Popular diets could disguise eating disorders

Popular diets such as veganism, paleo and gluten-free are being used by some people to disguise eating disorders.

New Zealand registered dietitian, Garalynne Stiles, said she’s had professional experience with patients who follow popular diets to hide eating disorders.

Ms Stiles, who works at the New Zealand Eating Disorders Clinic, said those suffering from eating disorders claim to be on a particular diet or eating plan to “get away with” restricting their eating.

“Just like with any diet, it’s kind of a socially acceptable way for someone to restrict their eating," said Ms Stiles.

"Often times when you talk to somebody who is restricting their eating as part of an eating disorder, it’s a way to gain some control over their eating in a way that’s not going to worry people as much."

Annalise Gregan, a 22-year-old anorexia sufferer, said she adopted veganism for more than a year before beginning treatment at the Central Region Eating Disorder Services in Wellington.

The Whitireia dance student had been vegetarian since she was 17, and has since had to revert back to this diet due to dairy-inclusive nutrition supplements.

“I guess in terms of recovery I know that I needed to do it. I needed to include those things [dairy] back in for a little bit. But then obviously the eating disorder doesn’t really like that,” she said.

Miss Gregan said she has a “positive frame of mind in terms of recovery” and plans on returning to veganism in the future for ethical reasons.

Co-founder of What the Vegan, Thorne Snow, said people generally adopt veganism for three reasons: ethics, the environment and health. However, he said the eating restrictions can become “borderline-obsessive” for some people.

“I think veganism has become a lot more popular because the number of girls or guys with eating disorders has also increased, and they can look to veganism as a really picky way of eating and a real healthy way of eating and they use that as a guise. And in that way veganism often gets misrepresented as well,” he said.

Mr Snow said although veganism is highly scrutinised, its underlying principle is to lessen the amount of people exploiting animals for their own good.

Thorne Snow talks about veganism. Video: Anneke Smith