Social Media Integrity Blog, Episode 5: Jane Schmid

Jane Schmid is a recently graduated senior and is returning to U-M in the fall to pursue her Masters in Nutritional Sciences at the School of Public Health. She is also a yoga instructor and an avid reader, runner, and singer. Jane also grew up with a love for food and cooking from her mother. Her Instagram blog, @see.jane.eat, is an eating disorder recovery account that promotes holistic health and mental well-being. Jane describes her own healing in relation to food and body through the account, and her journey has resonated with countless others. 

https://player.acast.com/umichstudents-social-integrity/episodes/jane-schmid

What were some of your motivations for starting the @see.jane.eat Instagram blog?

When I made it, I was still not diagnosed with my eating disorder. I was adamant that everything that I was doing and thinking was normal. When you have an eating disorder, you’re focused on food all the time and you can’t really think about anything else. So, I think that also led to the account, that hyper-fixation on food.

I started using the account to follow anti-diet dietitians and other people who had been in recovery or were currently in recovery themselves, and that honestly helped me a lot. I found this community of people who understood what I was experiencing. Just reading about their experiences and about the science of nutrition, like why diets don’t work, really helped me. Now I want to be that resource for other people, too.

What helped you make the decision to share your struggle with an eating disorder on the account and can you just describe that experience?

I first talked about my eating disorder because it was NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) week. So I took that week to openly talk about it for the first time because I saw so many other people sharing their experiences. My journey with food was intertwined with my eating disorder and it wasn’t the full picture without talking about it or acknowledging it. I slowly talked more and more about it. But I was always careful, and I still am, to not trigger anyone. So I choose my words carefully. 

A lot of who I am is about what I’ve been through with disordered eating and if I can share my story and help other people, the way that other people have helped me, then it’s all worth it. That’s the goal.

What are some ways that social media can be harmful in reinforcing dangerous diet culture?

It’s definitely everywhere in social media and in the media in general. Diet culture and disordered behaviors are normalized and promoted, which is very problematic. But a lot of people don’t realize that those things are disordered because they are so normalized. When you see posts, for example, about restriction or fad diets or excessive or negatively driven exercise, it supports diet culture and reinforces those ideologies.

The comparison trap can also be a big issue because you don’t see the full picture on social media. You can start thinking, “This person ate X and I ate Y; and they did this exercise and I did this one.” Then you’re wondering if you’re not enough, or what you’re doing is bad or not healthy, and it can really wear on you. 

If people could stop assigning morality to foods, that would eliminate a lot of the problems that we see. Talking about certain foods as good and certain foods as bad can result in restricting things labeled as bad. You then get stuck in a binge-restrict cycle, which often ends with eating way more of that “bad” food than if you allowed it in the first place. So, if you don’t label things as good and bad, you’re far, far less likely to be stuck in these thoughts and behaviors. 

Food is just food. Everything in moderation is okay. And that’s the key to having a balanced, healthy diet and lifestyle.

You also expanded your blog into a website. Can you talk about your “Harmful Praise” blog piece?

I started writing that when I was beginning the true part of my recovery and I wrote it to express my feelings on recovering, which for me meant gaining weight. So it was a lot about how I’ve perceived all these messages that “thinner is better” and how I received so much attention and compliments when I was sick.

They just see the outer. Nobody cares how you got there. 

We equate thinness with value and health. So I want to make sure that people realize that complimenting weight loss can actually be very harmful because you’re usually reinforcing toxic behaviors.

Educating myself on why those messages are false has helped me to not let them get to me anymore. Health looks different for everybody and it’s really subjective. What works for you is not going to work for somebody else and vice versa. That’s why I chose to do a master’s of science in nutrition at the School of Public Health, because you get to do your own research. I want to contribute to the scientific evidence on eating disorders and weight bias. 

As you’ve mentioned in some of your posts, there is definitely a difference between Instagram health & fitness aesthetics and true health. How does your account address this difference and promote true health?

I want people to realize that health is more than how you eat and how you move. It’s your mindset, social life, sleep, hydration, rest, de-stressing, self care, all of that. So the health and fitness aesthetics that we see on social media really just focus on appearance rather than the real aspects of health. We ignore the fact that size diversity exists and not everybody can, or is meant to be, in a smaller body. You can’t see health. You can be healthy and not be skinny.

Your health should include a balance of fruits and vegetables, grains and protein; but you should also have dessert and snacks. And you should move your body, but also have sufficient rest and do self care that’s right for you. So again, everyone’s different. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. 

What tips do you have for people who want to protect themselves from these potentially harmful messages?

My biggest piece of advice is just to unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself. Don’t take nutrition advice from some random account on Instagram that’s not run by a registered dietitian. You have the power to make your feed what you want it to be. So set out to make it uplifting and positive rather than negative, because nobody wants to feel awful about themselves every time they open up Instagram.

Also just recognizing that social media is a highlight reel. It’s true of my account; it’s true of everybody’s account. But that being said, I try to be transparent and honest; and I think that’s really important when you have a fitness- and food-focused account. 

In what ways has making this account helped you along your recovery journey?

Like I said in the beginning, I connected with people who had been in my place or were professionals who believed in health at every size. I realized I wasn’t alone. I finally had people that understood my struggles. That really, really was a driving force.

How do you interact with your followers on the account? Is there a particular experience that stands out to you, in terms of impact?

I love engaging with followers and people I follow. There’s people that I’ve talked to on Instagram, and I’ve never met them in real life, but I feel like I know so much about them. You can engage and interact with people who have similar interests as you, even if you don’t live in the same state or even country. So, that’s awesome.

And I’ve also received a lot of messages from people saying that my story resonates with them, or that some of my content has helped them heal relationships with their bodies and food. And that’s always the goal. 

One experience that stands out to me is meeting my friend Mackensie. She came across my account and messaged me, saying, “Hey. Love your account.” We started chatting and she goes to Michigan, so we met up in person and now we’re friends! It’s just awesome that Instagram can connect you to people who you otherwise would not have met or become friends with. 

Posting about your body on a recovery-focused account can be tricky. How do you find the balance between showing body acceptance, even body love, and not focusing only on shape, size, and appearance? 

I always try to be cautious of potential triggers, so at first I was really hesitant to post anything that showed my body, especially when I was sick. Eventually I decided that I’ve worked really, really hard to reach body acceptance. I wanted to share my journey with that and show it’s possible.

I also want to show what a real body looks like: with rolls and imperfections. I can still care for and appreciate my body, despite those imperfections. And you’re not always going to be in love with the way you look. That’s why I generally don’t say “body positivity,” I say “body acceptance” because there’s a difference. You’re not going to be totally positive about your body, but you can accept it. 

What balance have you found between maintaining complete authenticity when you’re struggling and continuing to portray your recovery voice?

I think that being transparent when I’m struggling is just as important to showcase as being loud and proud about when I am having good body image, and all that. It’s an everyday battle and you have to keep choosing recovery. It’s an active choice that you have to make every day.

Healing is not linear and struggling is 100 percent part of recovery. People have told me that they admire my honesty and my recovery, and that I’m a role model for them. I don’t want to let people down or have them think I’m like a fake. But the truth is: showing struggle makes it more real because that’s what recovery really is.

How have you seen yourself grow through the account? How has the content changed throughout your journey?

I have definitely felt myself make tremendous strides in my recovery. I have all these people cheering me on when I am doing well and encouraging me when things were tough. It makes you feel empowered and kind of important. Wow, these people really care about me and how I’m feeling. 

In terms of content, I feel like I have definitely evolved as well. At the beginning, I would post pictures of desserts from various places, but I would only eat a tiny bit of them and then feel horribly guilty afterwards. They were my biggest fear foods. Now, I can show that I eat a mix of all sorts of things without guilt and restriction. 

I’m also more educated on size diversity and health of every size. So I can include some of that messaging in my content as well. 

What has been one of the most profound things that you’ve learned?

I’ve found a lot of information and resources that have been helpful in my own healing. And I want to be able to provide that for other people. I think that being vulnerable and sharing your struggles or sharing your flaws is really powerful. Just from seeing other people’s posts, as well as getting reactions from my posts, shows that vulnerability is so impactful. I’ve learned that it’s okay to have others know that you’re not okay.

 

Post written by #UMSocial Intern Keara Kotten