Once during a restrictive-behavior relapse I was told, “No man is going to want you looking like that!”.
Here are my responses:
The motivation behind an eating disorder is not to become attractive to men. The eating disorder shows up often as a self-destructive coping mechanism. It’s not hot, I’ll promise you that much.
Telling a person to recover in order to be found attractive is a clear objectification of their body. This further rejects the recovery principle of bodily autonomy.
Not everyone with an eating disorder is attracted to straight cis-men.
Not everyone with an eating disorder is a woman.
Not everyone with an eating disorder loses weight.
Not everyone with an eating disorder desires to lose weight.
An eating disorder is not a weight disorder. A person in recovery is constantly restructuring their relationships with food and self-worth. This is a warrior-like process.
A person in recovery is learning to want themselves. That’s the priority.
