Some scholars see eating disorders as an adaptation to “fitting in” to a society based on “physical appearances” but I see it as a suffering based mind virus materializing because of an equal need to fit in……but it’s a need to fit into a society obsessed with suffering and playing small. Our society doesn’t encourage change, evolution or ascension….not in the slightest. So children are simply often forced to become the worst versions of themselves because it’s the only freedoms they’re permitted. Children who exhibit eating disorders often come from hard core religious households (or have attended religious schooling in their early years) and have parents who also self abuse……..with junk food, alcohol, cigarettes, over exercise, narcotics, meds and many other forms of acceptable self abuse inside our highly dysfunctional society.

This very young author is a former eating disorder participant and she lends great insight into the mind of someone with an eating disorder. She also describes how she rose up to her full potential one day, instead of staying stuck in the cycle of playing small and being less than what she was capable of. She describes herself as a “perfectionist”, which she believes was driving her abusive behavior. Perfectionism is more in line with “chronic people pleasing”, which is related to trauma and the need to please everyone in your environment, in order to reduce the chance of further attack. Perfectionism in these cases is never about being “perfect”, it’s about trying to please everyone because you’ve experienced so much trauma that you make sure everyone loves you, as the most logical way to protect yourself. Since being dysfunctional doesn’t threaten anyway, the child under achieves as a way to never be judged. A great book and interview by a very young author. Well done.