By Humairaa Mayet
Edited by Imaan Moosa
Eating disorders are becoming more prevalent as society and mass media encourages individuals to hate their bodies. We spoke to Lila Bruk, a dietician who has specialised in the treatment of eating disorders about this phenomenon.
An eating disorder is quite possibly one of the most difficult things to combat. You think that what you are doing will be good for you, that it will make you thin, but you do not realise that it will cause unparalleled damage for years to come. There is no room for negotiations and concessions — you are a slave to your need for a body that you have deemed perfect.
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, along with binge eating disorders, are fairly common eating disorders while orthoanorexia nervosa, pica, and rumination are not quite as prevalent. Each eating disorder has its own set of psychological and physical effects.
The treatments of eating disorders are unique both to the disorder and the individual, and often require simultaneous treatment from a therapist and a dietitian.
To EmpowHER spoke to Lila Bruk, a registered dietician based in Johannesburg who focuses extensively on the treatment of eating disorders.
Lila Bruk loves being a dietitian and is incredibly passionate about the work she does. Photo: Instagram.
Bruk holds a Bachelor of Sciences in Molecular and Cell Biology, an Honours in Nutrition and Dietetics, and a Masters in Nutritional Sciences. She has worked as a practicing dietitian for 15 years, over the course of which she has treated dozens of patients suffering from eating disorders.
Eating disorders have been found to affect all demographics for different reasons and the ‘face’ of eating disorders has certainly changed. It is not just middle to upper class white female adolescents who are affected.
According to Bruk, there are myriad factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders which occur predominantly in the formative years of development. These include parental attitudes to weight, whether it be their own, the child's, or others’.
The child's experience of other people's reaction towards their weight in the form of teasing or snide comments, and societal, media, and cultural messages as well as expectations about weight and body shape. Another significant contributor is childhood trauma, particularly of a sexual nature.
Other mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression, are also causes of an eating disorder, in addition to poor body image or a preoccupation with weight or food, explained Bruk.
Unsurprisingly eating disorders have a genetic component to them, much like an array of other mental illnesses. One of the biggest contributors, found in both adolescent and adult men and women, is the need for approval and perfection.
Treatment involves the dietitian educating the patient about balanced eating, said Bruk, as well as debunking their preconceived notions of rules around food and improving their relationship with food. A dietitian, above all, strives to assist the patient in understanding and internalising the importance of good nutrition.
Dietitians provide their patients with either eating plans or broad guidelines, specific to their eating disorders. Whether it be a prescriptive plan or a guideline, the purpose is to develop healthy eating habits without feeding into the patient’s obsession with food and weight.
There needs to be less focus on physical perfection (the photos are usually edited anyway) and less media coverage and praise given to celebrity weight loss stories. There also needs to be less pressure on young girls to ‘grow up too quickly’ and sexualised at a young age. There needs to be a better understanding and awareness of how the messages sent by the media affects the developing psyche of pre-adolescent and adolescent children.
The media, whether it be mainstream or social, plays a massively significant role in the development, even in the treatment, of eating disorders.
On a daily basis, we see dozens, if not hundreds, of pictures and videos depicting men and women who are in possession of so-called ‘ideal’ body proportions. While one may be quick to dismiss these and claim that they have little to no effect on one’s perception of oneself, this is untrue. The media plays — and will continue to play — a massive role in shaping the way individuals perceive themselves.
Finding a work-life balance is incredibly important. Photo: Instagram.
The promotion of a healthy body image is incredibly important, especially for children and adolescents. According to Bruk, there are ways to actively work towards decreasing the risk of developing an eating disorder later in life.
For parents, these include avoiding the topic of weight, promoting exercise as a family activity, and making healthy food accessible and tasty. Parents should also avoid labeling foods as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and should not weigh their children. All of these methods will assist children and adolescents to develop healthy body images.
Ultimately, there is no set time period of recovery from an eating disorder and it really does vary between individuals. However, for many it is a lifelong effort to maintain a positive relationship with food.
A day in the life of Lila Bruk:
I generally start work at about 8:30 am and work until about 5 pm (and often work after-hours too). I host both virtual and in-person consultations and consult on a variety of health issues, including eating disorders, diabetes, high cholesterol, digestive disorders, food allergies, sports nutrition. I also consult the media regularly, which may be in the form of print, online, radio or television. The virtual space opened by Covid has been very exciting, as I now have patients in as far-flung places as Dubai and London.
Follow Lila Bruk on the following:
Instagram: @lilabruk_dietitian
Facebook: LilaBrukDietitian
Check out her website:
Lila Bruk talking about the importance of children having a healthy body image:
Humairaa Mayet is a student of International Relations and Political Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. She is incredibly passionate about issues of social justice and strives to make a difference in the world through as many avenues as possible. She spends her days listening to music, cooking and baking, and raising her plants.
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