Eating Disorders & Their Impact on Relationships

An eating disorder doesn't only affect the individual suffering from the disorder. It affects everyone around the person suffering, from friends, to family, to peers, to partners. An eating disorder affects everyone involved in the sufferer's life.

Family
An eating disorder affects the entire family unit, even if only one member is suffering from the disorder. The member of the family structure may be lying a lot, coming up with excuses to why they aren't eating, or why they're not hungry. They may be isolating themselves, causing a rift between the family members, as well as dishonesty. If the eating disorder is ever exposed, the parents, or an older sibling may feel that they are to blame for "not catching on sooner." Other children in the family may feel as though their sibling is stealing all of the attention from their parents, creating resentment and hostility. The effects on the family are much more intense when the individual who is suffering from the eating disorder still lives at home.

Friends
Individuals suffering from eating disorders may or may not confide in their friends about their disorder. Those that do, may have strained friendships. The friends of the individual suffering may feel torn between telling someone out of concern for their friend, and wanting to keep it a secret because they're afraid their friend will be angry or hate them if they tell. Individuals suffering from an eating disorder, who do not confide in their friends about the disorder may end up alienating themselves from their friends. They may stop hanging out with their friends to avoid the chance of being offered food and having to come up with excuses of why they aren't hungry. Eventually, they may lose their friends because their friends get tired of being blown off.

Romantic Partners
It is much harder to hide an eating disorder from a romantic partner if the individual is physical with their partner. Their partner is much more likely to find out about the disorder, especially if they are living together. This may create tension in the relationship, and feelings of resentment. If their partner finds out, they may be angry about the dishonesty and secrecy about the disorder. Their partner may blame themselves for "not catching on sooner." Their partner may feel that if they were lied to about this, they may have been lied to about other things, which creates a lack of trust in the relationship.