can’t stop purging.”

And then being told:

“You don’t look like you have an eating disorder.”   Or “Your BMI is still in the healthy range, so just keep doing what you’re doing.”

For someone with an eating disorder, comments like these reinforce shame, silence, and secrecy — the very things that help the illness thrive.

One of the cruelest myths about eating disorders is that they only affect thin, young, white girls. The truth? Eating disorders don’t discriminate. They show up in every body: across ages, races, genders, and sizes. 

Personally, at the height of my eating disorder, I wasn’t even underweight. I ran 10 km everyday and weight trained. I counted every calorie that entered my body, and when something went in that wasn’t planned, I purged it away. 

I never looked like I had an eating disorder; in fact I got complimented on my appearance more than ever.

What does stigma look like in real life?

• Doctors telling patients in larger bodies to “just keep doing what you’re doing” — even when that “doing” is life-threatening restriction.

• Patients of colour hearing their struggles blamed on “cultural attitudes” instead of recognized mental health conditions.

• Men and nonbinary people never being screened at all, because “it’s mostly a girls’ problem.”

• Health concerns blamed on weight instead of looking deeper.

  
  

The result?  People leave feeling unheard, ashamed, and less likely to reach out again.

It gets worse when biases overlap

Racism, fatphobia, ableism, and transphobia don’t disappear in medical spaces — they get amplified. A Black woman might have her distress ignored. A trans teenager might skip care after repeated misgendering. Someone in a larger body might be told every symptom is because of their weight.

All of it reinforces silence and keeps people sick.

What needs to change?

Education and training: All healthcare providers should learn about the diverse realities of eating disorders and the many ways they show up in different bodies and communities. 

Weight-neutral care: Treat health issues based on symptoms and lab results — not assumptions based on body size. 

Routine screening: Ask about eating behaviors and body image distress in patients of all sizes, genders, and backgrounds. 

Listen first: Believe patients when they share what’s happening. Shame and disbelief only deepen illness.

Hope beyond stigma

Many providers do get it right: they listen, they validate, and they help patients navigate recovery. But too many people still fall through the cracks because of outdated ideas about who “looks” sick.

Breaking the stigma in medical spaces starts with acknowledging it exists. It continues with compassion, curiosity, and a willingness to see every person — no matter what body they live in — as deserving of care.

If you or someone you love is living with an eating disorder and has felt dismissed or shamed by medical professionals, know this: your pain is real, your story matters, and you are not alone.