ers to overeat and oversnack because they don’t feel sufficiently full.
When sleeping patterns are disturbed, this can result in the
brain needing extra stimulation, increasing cravings for high-sugar and fatty snacks. These types of foods stimulate the pleasure
centers of the brain and give a much-needed boost in energy levels and alertness as well as make us feel better in the short term.
This is why high-sugar and high-fat snacks can be so addictive,
especially for shift workers.
THE DANGERS OF EATING DISORDERS IN FIREFIGHTERS
Firefighting personnel must possess physical stamina and fitness; social skills to work efficiently with their team; technical
knowledge to operate firefighting equipment; and the ability to
remain calm and take control of their own fears despite being in
dangerous, confusing, or traumatic situations.
However, eating disorders can be a hurdle to performing your
best at work. Firefighters need to be strong in every capacity
when going into emergency situations, but the impact of either
starvation or overeating can severely impact the mind and body,
preventing the organs from receiving adequate nutrition and rest.
Lacking physical power and mental alertness can lead to lags in
decision making and a reduced confidence and sense of self-awareness, which places the lives of the firefighter, members of
the first responder teams, and victims at risk.
Given these life-threatening risks, it is important for you to be
honest with yourself if you have, or suspect you have, an eating
disorder. The first step to breaking free from an eating disorder is
to acknowledge that you may be affected by one. Take the time
to consider the following indicators of an eating disorder, being
totally honest with yourself in terms of whether you can relate to
any of them:
• You are eating and snacking more or tend to eat and drink
more when you are alone.
• You eat more when you’re bored or when you’re tired, anxious,
• You prefer prepackaged “comfort” food that is easy to buy and
store, easy to hide, and easy to eat.
• You sometimes eat huge amounts of food and have no recollection of it because you were doing something else such as
watching TV or surfing the Internet.
• Extremely strong emotions underlie your reasons for eating or
not eating, the frequency of eating, and the amount and kinds
of food eaten.
• The act of eating is an automatic reflex action performed
without focusing or thinking about what food is being eaten
or how much is consumed.
• Eating or not eating has become an activity that soothes,
comforts, or distracts you from strong emotions or low mood,
at least in the short term.
• You are preoccupied with food and try to avoid it even when
you are hungry for fear of becoming overweight.
• You feel sick and disgusted after eating and feel that you have
lost control of the situation.
• You try to compensate for what you eat by vomiting, taking
laxatives, or overexercising.
If you can relate to any of these, you have an unhealthy relationship with food. If you can relate to them all, then it is almost
certain that you do have an eating disorder.
RECOVERING FROM AN EATING DISORDER
Recovery does not happen by simply eating more or less food.
Eating disorders must be dealt with from a holistic perspective,
where the physical, emotional, mental, and social aspects of the
person are considered. Here, it can help to find an understanding
of the development and motivations behind your eating disorder
so that you can address these specific triggers.
Overcoming an eating disorder cannot be done in a vacuum.
Other than support from loved ones and colleagues, individuals
affected by eating disorders also need the help of health profes-
sionals. Some of the common treatments prescribed to people
• Counseling: A trained professional applies psychological
knowledge, theories, and techniques to help you cope with
the distress that underlies your eating disorder.
• Nutritional support: A trained nutrition expert examines
your dietary requirements so that you can develop a better
understanding of your need for specific foods and nutrients to
aid your recovery.
• Cognitive analytical therapy: This therapy focuses on exploring any personal experiences that may be contributing to your
eating disorders to help you adopt better coping mechanisms.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy: This is an approach that
explores the link between feelings, thoughts, and actions,
helping you to change your thinking in a way that might also
lead to a change in disordered eating behaviors.
• Mirror therapy: Using exposure to a mirror to incrementally
ease and overcome some of the negative thoughts and emotions you might have about your body image.
• Art therapy: Creative exercises to help your resolve conflict
and personal problems, create self-awareness, manage behavior, and reduce anxiety and stress.
• Animal therapy: Spending time with therapy animals or pets
to destress and become more grounded and self-aware.
• Writing: Expressing your thoughts and feelings through writ-
ing rather than disordered eating. Examples include keeping a
diary or food journal. Even writing letters to yourself or others
(but not necessarily sending them) has been found to facilitate
emotional expression, which is an important component of
eating disorder recovery.
EATING DISORDERS ARE EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY
Knowledge about eating disorders can be extremely useful for
fire department chiefs and supervisors who need to be able to
identify members of their staff who may be at risk of developing
them. By recognizing the risks of anxiety and stress on the eating
patterns of firefighters, department heads will see the importance
of emphasizing adequate nutrition, physical training, and work-life balance.
Firefighters must be holistically fit to perform their job.
Acknowledging that you may be suffering from an eating disorder
and reaching out for support is not a weakness but a strength. It
is looking after yourself and also looking out for those who rely
on you to be the best you can be in your work.
Dr. Nicola Davies is a psychologist and freelance writer with expertise in occupational psychology and well-being. You can follow her on Twitter (@healthpsychuk)
or sign up for her free blog ( http://healthpsychologyconsultancy.wordpress.com/).