A child is 242 times more likely to have an eating disorder than they are to have type 2 diabetes.

Yet the vast majority of our public health education is spent warning parents (and kids) about “childhood obesity”.

Why? Fatphobia (not health).

If you took a sample of 100,000 children, only 12 would have type 2 diabetes, whereas 2,900 would meet the criteria for an eating disorder.

By 9 years old, 50% of girls have dieted or restricted their food intake in some way.

42% of 1st-3rd graders want to be thinner
81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat.

The majority of kids are more afraid of being fat than they are of cancer, war, or their parents dying.

These statistics are both heartbreaking and horrifying, and they show how deep our society’s anti-fat bias runs. Kids see how people who don’t fit into a thin, light-skinned mold are treated. It’s no wonder they are afraid of being on the receiving end of oppression & hate.

For those asking for the research, this thread is an excerpt from my new book Unapologetic Eating (out today!) - https://amzn.to/3rXYcZD .

And please support the work of @LKnutritionPLLC who is working to increase access to ED treatment for BIPOC folks: https://www.lknutrition.com/donate