While women have long experienced pressures towards thinness, in recent years, societal pressures have shifted towards encouraging women to attain an appearance characterised by both thinness and muscularity. All you have to do is look at the #fitspo hashtag and you'll notice that this lean muscular physique is idealised within our society. But is this at the cost of our mental health and relationship with food and exercise?  Today Lucy McConnell and I answer this question as we dive into the topic of eating disorders masking under the guise of fitness and health.  In today’s episode we’ll be discussing: The link between eating disorders, disordered eating and the pursuit of thinness/muscularity in fitness Normalisation of dieting behaviours How fitness professionals can perpetuate unrealistic and unhealthy standards of training and eating  The blurred line between dedication and disordered eating - how to tell the difference Why it’s hard to identify and get help with these behaviours because of lack of diagnostic criteria The link between low self-esteem and training/eating in fitness and how this can be masked in both professionals and persons who pursue fitness ❤️ Join my newsletter list for weekly motivation and inspiration and you'll also receive a FREE copy of my eBook "31 Ways to Boost Your Body Image" ❤️ Ready to get your period back? Join the next round of Healing Hypothalamic Amenorrhea! This 8-week, hybrid group and 1:1 coaching program is designed to help you recover your period while improving your relationship with food, exercise and your body. Find out details and sign up here: https://sarahlizking.com/healing-ha/ ❤️ Work with me to improve your relationship with food and exercise by heading to www.sarahlizking.com or sending me a DM on Instagram @sarahlizking ❤️ If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5⭐️ review and share a screenshot on Instagram by tagging myself @sarahlizking and I'll be sure to reshare.