WE’RE on the Menu: Misconceptions of Disordered Eating | Cara Peterson & Afftene Taylor | TEDxDuke

When you hear the words "disordered eating", who comes to mind? Probably a white woman with anorexia in her teens or early 20s. But the truth is disordered eating crosses all gender, racial, and socioeconomic lines, yet stereotypes and misinformation continue to persist, leaving scores of people unseen, undiagnosed, and untreated. Caralena Peterson is author of The Effortless Perfection Myth, a forthcoming book (out September 2022) about the gender issues today's women run into in college including self-esteem, confidence, assertiveness, body image, hook-up culture, mental health, belonging, and identity. She has published articles with Inside Higher Ed, The Week, She Knows Media, Ms. Magazine, Rewire News, Bustle, and Elite Daily. You can follow her on Instagram (@effortlessperfectionmyth) or visit her website (caralenapeterson.com) to read more of her work and sign up for her newsletter to get updates about her book!

Afftene is a woman in grand transition. After digging her way out of student loan debt with a career in tech, she has returned to her creative roots in acting and writing. In 2021, she landed two roles in the short films, At The Dentist and UpDate. In 2022, she is looking to finish writing her own short horror film, which will deal specifically with black girls and disordered eating. You can follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter @madebyafftene. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx