Is yoga a weapon for eating disorders? It is an issue that has particularly preoccupied the scientific community dealing with nutritional issues, as eating disorders are a common condition that is even more prevalent in the female population.
The main conclusion of some of this research is that yoga cannot be treated as a panacea for dealing with such serious health problems. Treatments and regular follow-up by specialized doctors and other scientists are considered essential. However, it can undoubtedly be used as a means to enhance and improve the physical, mental and psychological condition of patients.
The principles on which yoga is based can play a very important role in the health of those suffering from eating disorders. It incorporates physical postures (asanas) and meditation which in combination can be a pressure to heal the mind and body. This can lead to a very important conquest which is the greatest acceptance of ourselves and our body.
For years, yoga has been used as an adjunct in the treatment of eating disorders in many treatment programs. A 2006 study that looked at the treatments offered in 18 related treatment programs in the United States found that 66.7% of the programs included yoga.
Another aspect that is considered to some extent - but which is of great importance - is that of prevention. Yoga promotes balance, peace of mind and self-control, that is, tools that can help prevent the onset of such disorders as the nutritional ones we are considering.
Going even deeper into the benefits of yoga, the following are key:
1. It appears that - without any adverse effects on the patient's weight - there is a significant reduction in depression, anxiety and disorder around the body image. In fact, on the subject of the perception of the body, special emphasis is placed on the need to feel comfortable with our body, not to have a critical attitude but to observe its imperfections, as well as to escape from the logic of standard bodies.
The gradual conquest of all of this largely supports the efforts of a person with eating disorders, as it is directly related to the image we have of our body.
2. There is an increased use of skills in the area of self-control regarding food consumption. The feeling of calm is enhanced.
CONCLUSION
Admittedly, one of the most 'healing' elements of yoga is that it does not conform to the logic of the Western world. In other words, whatever success is purely subjective, there is no apparent standard that one is called upon to approach. Yoga will not deal with calorie intake or how others perceive a person.
Yoga focuses on the action and intention of a person, of each person individually, to improve or learn to deal with those that create an imbalance in his or her life, small or big. Therefore, for those struggling with eating disorders, yoga can be a quick and safe way to get them out of the vicious circle.
BY Dr Angel,
Aggeliki Koskeridou
Holistic Doctor – Counseling Psychotherapist
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
MSc Health Psychology
insta: dr_aggelikikoskeridou_official
Sources
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, (2013), Yoga and eating disorders: is there a place for yoga in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours?, Taylor & Francis Online, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21662630.2013.862369?src=recsys.
Laura Douglass, (2009), Yoga as an Intervention in the Treatment of Eating Disorders: Does it Help?, Taylor & Francis Online, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10640260802714555.
