Has it ever occurred to you that the deadliest mental illness is the most ignored?
Probably not.
It may come as a surprise to you, but eating disorders have the highest death rate of all mental illnesses.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, an eating disorder includes extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors toward weight and food issues.
If left untreated, they can cause drastic emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences.
In 2014, the National Institute of Health allocated eight times as much research funding to schizophrenia as it did to all eating disorders combined, even though anorexia is tawice as deadly.
But in all honesty, eating disorders are a scary reality for many people — male or female.
Yet it still is highly misunderstood by people of all ages. The stereotypes, assumptions, and negativity associated with having an eating disorder are far too many.
That is what filmmaker Laura Dyan Kezman will explore in her upcoming documentary, “Just Eat.”
The film will follow two people with eating disorders, a man and a woman, as they journey through their illness and the roadblocks to recovery.
Kezman wants to change the ill-informed idea that eating disorders are something that exclusively exists on magazine covers.
In the movie, experts in the field of eating disorders show us the research of the illnesses, discussing concepts like brain behavior using genetics and brain imaging.
They also examine the dilemma that many people face — insurance companies that deny treatment and coverage for eating disorders.
Because of the lack of research that exists about eating disorders, even medical professionals and insurance companies host skewed ideas of the heinous reality that exists for millions of Americans.
According to the National Eating Disorders Coalition, at least 23 people will die every day as a direct result from suffering an eating disorder.
We know eating disorders are dangerous, but these statistics are shocking. And if that doesn’t show you that eating disorders are not receiving nearly as much attention as they should, you need to think again.
Now more than ever, children are also treated for eating disorders. NEDC states that the number of children under the age of 12 admitted to the hospital for an eating disorders rose 119 percent in less than a decade.
For someone with an eating disorder, every day life is a battle. The obsession that exists when someone is around food cannot even be explained, and the constant struggle between what you see and what others perceive you as is an unremitting concern.
Fortunately, eating disorders are treatable and many people will recover fully from them. With the proper treatment and therapy, the future is very bright for an individual with an eating disorder. This is a battle that can be won.
One day soon, eating disorders can receive the same priority as every other mental illness.
Jen Blate is a 24-year-old sociology junior from Miami, Florida. Jen can be reached on Twitter @Jblate_TDR.