Anti-Racism Resources: February 2024 — Eating Disorder Awareness
Compiled by Dawn Clark, NAAFA Board Member
Each month, we feature educational resources in the NAAFA Newsletter to support our community in working to dismantle systemic racism. These resources are also shared on our social media, blog, and website. Resources vary from month to month, and may include historical information, tools for personal reflection, or information about how to get involved and make change. Many of the resources we suggest will be introductory resources, and this information is never intended to be full coverage on the complex and nuanced topics that are chosen each month. We encourage you to continue learning, and we especially hope you will seek out and support scholars, artists, creators, and activists who represent the communities most impacted by the topic of the month.
This month we invite you to join us in exploring resources about Eating Disorder Awareness.
“Eating Disorders only affect white women.” There are many who believe this is true and much of the Eating Disorder Treatment community only seems to cater to white women. The facts are very different. Black teenagers are 50% more likely to display bulimic behaviors than white teenagers according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). In researching this topic, good information was very hard to find and much of what I found was full of anti-fatness. It was also hard trying to find resources that center Black voices. I tried Googling “Black men leading in eating disorder treatment or research” and the top search results were pictures of Black men eating. It is long past due that Black voices are heard and believed in eating disorder treatment spaces and we have to push the community harder to be more inclusive.
Article Recommendations:
It's Time to Correct the Narrative Surrounding Black Girls and Eating Disorders (Please note that this web page has ads.)
Eating Disorders in the Black Community Are More Common Than You Think (This article has good statistics and information, but please be advised that one of the primary contributors also does ob*sity research and has problematic views on the stigmatization of fat People of Color.)
Raising Eating Disorder Awareness Among Black Populations as a Way of Enhancing Recovery
Instagram accounts to follow:
@Bipoc.eatingdisorders (You can also visit their website to find out more about the BiPOC Eating Disorders Conference this July.)
Podcasts to listen to:
My Black Body Podcast (Their podcast is no longer running, past episodes are definitely worth a listen if you’re looking to hear from two people who address Black issues in eating disorders and body image.)