Eating Disorders and Prayer

by Ella Walker Henderson, M.A., LPC, NCC
Spring 2015

Eating disorders create a common but misunderstood and misjudged problem in our world. Often parents or friends believe someone could recover if they would just eat. Yes, food is a large part of the problem, but it helps to look at food as a symptom rather than the root of the struggle. Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes and carry a wide range of underlying issues. Education and awareness are important because of the many myths surrounding this problem. By learning more, you can better support and love a person who struggles with an eating disorder. Recovery requires deep healing on many levels.

Diagnoses, Signs, and Symptoms

The most well–known eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Other diagnoses are binge–eating disorder, other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) and unspecified feeding or eating disorders (USFED). All eating disorders must have clinically significant impairment in functioning to be diagnosed.

Anorexia is characterized by low weight, fear of weight gain, self–esteem overly defined by body image, and denial of the significance of the problem. Anorexia includes two subtypes: restricting type and binge–eating/purging type. Most people may mistake binge–eating/purging type of anorexia as bulimia, but the difference is that those who struggle with bulimia maintain a normal weight.

Bulimia includes patterns of consuming large amounts of food at once (binge–eating), followed by behaviors to prevent weight gain (purging), such as self–induced vomiting or excessive exercise to "burn–off" all calories consumed. While binge–eating, the person feels out of control. Bulimia is also characterized by a self–esteem overly influenced by body image. A listing of the warning signs of both anorexia and bulimia can be found on the National Eating Disorder Association's website, www.NationalEatingDisorders.org.

Binge–eating disorder is similar to bulimia because of the overlap in binge–eating patterns. However, binge–eating disorder lacks the purging behaviors of bulimia. Signs that binge–eating is out of control can include shame regarding eating habits, eating in isolation, eating when not hungry, and eating past physical comfort. Those who struggle with binge–eating disorder can be of normal weight or higher than average weight. Binge–eating disorder often overlaps with symptoms of depression.

Although not formal diagnoses, orthorexia and diabulimia are two types of eating disorders that can cause clinically significant impairment. Orthorexia involves an obsession with healthy eating or clean eating. Those who struggle with orthorexia seek to eat only the foods they deem pure or high quality. This rigid form of eating can become highly intertwined with an individual's self–esteem, and the person may compare themselves to others and feel self–righteous because of food choices. These patterns become a problem when they begin to interfere with daily functioning and other conflicting values and goals of a person's life.

Diabulimia is a form of an eating disorder only applicable to those with Type 1 Diabetes. The person purposefully reduces his or her insulin intake to lose weight. The medical risks of this disorder are severe. Signs of diabulimia can include signs related to other eating disorders, especially bulimia, in the increased consumption of sugary foods and also lack of weight gain or unexplained weight loss. Also, further signs related to diabulimia are blood sugar records inconsistent with hemoglobin levels and secrecy about blood sugar levels and shots.

Underlying Issues

Eating disorders cannot be simplified to one underlying issue as a cause. Their development is influenced by multiple factors. Many people mistakenly believe that eating disorders are predominately a problem with food or weight because so many symptoms revolve around food and weight. However, these are only the tip of the iceberg. Food and weight issues are evident on the surface, but an intricate web of other issues can make up the bulk of a person's struggle. He or she then uses the eating disorder to cope with what lies under the surface.

Underlying issues can include psychological, relational, cultural, and biological contributing factors. Psychological issues include low self–worth or a struggle with another emotional disorder, such as depression or anxiety. Relational factors include trouble communicating and relating to others and possible bullying or abuse. Cultural factors can include the size discrimination portrayed by culture through the media or society at large. Eating disorders also have a genetic link showing they more commonly run in families, but further research is needed to explore this area. One common phrasing of the interaction of genetic factors and other underlying issues is that genetics load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger. Underlying issues are further explored below as they relate to prayer ministry.

Getting Help

One of the first steps to help someone with an eating disorder is to ensure that they receive proper medical screening. The Academy for Eating Disorders has a pamphlet of the proper medical tests on their website: www.aedweb.org. It can be difficult to find a doctor who specializes in eating disorders, so the patient and family must be proactive throughout any medical process. Also, important to note is that even the most severe eating disorders can have relatively normal lab results, so normal lab results should not sway a person from seeking help.

Another important first step is to get plugged in with a therapist and a Registered Dietitian (RD) who specialize in eating disorders. They and the person's physician must assess whether or not the person is in need of a higher level of care and can make any appropriate referrals. If outpatient care is not a health risk, weekly appointments with both the therapist and RD are recommended. The therapist works on issues such as motivation to change, negative body image, fear concerning food or weight gain, coping skills, and underlying issues surrounding the eating disorder. The RD's role is to help the person restore their bodies to physical health and relearn normal eating patterns.

Prayer

Different people question whether full healing from an eating disorder is possible. Yes! Through Jesus Christ, this healing can happen! The journey to healing can be lengthy and is sometimes painful. An understanding community who will love, support, and pray with someone seeking help is vital. Important areas of need to cover in prayer are control, fear, identity, inner vows, judgments, lies, emotional healing, physical healing, and freedom from death.

Instantaneous healing of an eating disorder is possible, however a healing process over time is the norm. You can help the person understand that his or her own healing journey is unique and that eating disorders often involve a process–oriented path to healing.

Control issues are highly common in eating disorders and can directly relate to the longevity of the healing process. To be released from control issues, a person must grow in dependence on God. Healing from an eating disorder can be a scary process because the person is learning a new way of life that requires renewed faith each day, each meal, each bite of food.

Control and fear are intertwined together. The eating disorder is a form of control used to keep fear at bay. By minutely controlling food and weight, the person feels a sense of power and control over other areas of life. Pray for the person to be set free from fear and that God's perfect love would replace all fear. It is beneficial for the person to renounce their dependence on control and the eating disorder. Pray for a willingness to take risks of stepping out in faith. For some, especially those struggling with anorexia, every bite is a leap of faith, as is every denial of weighing themselves.

Identity formation is important in recovery because the eating disorder becomes a driving force in the person's identity. The prayer recipient should renounce the old identity of the eating disorder. Pray for the formation of the person's true identity in Christ — the recognition of who they are created to be. Two questions that are central to identity are 1) am I loved? and 2) am I lovable? This second question is especially important because the eating disorder has been used to create a favorable answer to this question. Pray for God to speak into the person's heart: Yes, they are lovable because they are His.

Inner vows and judgments that stem from the old identity of the eating disorder all need to be renounced. Examples of typical eating disorder inner vows are "I must be the thinnest," "I will never eat that," and "I can never fail." Typical judgments include a negative view of self or others regarding weight as well as negative self–judgments related to other areas of life, such as "I'll never succeed in life." Inner vows and judgments may or may not be food related. Those that are not directly related to food may be part of the purpose for which the eating disorder is being used to compensate.

Lies that a person has believed in agreement with the eating disorder should be confessed and renounced. A typical lie someone may believe is "If I can be thinner, then I'll be loved," or "Food is the enemy."

Emotional healing is highly important for anyone struggling with an eating disorder. The roots of the emotional struggle can be addressed through inner healing, especially if someone has been through any trauma. Healing of any anxiety, PTSD, depression, or bipolar disorder is important as well. As the person goes through the process of healing, they must learn to experience and cope with their emotions in new ways. Emotional avoidance is highly common among eating disorders.

Praying for physical healing from an eating disorder means praying for both the person's mind and body to be set free from the effects of malnutrition or overeating. Positron emission tomography (PET) brain imaging and functional MRIs show differences between normal brains and those of anorexia patients. Pray for the restoration of both the neural pathways in the brain and of normal functioning for both serotonin and dopamine in the brain. Pleasure and reward responses and hunger and fullness signals need to be restored to their normal functioning. Also pray for restoration of normal metabolism. Pray for healing from the physical impact of the eating disorder in areas such as the heart, the digestive system, and for restored bone density. For someone struggling with bulimia, pray for healing of the effects on the stomach, esophagus, mouth, and teeth. Binge–eating disorder or any emotional overeating will need prayer for any related health consequences as well.

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental health problems. Pray for the person to be spiritually free from death. Eating disorders can be a slow form of suicide when a person no longer has a desire to live. Pray for freedom from suicide as well if you discern this.

An additional format for prayer can also follow CHM's guidelines for praying for healing from addictions, as an eating disorder is a form of addiction.

Working as prayer ministers in conjunction with a trained therapist is important. Some of these areas may need to be verbally processed in therapy in addition to being prayed over. Therapy can be a strong avenue to helping a person arrive at a place of willingness to pray for freedom in these areas. Therapists, dietitians, physicians, and prayer ministers can work together as a team to bring the healing of Jesus Christ desperately needed by the many individuals who struggle with eating disorders.

Living Bread

The need for an approach for eating disorder treatment that focuses on the variety of areas necessary for healing led to the creation of Living Bread, a non–profit organization in Greenville, SC, dedicated to providing hope and healing for those who struggle with eating disorders and believe the lie that their bodies are unlovable. Living Bread offers help through counseling, nutrition, mentorship, financial assistance, and healing prayer.

Visit our website: www.livingbreadgreenville.org.

Director and Founder of Living Bread, Ella Walker Henderson is trained in the treatment of eating disorders. She integrates faith and prayer into her counseling sessions.