We all know how poor body image can sometimes lead down a dangerous path. The messages this time of year doesn’t always help:
“Look Christmas Cookies! Aren’t they Yummy? Don’t eat too many!”
” I hope your new years resolution is to lose weight.”
“Those latkes and jelly donuts sure won’t help your waistline… “
Sometimes these messages roll off our back, but sometimes they add to the constant noise in our head whispering we aren’t good enough. Sometimes we cry at a bit of extra weight and move on and sometimes it becomes the focus of our entire life. While most of us are happily buying gifts or guiltlessly indulging in eggnog, for some of us, this time of year is filled with guilt, anxiety, and self-hatred. Living with an eating disorder doesn’t break for Christmas. Whether copious amounts of food or the fear of family judgement triggers a binge, a purge, or a three hour workout session, holiday time can bring out the worst.
This time of year, we need support the most.
While our urge to donate toys, coats, or can goods is honorable and important, we can’t forget the other organizations that play an integral role in saving lives. When it comes to helping individuals and families suffering from an eating disorder, The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), a non-profit organization, provides much needed support by “campaigning for prevention, improved access to quality treatment, and increased research funding to better understand and treat eating disorders. [They] work with partners and volunteers to develop programs and tools to help everyone who seeks assistance.” They don’t just campaign, they also provide tangible help with their national toll-free helpline that guides those in need to treatment. For many, the NEDA website is the starting point of their journey to healing.
Helping support NEDA is simple. All it takes is the click of a button while you’re shopping online for other gifts. Simply go to IGive.com and become a member and select NEDA as your cause. Every time you shop at 1,000 of online stores, IGive donates a portion of the sale to the cause selected by the member. It is free. It is easy, and best of all it lets you make a difference every time you buy a gift.
While filled with joy, the holidays can also be hard. However, even small gestures can go a long way to help those suffering heal and give families hope. Every time we give, we become a little more thoughtful of our words and our actions. Every time we reach out, we are helping someone else reach inside themselves to find the courage to see their own light.
Over-sharing Zavtik Mama, Editor, Writer, Yiddish Lover, Reform Jew, Avid Public Breastfeeder, and now, the Not-So-Silent B in LGBT, — Shoshana Rachel puts the Shosh in Meshuga one word at a time. Read her ever-evolving voice on her blog, Shoshuga or follow her on . For her bigger fight on female equality, see her vlog on the great Jewish Women’s Organization Women of the Wall.
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