At only 22, Sue Cody was beginning her decades-long battle with an eating disorder. This fight against discrimination became intermingled with her clinical initiation to the melodrama of first love. She fought with it throughout her life, with struggles of bulimia lasting at least into her 30s. Even still, new obstacles arose. At 57, Cody is deeply engaged in the challenges and possibilities that midlife offers. On top of that, she battles a life-long eating disorder that tends to re-emerge during times of stress, especially after her recent breast cancer diagnosis.
Cody’s medical problems go further than just the eating disorder. Even a year ago, when she fell and broke her ribs. This injury brought on an ulcer from her bulimia. The daily ritual of swallowing a pill for indigestion is now a new normal in her life, a symbol of the strain these battles have left on her body. Walking alongside Janice as she tells her story, the toll of body image and weight stigma during menopause is palpable. These pressures sorely test women like her.
The Impact of Diet Culture
Janet Lowndes, executive director of Women in Balance, is another leading voice in the conversation about midlife women’s health. She asserts that our society’s obsession with diet culture plays an essential role in the rise of eating disorders within this demographic. She challenges us to recognize that women are continually inundated with messages telling them that their bodies must remain unchanged by the process of aging.
“The whole multi-billion-dollar anti-aging industry tells women that their bodies aren’t supposed to change,” – Janet Lowndes.
Lowndes stresses that a lot of women struggle with their bodies growing bigger than they would like, creating harmful food mentalities. This preoccupation over weight gain, especially in and around menopause, schedules another layer of stress on women.
“Be careful of weight gain around menopause,” is a common fear-based message that echoes in societal narratives.
Under this all-encompassing fear, the cycle of disordered eating begins, as women are pressured into dangerous behaviors to reach a standard that is impossible to attain. Lowndes adds that people aged 40 to 59 comprise about one out of four Australians with eating disorders per year. This statistic highlights why it is so important that we begin addressing these significant matters.
Misconceptions and Stereotypes
Sue Cody’s story is a reminder of how pervasive ignorance about eating disorders can be. When she talks about her medical history, people just don’t believe her, partly because of her age.
“When they ask if there is any medical history, I mention anorexia and they go, ‘Oh, you don’t look like the typical anorexic person,’ because I’m older,” – Sue Cody.
This stereotype contributes to the stigma that such disorders can only affect young women. Cody talks about her struggle to receive the appropriate treatment and support. The reason she’s discouraged, she told us, is that so many professionals have made her feel like she should have already solved these problems.
“I had to fight tooth and nail for an inpatient programme and then once I was in there, I felt like I didn’t belong because, once again, I was older and I was treated like I should have known better,” – Sue Cody.
She only completed four weeks of it, leaving unsure if she was meant to be there.
“I was only there for four weeks, but the whole time I was thinking ‘I’ve made a mistake, I shouldn’t be here,’” – Sue Cody.
As our own Professor Gemma Sharp, director of the Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders, recently wrote, that’s the important point. As eating disorders don’t discriminate with respect to age, it’s crucial to recognize this truth.
“The stereotype of who experiences an eating disorder, being the young, thin white woman — we now know that that is absolutely not the only person who experiences an eating disorder,” – Janet Lowndes.
This is frustrating, Sharp explains, as so many women who do call seeking help in midlife are met with patronizing replies.
“Often the stories we’ve heard are people reaching out for support for eating issues in midlife and being met with, ‘You should have grown out of this by now. You should know better by now.’ And that is a completely inappropriate, unhelpful response,” – Gemma Sharp.
The Intersection of Menopause and Eating Disorders
The connection between menopause and eating disorders Unfortunately, the relationship between these two issues is not straightforward. Professor Sharp notes that key menopause symptoms, such as hot flushes/night sweats, can present in those with eating disorders. He highlights the repercussions of insomnia on both communities too.
“Hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, bone density issues, body composition changes — these are all issues that can happen both in eating disorders and the menopause transition,” – Gemma Sharp.
Sharp’s research has found that a lot of women are really disoriented about what’s happening to their bodies in this transitional time of life.
“Not to mention mood disturbances. Some people have cognitive or concentration concerns, and often in eating disorders, the menstrual cycle is irregular or completely absent,” – Gemma Sharp.
The new report shows that women have a difficult road ahead as they navigate this period of life. They frequently deal with physical changes and emotional challenges related to body image.
“So yes, that was something that came up very strongly in our research. Just complete and utter confusion as to what’s going on in one’s body,” – Gemma Sharp.
As women navigate this challenging phase of life, they often find themselves grappling with both physical changes and emotional turmoil related to body image.
