Tabitha Farrar 

This site was written for adults in recovery from restrictive eating disorders. The information on this site, however, is also helpful for parents of sufferers of any age, spouse or partners of adult sufferers, and friends/loved ones.

I take a biological view of restrictive eating disorders. In short, It is food scarcity (energy deficit) that sparks the migration response in many different species, including humans. For those of us with the predisposition for this migration response when we go into energy deficit, we develop an aversion to resting and eating — because both stopping to eat too much and resting are threats to a mammal’s ability to migrate successfully. 

What happens next, is that we consistently engage in actions, reactions, and behaviors that are avoidant of weight gain. This consistent avoidance of weight gain alongside bodyweight suppression leads to the brain establishing a fear-response to any behaviours that might lead to weight gain. These behaviours, thought patterns, and reactions become neurally hard-wired in the brain due to the frequency in which they are engaged in.  

In order to fully recover, we need to address the biological stressor of perceived food scarcity (dietary restriction) and the rewire the neural pathways and fear response to weight gain that lead to the continued desire to engage in bodyweight suppression. 

I have developed a biological approach to recovery using theories of mammal migration and neural rewiring. I believe that any person who wants to recover, can. 

Having an eating disorder is not a choice. Recovery is.