A person suffering from Atypical Anorexia (AAN) must show body dissatisfaction,
intentional restrictive behavior, and fear of gaining weight while maintaining a BMI of <18.5 and typically fall within the normal to the overweight range.
HAES-supportive nutritionists, wellness advisors, and other non-physicians from within the industry have
bastardized the diagnosis of AAN while attempting to free their clients from “diet culture” and encouraging those to eat “what you want, whenever you want”. This trend harms the person by not acknowledging the
self-destructive behaviour inherent in bingeing and using food for pleasure. Many consider this a misclassification of Eating Disorders, primarily Binge-Eating Disorder (BED), in an attempt to separate themselves from the stigma and shame related to gluttony and overindulgence.
Unfortunately, this is at the expense of those who truly suffer from AAN since they are already underrepresented in medical literature and considered not severe enough for treatment.
Recently, Tess Holliday declared she was diagnosed with Anorexia at around 350lbs. In contrast to her claims, her
social media features a plentitude of sweets, cakes, and takeout consumed on a weekly basis without shame. Such a false diagnosis of Atypical Anorexia is coined as Tessorexia Nervosa. Often individuals who are suffering from Tessorexia claim to be in recovery from Anorexia and any attempt to modify their diet would trigger a relapse causing them to waste away.
