Eating Disorders in the BIPOC Community
By Jeylim Wayne
It is no secret that obtaining eating disorder treatment can become overwhelming, complex, expensive, and difficult. Furthermore, seeking culturally competent care in an already complex process has become a pervasive issue in BIPOC communities.
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color; the term encompasses a wide range of different cultures and races.
A frequent misconception and stereotype, which is founded on no factual, statistical data, is that eating disorders predominantly impact white, thin-bodied females. This belief continues to cause an underdiagnosis of eating disorders in BIPOC communities, which leads to barriers in obtaining appropriate and quality care. Other risk factors include racism and microaggressions, which lead to individuals feeling isolated and unworthy of receiving care.
The lack of representation in eating disorder research and culturally sensitive eating disorder providers is saddening to see, as these two factors alone cause giant gaps and barriers to recovery. This lack of representation leads to some daunting data.
Let’s talk about the facts:
Research shows that 20%-26% of individuals affected by eating disorders are BIPOC individuals, meaning that they are as likely to be affected by eating disorders as their non-minority counterparts.
BIPOC individuals with eating and weight concerns are less likely to be asked by medical providers about eating disorder symptoms.
In a study of adolescents ages 11 to 25 who were suffering from malnutrition from an eating disorder, only 40% received the recommended treatment, and patients who used public insurance were only one-third as likely to receive the recommended treatment for their eating disorders as youth with private insurance. Latinx patients were about half as likely to receive the recommended treatment as their white peers.
Black teenagers are 50% more likely to exhibit bulimic behaviors such as binging and purging than white peers.
Cultural Competence & Treatment:
Eating disorder recovery can often be an isolating experience. Culturally competent care can make a world of difference to BIPOC individuals. Feeling connected, understood, and comfortable with a provider increases the ability for individuals to trust, be open, and be willing in the difficult journey that is recovery.
Culturally competent providers understand the unique difficulties faced by individuals who experience eating disorders in this community. Through this, your provider can create an individualized care plan tailored to your unique needs.
As an individual of this community with lived experience and as a provider, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of advocating and seeking care that fits your individualized needs! In my walk of recovery, I remember feeling isolated and misunderstood, not only by my providers, but also by the inability of my Latin family members to understand the unique issues I faced and was experiencing through my eating disorder recovery. Now, as a provider at Rock Recovery, I can provide care for individuals who may need services in Spanish, which is often all too difficult to find! This is just one example of how bridging the gap can create a world of difference, and I am privileged to be able to move the needle by providing culturally competent care here at Rock Recovery.
Everyone deserves to feel safe, understood, and heard in their recovery journey. Finding a provider that sees your individual experience and unique cultural factors associated with your eating disorder can be liberating and empowering!
What’s next?
Your connection with and trust in your recovery treatment team is important. The biggest gift in recovery you or your loved one can receive is culturally competent, safe care! There is no shame in identifying providers who are not aligned with your personal needs and finding your people in recovery!
Don't be afraid to ask a potential provider the hard questions, such as::
“What is your experience working with clients who are of color and experience eating disorders?”
“What is your approach to treating eating disorders?”
“Are you HAES-aligned? Do you partner with other providers that are HAES-aligned, and how closely do you collaborate with them?”
“Are you aware of the financial resources I can obtain for my care?”
Because a sense of connection and community is so important in recovery, many people may feel as though they do not “fit” in traditional programs for eating disorders. Finding a community directly focused on treating individuals in the BIPOC community may decrease isolation in your recovery journey.
Sources:
https://www.theprojectheal.org/community-care-program
Virtual BIPOC Support Group for Eating Disorders
Bipoc Mental Health Month Resources: ANAD - National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and associated disorders. ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. (2022, July 28). https://anad.org/bipoc-mental-health-month-resources/
Eating disorder statistics: ANAD - National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and associated disorders. ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. (2024, January 11). https://anad.org/eating-disorder-statistic/
Gordon, K. H., Brattole, M. M., Wingate, L. R., & Joiner, T. E., Jr (2006). The impact of client race on clinician detection of eating disorders. Behavior therapy, 37(4), 319–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2005.12.002
ndic_support. (2023, November 28). BIPOC Archives. National Eating Disorders Association. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/category/bipoc/
About the Author
Jey is a Resident in Counseling; she provides individual counseling and group therapy services to residents in Virginia. Jey received her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Southern New Hampshire University in 2022 and joined the Rock Recovery team in 2023. Jey has experience working with a wide variety of populations, including children, teens, adults, and families. She is passionate about helping individuals overcome cultural and social barriers to find their authentic selves. Jey uses empathetic, holistic, person-centered approaches while integrating different theoretical approaches such as DBT, CBT, and some art and play therapy approaches.