It can be difficult for many people in eating disorder recovery to enjoy the warm weather without stressing over their body image. So, as you prepare for summer, do not let your eating disorder or negative body image hold you back.
By: Samreen Khan
For decades, society has convinced us that we must obtain a ‘summer’ or ‘bathing suit body’ to enjoy the summer. That particular societal ‘ideal’ is lusted after by celebrities and ordinary people. The pressure to look a certain way is intense, even for people who do not wear swimsuits or shorts. Promises from diet companies and fitness plans circulate wildly during summer and beyond. But, there is no reason to change your body for an article of clothing or the temperature outside.
While the voice of diet culture is powerful throughout the year, it becomes increasingly louder in the summer months. This kind of rhetoric can damage your body image and amplify already-existing anxieties surrounding your appearance, especially if you are recovering from an eating disorder. The urge to cover up as a shield against the world’s judgment can be tempting, but you deserve to wear whatever feels good to you, regardless of how your body looks.
If you are ready and interested in wearing more ‘typical’ summer clothing but are feeling anxious about your body, it’s okay! Being comfortable in something new will not happen overnight, and it may even make you uncomfortable at first. Growth is rarely a comfortable thing. Like a scar itches when it begins to heal, your eating disorder can become more antagonizing as you recover. You do not have to leap headfirst into wearing denim shorts and crop tops. Start slowly and work with your support team to grow in a way that works for you. Of course, there is no ‘right or wrong’ clothing to wear in any season. The most important thing is to dress in a way that makes you feel comfortable, confident, and as much like yourself as possible.
Although the prospect of wearing summer clothing can be incredibly nerve-racking for people with eating disorders, diet culture affects most of society. Many people are too preoccupied with their appearance to heed anyone else’s. Unfortunately, you may still receive unsolicited comments about your body from others. However, remarks like these often reflect the other person’s insecurity. Though it does not justify their words, remember these comments indicate less about your body’s worth and reflect more on the other person’s mindset. You are entitled to set boundaries around your body and how others discuss it.
As this summer begins, you deserve to enjoy it, regardless of what clothes you wear or how your body looks. Remember, anyone can have a ‘bathing suit body’ – all you need to do is have a body and put on a bathing suit.
Join BALANCE for a FREE Webinar: Dress for Recovery: What to Wear to Honor Body Acceptance, on Friday, April 28th, at 12:00 pm EST. In this webinar, you will learn how to choose clothes that support you and prioritize your recovery, understand why clothing and dressing your body can feel like a minefield, identify what you need to feel comfortable and confident in your body and clothes, and more. RSVP for this webinar here.
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This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Samreen Khan (she/her/he/him).
Samreen is a high school graduate with an ardent drive to de-stigmatize mental illness and eating disorders. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she experienced the harmful effects of “fitspo” culture firsthand for most of her childhood. Throughout her own recovery journey, she became passionate about deconstructing diet culture and raising awareness about eating disorders in her everyday life. Samreen began extending her own ideology of intuitive eating and body neutrality to others by publishing her own writing online when she was fourteen, and has since received several awards for her prose and poetry. She has conducted research on the biological and evolutionary implications of familial mental illness, and is currently taking college-level Sociology and Psychology courses with hopes to delve further into the social and cultural constructs that bolster disordered eating, especially within marginalized communities. She’s grateful for the opportunity to combine two of her strongest passions — writing and mental health — by working with BALANCE!
