Eating disorders can become most life-threatening mental illness, advocate says

Eating disorders can have serious and dangerous effects even before a person receives a diagnosis, Elín Vigdís Guðmundsdóttir, chair of Sátt, an advocacy organisation for eating disorders, told mbl.is’s Dagmál programme.

“Of mental illnesses, this is the most life-threatening,” Guðmundsdóttir said, referring to eating disorders at their most severe stage.

She said recovery can take a long time, particularly when the disorder has become serious. It can also affect a person’s mental health, confidence and self-esteem. Bulimia, she noted, can be present for years without being clearly visible from the outside.

Shame often leads people to struggle alone and avoid seeking help, Guðmundsdóttir said. In many cases, she added, there is an understandable explanation: a person may have a nervous system that is more vulnerable to eating disorders, or may have experienced trauma that caused a coping mechanism to become harmful.

People first need help recognising this, she said, so they can seek support and go on to live a better life without the disorder.