By Jenna Janssen OMAHA, Neb — With Halloween approaching, many people look forward to indulging in candy and treats. However, for those battling eating disorders, this holiday can bring about significant challenges. The season’s focus on sweets can trigger unhealthy behaviors, particularly for individuals who struggle with restrictive eating or binge-eating disorders.
Dr. Casey N. Tallent, director of collegiate and telehealth partnerships at ERC Pathlight, said that Halloween can often worsen symptoms for those on either end of the eating disorder spectrum.
“I think it can certainly exacerbate symptoms of eating disorders for those who are more on the restrictive side” Tallent said. “It can also exacerbate eating disorder symptoms for those who may have a tendency to binge eat or have binge eating disorder, where there is such a focus on like the amount and lots of candy and lots of those pieces.
Halloween’s candy-centric culture can spark anxiety for those recovering from or managing an eating disorder. The fear of losing control, whether by eating too much or too little, becomes amplified. Shifting the focus away from food can be key to creating a safer holiday environment.
For parents and caregivers, Halloween presents an opportunity to encourage a healthy relationship with food. Instead of promoting candy avoidance, families can adopt an “all foods fit” approach. Allowing room for indulgence in moderation can help prevent the black-and-white thinking often associated with eating disorders.
“It is absolutely ok to have a candy bar. It is absolutely ok to have a piece of candy, and the message can actually be more dangerous when it shifts to those are foods that you should stay away from because then it stigmatizes food, it makes food dangerous, which can make it more attractive” Tallent said. “We don’t want to stigmatize food in general. There is room for all food in our diets.”
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) reports that 30 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives. With Halloween being a particularly tough time.
If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, resources are available to help. The National Eating Disorders Association offers support and guidance for individuals and families navigating these challenges, particularly during food-heavy holidays like Halloween.
