Currently, commanders and military medical providers are not adequately trained to recognize disordered eating signs among service members.
Many living with the condition do so in secrethesitant to seek any available help.
Ray Baskerville is the lead therapist at Ai Pono Maui, which offers treatment to individuals with disordered eating.
Sharon Silas is a Director in GAOs Health Care team.
Still, the information that exists hints at a pervasive issue.
This suggests that most soldiers with an eating disorder likely do not receive an official diagnosis.
Johanna Kandel is the founder and CEO of The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, a national nonprofitorganization dedicated to the outreach, education, early intervention, support, and advocacy for all eating disorders.
For those who have tried to seek medical interventions, insurance coverage is a major barrier to quality care.
Furthermore, advocates say the fear of being discharged leaves military personnel suffering in silence.
Next month, Congress will review H.R.2767, theSupporting Eating Disorders Recovery Through Vital Expansion (SERVE) Act.
The SERVE Act advocates for broader eating disorder treatment coverage for service members and their families.
The bill also proposes better screening measures so commanders and medical providers are more equipped to spot signs.
While the proposed policy is encouraging, its one piece of a complex puzzle.
This means that active service members must maintain specific weight requirements to keep their jobs.
But BMI is still a core rubric for determining who is fit to serve.
Kandel says military medical providers must be taught both these physical and psychological signs.
Johanna Kandel is the founder and CEO of The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, a national nonprofitorganization dedicated to the outreach, education, early intervention, support, and advocacy for all eating disorders.
People who are very disciplined and good rule followers make great soldiers.
But those are also personality traits that can be tied to perfectionism and the need for control.
There is adefinite connection between trauma and eating disorders, Velasquez says.
This includespost-traumatic stress disorderas well asmilitary sexual trauma.
Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
People who have experiencedtraumawill [sometimes] use disordered eating as a way to escape and gain control.
This struggle for control extends beyond military personnel who experience trauma.
Kandel says military culture often attracts people who respond well to elements of regimentation.
People who are very disciplined and good rule-followers make great soldiers, she says.
But those are also personality traits that can be tied to perfectionism and the need for control.
Depending on the nature of the eating disorder, there is often a component of control, he says.
Baskerville, Kandel, and Velasquez all say many factors can contribute to disordered eatingits not straightforward.
Unfortunately, eating disorders carry a heavy stigma.
There really would have to be a lot of trust there.
Its a tough question to navigate because its a very real consequence, Kandel says.
Its unfair that soldiers have to make a decision between their well-being and keeping their job, she adds.
While these offerings seem extensive, they are not widely accessible.
This leaves soldiers in many states out of options.
Were located in South Florida, a place that is highly concentrated with access to eating disorder specialists.
But of all of the therapists in the area, only one accepts Tricare.
Because of this, many refuse to accept this jot down of insurance.
Military families face even greater access barriers.
We had a call just the other day from a woman whose husband is deployed.
Velasquez also says we need more interest and funding for research surrounding this topic.
There is a vast lack of data, she says.
The United States Armed Forces makes it very clear that enlisting requires certain sacrifices.
Soldiers know that these sacrifices can include deployment and combat.
However, being at war with ones own body should never be a sacrifice one has to make.
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