Dying To Be Skinny - Ruby's Story

7 On Sundays™ Podcast

What are the messages we get about our weight?

Family, parents, peers, doctors, social media, and partners -they all have something to say about the idealized picture of both male and female bodies.

Culture now promotes uber thin bodies (from glycemic control medications for diabetes). As our guest Ruby shares, social media platforms actually teach young followers "how to" self harm (cutting) and "how to" become anorexic. Parents unknowingly, comment on weight and eating patterns of growing teens and miss the signs. Peers, friends, and partners shame individuals around weight, even overtly as Greek life ratings or bullying. Weight related teasing is the most common form of bullying. Kids who are bullied are 1.5 more likely to binge and 1.5 more likely to use extreme methods later.

Often, eating disorders are fueled by a need to be “perfect" and a need to feel control because of past unhealed traumatic experiences.

Eating disorders (restrictive eating and a preoccupation with food, calories, and exercise) are more prevalent than ever before in females ages 18-25.

College is often a perfect storm of many new and distressing variables that can lead to an eating disorder including:

• first time living alone, away from home,

• first time managing your schedule and a new social context,

• first time managing what and when and how much you eat,

• increased workload, less structure, and a change in sleeping/eating patterns

Coupled with:

• lower self esteem and high self expectations

• pressure and preoccupation with body image and weight

• social media feeds that teach techniques for extreme dieting, self harm, and eating disorders

Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, orthorexia) can be deadly–but they are very treatable. In fact, up to 10% of people diagnosed with anorexia will die within 10 years and 20% in 20 years.

Our guest Ruby helps us understand how her eating disorder first developed, how quickly it became extremely dangerous (losing half her body weight), and most importantly, her recovery process.

This is a raw, real conversation with Ruby who shares her feelings about her self starvation and what feeds her hope.

If you or anyone you know needs support and information, please call the

National Eating Disorder Hotline

• 1-800-931-2237.

• Text “NEDA” to 741-741

• 988 (National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline)

Episode Timestamps

[00:01:44] Introduction to Ruby's journey of recovery from self-harm and disordered eating

[00:03:29] Ruby shares how social media negatively impacted her childhood and mental health

[00:04:12] How social media taught her harmful behaviors like self-harm and restrictive eating

[00:05:38] Ruby’s initial attempt at self-harm, her emotional reaction to it, and her family’s response

[00:12:52] The progression from self-harm to eating disorders

[00:13:25] The cultural and medical pressure on body image

[00:21:29] The connection between orthorexia and other eating disorders

[00:26:45] Ruby’s experience of being admitted for treatment of her eating disorder

[00:29:14] The role of parents and friends in recognizing eating disorders

[00:35:17] The impact of childhood teasing and bullying

[00:38:24] Challenging cultural norms and embracing body positivity

[00:42:22] The benefits of therapy and journaling for recovery

[00:43:48] Separating yourself from the diagnosis

[00:50:14] Wrap up