Speak Out: I’m Sharing My History with Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorder in the Military in the Hopes that You’ll Speak Out, Too

I was struggling with a combination of binge eating disorder and bulimia while I attended the Naval Academy from 2003 - 2007. My experience as a woman in uniform, and an NCAA Division I athlete for the Naval Academy, were directly related to the development of my eating disorder. 

 

As a disclaimer, I’m a huge supporter of the military and am incredibly honored to have served. I have deep reverence for the military and everyone serving. I’m not sharing my story to cast blame upon the military, or to paint this organization, which I hold in incredibly high esteem, in a negative light. But the reality is that many women have suffered and continue to suffer, as I did.  

 

Ultimately, my eating disorder is what led to me being (honorably) medically discharged from military service in 2008. But you won’t see anything about an eating disorder anywhere in my medical or service records. It’s through my recovery, years later, that I’ve come to understand the connection between my disordered behavior and the injury which ended my naval career. 

 

My experience is unique in its specifics, but not unique to women in the military. 34% of women in the military suffer from eating disorders. We as a country miss out when women end their term of service prematurely (like I did), or aren’t able to serve at their full capacity, because they are battling an eating disorder. Now that we know this, we can begin to address it! And that starts with increasing funding for treatment, research, prevention, and awareness of eating disorders for those in uniform. 

 

The entire military suffers when as many as 34% of its service women are at a limited capacity due to illness. That’s why I’m testifying before members of congress on September 28, 2017 alongside a panel of experts, so I can use my experiences to better life for so many women still serving. 

 

Key takeaways: 

 

The ways the food and eating were stigmatized for me during my time in the military  Why I turned to eating large amounts of food in secret to cope with my environment   The first time I binged and purged  Ways that I pushed my body to extremes to counteract my binge eating  The single event that changed the course of my entire life  Why this problem, which impacts 34% of women in the service, is truly a problem for 100% of the military  The ways that NEDA and the EDC are working to address these issues, and what you can do to help! 

 

Mentioned in this episode: 

 

National Eating Disorders Association 

Eating Disorders Council 

Speaker, Author and Researcher Brené Brown 

Healthy at Any Size podcast, Episode 3 

The Reality of Struggling with Binge Eating Disorder in the Military 

The “Weakest Link” 

 

Share the Body Love! 

 

Share what you learned here via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter 

 

Subscribe on iTunes and leave a review. I love hearing what you have to say! 

 

Post your own experiences, thoughts, and feedback to social media using the hashtag #healthyatanysize! 

I was struggling with a combination of binge eating disorder and bulimia while I attended the Naval Academy from 2003 - 2007. My experience as a woman in uniform, and an NCAA Division I athlete for the Naval Academy, were directly related to the development of my eating disorder. 

 

As a disclaimer, I’m a huge supporter of the military and am incredibly honored to have served. I have deep reverence for the military and everyone serving. I’m not sharing my story to cast blame upon the military, or to paint this organization, which I hold in incredibly high esteem, in a negative light. But the reality is that many women have suffered and continue to suffer, as I did.  

 

Ultimately, my eating disorder is what led to me being (honorably) medically discharged from military service in 2008. But you won’t see anything about an eating disorder anywhere in my medical or service records. It’s through my recovery, years later, that I’ve come to understand the connection between my disordered behavior and the injury which ended my naval career. 

 

My experience is unique in its specifics, but not unique to women in the military. 34% of women in the military suffer from eating disorders. We as a country miss out when women end their term of service prematurely (like I did), or aren’t able to serve at their full capacity, because they are battling an eating disorder. Now that we know this, we can begin to address it! And that starts with increasing funding for treatment, research, prevention, and awareness of eating disorders for those in uniform. 

 

The entire military suffers when as many as 34% of its service women are at a limited capacity due to illness. That’s why I’m testifying before members of congress on September 28, 2017 alongside a panel of experts, so I can use my experiences to better life for so many women still serving. 

 

Key takeaways: 

 

The ways the food and eating were stigmatized for me during my time in the military  Why I turned to eating large amounts of food in secret to cope with my environment   The first time I binged and purged  Ways that I pushed my body to extremes to counteract my binge eating  The single event that changed the course of my entire life  Why this problem, which impacts 34% of women in the service, is truly a problem for 100% of the military  The ways that NEDA and the EDC are working to address these issues, and what you can do to help! 

 

Mentioned in this episode: 

 

National Eating Disorders Association 

Eating Disorders Council 

Speaker, Author and Researcher Brené Brown 

Healthy at Any Size podcast, Episode 3 

The Reality of Struggling with Binge Eating Disorder in the Military 

The “Weakest Link” 

 

Share the Body Love! 

 

Share what you learned here via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter 

 

Subscribe on iTunes and leave a review. I love hearing what you have to say! 

 

Post your own experiences, thoughts, and feedback to social media using the hashtag #healthyatanysize!