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What is Tessorexia?
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.
I suffer from Tessorexia Nervosa! I’m in recovery from Anorexia! Don’t talk to me about my diet or I’ll starve myself again and it will be your fault!
Tessorexia - video
Tessorexia - what is it?
An eating disorder claiming to be "Anorexia Nervosa" that objectively fails to meet actual DSM-V criteria due to lacking the required "intense fear of weight gain", and of not being medically "underweight".
Tessorexia can be distinguished from "OSFED" or the Atypical Anorexia classification sub-type (which do not have the "underweight" requirement) in that a specific diagnosis of "Tessorexia" requires one to also meet four additional (non-DSM) criteria:
1) Seeking to further one's social media status,
2) Attempting to stay culturally relevant to one's Fat Acceptance and Body Positivity followers,
3) Appropriating "anorexia" from skinny pro-ana girls (since anorexia sounds sexier than "OSFED"),
4) Positioning one's self to silence critics by proclaiming one is a "recovering anorexic" in contrary to their Health at Every Size beliefs.
Tessie: I didn't eat (a whole cake with my picture on it) for three days so I could be lovely. I just let all my social media followers know that I'm now officially a recovering anorexic.
Sasha: No, you have Tessorexia.