A group of eating disorder organizations that includes The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA), Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC), International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (IADEP), and National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) are encouraging school administrators to focus on health and lifestyle rather than weight as an indication of a student’s well-being. Their fear is that a knee-jerk reaction to the call for obesity prevention will result in programs that have a negative impact on young people’s self-esteem, leading kids to develop an unhealthy fixation with pounds, calories, carbs, and fat grams. Experts are already observing how some school-based initiatives are backfiring.

“There is concern that we have lost sight of avoiding harm in the process of addressing obesity.” says Susan Paxton, PhD, FAED, president of the Academy for Eating Disorders. “Further, we cannot ignore the opportunity to create a healthier environment, where people of all sizes are given the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives, instead of singling out individual groups for reform based on weight alone.” Her organization has developed a set of guidelines for obesity prevention programs, designed to specifically address these concerns.

Of course anyone who raises objection to obesity prevention is fighting an uphill battle in this culture, where “the war on obesity” is a celebrated cause. It’s even on the top of Michelle Obama’s list of priorities as she recently told Barbara Walters. But before we hit the panic button on one “epidemic,” we must not forget that we have another epidemic on our hands: disordered eating. Aside from the millions of people who struggle with full-blown illnesses like anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, a recent University of North Carolina study showed that more than 65% of American women are disordered eaters. Chronic dieting, overexercising, emotional eating, and a whole host of other attitudes and behaviors might not be diagnosable disorders, but they are certainly affecting women’s health and hindering our ability to fully enjoy life. And how are we protecting our children from inheriting these issues? Call me crazy, but teaching them to count calories and requiring them to weigh in at school might not be the winning strategy. I’m in full support of educating kids (and adults!) about how to make smart choices related to nutrition and exercise, but let’s make sure that we’re not fostering unhealthy obsessions in the process.

“Eating Disorder Organizations Join Forces to Urge Focus on Health and Lifestyle Rather Than Weight” [Medical New Today]