It is often the case that when someone is overweight, we assume that they should just “eat better” or exercise. However, when someone says this, they are often ignoring or overlooking the serious and painful reasons behind their eating habits. While it is important to be aware of the effect of trauma in perpetuating harmful eating habits, it is equally important to not assume that one has experienced trauma and it is therefore the cause of their weight gain. Approaching conversations around damaging eating patterns with a certain awareness for the possible psychological traumas one has faced is important as it will allow others to feel less judged and willing to open up about their struggles.
It is quite uncommon to hear about the relationship between racism and its connection to eating behaviors. In an article by Psychology today titled The Link between Racism and PTSD, the author, Monnica T Williams, discusses how the trauma of racism can result in destructive behaviors expressed as unhealthy eating habits. In the article, the author examines the psychological impact of microaggressions through her research, and subsequently found that “African Americans who experienced the most racism were significantly more likely to experience symptoms of PTSD as well.” This highlights the direct connection between racism and trauma induced mental health problems. In the article, Williams writes that while there are developing treatments to help overcome the race-based trauma many people of color face, she acknowledges that these “treatments” only “go so far.” Ultimately, the only large scale treatment comes from greater societal shifts in people’s “social consciousness,” through their understanding of the psychological impact victims of racism face.
Though there are healthy models victims of racism can use to attempt to heal from their traumas, unhealthy coping mechanisms such as eating disorders often occur. One recent statistic revealed that black teens have a 50% higher chance of exhibiting bulimic behaviors, such as binging or purging. Microaggressions cause women of color to feel as though they should straighten curly hair and cause college age women to feel hyper-sexualized. Furthermore, it was found that clinicians are less likely to diagnose black people with an eating disorder and less likely to recommend treatment. Racism causes people of color to receive worse medical treatments for eating disorders and causes them to dislike their hair and bodies. Ultimately, it is important that people approach discussions about the relationship between trauma and weight with sensitivity to its possible race based origins.
While trauma is not always linked to unhealthy eating habits, it is important to recognize that for certain communities, racism and eating patterns are inextricably linked. This article is intended to not only help bring awareness to numbing behaviors of those who have experienced trauma, but also to broaden our understanding and challenge our assumptions. It is important to recognize that, when it comes to healthy eating, many factors may come into play that relate to the broader experience and context of communities of color facing challenging times.
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