Former anorexics becoming vegan

[Anonymous]

Anyone else notice this? I know a few women that used to be anorexic and now they’re vegan. Hosts go out of their way to provide lovely vegan dishes and they still barely eat. I’m wondering if this is a new way to hide your anorexia? One of my friends who was anorexic in high school and college went vegan several months ago and she’s getting very, very thin. Anyone else notice this?

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's common. More socially acceptable, but same issues.

[Anonymous]

My formerly anorexic sister recently started this. Predictably, she’s lost weight and her mental health seems to be suffering. It’s a socially acceptable way to restrict.

[Anonymous]

Interesting connection.

[Anonymous]

Not formerly. Most, but not all, of my vegan friends are anorexic.

[Anonymous]

This was me. It's a form of disordered eating and a way to hide limiting of calories in a more acceptable way. Most restaurants and get together won't have huge vegan options so it's easy to nibble on some veggies and be "ah yeah it stinks but there aren't really any vegan options except a garden salad". But when a host goes out of their way to make a vegan dish, they get stuck because they still planned on limiting their intake but now they don't have that excuse.

I also know several people who did gluten free, sugar free, etc.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's very true. Also, notice how many maraton/distrance runners are always "training" and thus can never eat much. It's totally real, documented. People hide behind "training," veganism, etc. It's very sad.

[Anonymous]

People also do this a lot with keto and "low carb."

I am not a vegan and do not believe veganism is disordered - I wish I could give up all animal products both for health and the environment, but reducing and minimizing animals products is what works for me. I have a healthy relationship with food, but there are definitely people who swap one disorder for another, just as some people swap one addiction for another (drugs for alcohol, smoking for food, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately it's common. I've seen several people do this and my own sister is one of them. She's almost 40, about 20 years out from a hospitalization for anorexia, and eats a very strict vegetarian (sometimes vegan) diet, suffers from ambiguous "stomach problems," has become a runner, goes to great lengths to get sometimes 2 runs into her daily schedule, and has built a life around being able to over exercise and control control control every aspect of her routine. She has many people fooled. Her husband finishes her food for her and she eats so very little it is hard to understand how she can muster the energy to run, but when she is not exercising she is very still and often complains of being uncomfortable and wants to sleep. When odd (under)eating behavior is coupled with horrible anxiety, which can manifest as a bad attitude, it's likely just another form of the eating disorder taking over. It is so so so tremendously sad.

[Anonymous]

I was anorexic during my college years and did this as a coverup.

[Anonymous]

I have never had an eating disorder but am vegetarian. I do think that for myself personally, it I a bit of a control thing. I have never really said that openly or tried to explore the depths of it, but when I think about eating meat again, I struggle with picturing a loss of control and identity.

I wouldn't be shocked if for some people there was a psychological connection between the two.

[Anonymous]

Yes a lot of vegans have disordered eating habits. It is all about restriction and control

[Anonymous]

There are a bunch of YouTube famewhores who are giving up veganism and claiming a return to health after a single meal of salmon or steak or whatever. Their issue was obviously not eating enough. Since so many vegans - the actual ones - are so for serious ethical considerations, religious considerations, and to reverse diabetes and heart disease, I wish orthorexics and anorexics and garden-variety competing to nehe thinnest in their social circle women would move on to some other slick technique.

[Anonymous]

I eat a plant based diet, but I promise you'll never mistake me for an anorexic!

[Anonymous]

It's called orthorexia, google it. My ex-DIL is a classic orthorexic, about 5'4" and maybe 90 lbs soaking wet, except she's rarely soaking wet because she won't get into a swimming pool because she's ashamed of her supposedly healthy body.

She's also a dogmatic christian nutjob who fasts for days when she's confused about something.

I could go on.....but I won't.