Last week’s column spurred some interesting feedback. So what exactly is an eating disorder?
An eating disorder is a disturbance in someone’s eating behavior that compromises a person’s physical and psychological health. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are chronic problems in which there is a preoccupation with food, eating and weight loss.
Anorexia nervosa is still more prevalent in young women than in young men. The disorder typically begins in their “tweens” or teenage girls who are either overweight or perceive themselves that way. The interest of weight reduction becomes an obsession with severely restricted calorie intake and often excessive exercising.
People with bulimia (including men) tend to lead secret lives, hiding their abnormal eating habits. In a single binge, they can consume 10,000-15,000 or more calories.
Myth — bulimics always purge by vomiting.
Fact — Not all bulimics try to rid themselves of the calories they have consumed by vomiting. Purging can also take form of laxatives, diuretics, exercising or fasting. For me, over exercising and vomiting came very easy to me.
Myth — You can never recover from an eating disorder.
Fact — Recovery takes a long time, but with hard work and the proper treatment (or in my case lots of prayers with God), you can fully recover from an eating disorder.
My sister at one point found out. It was very hard to be faced with the fact that you can’t hide it anymore but also a relief. Unfortunately, she and I both did not know what to do. You can’t just stop an eating disorder (even when you want to).
Myth — People with eating disorders do this to hurt their family and friends.
Fact — People with eating disorders are doing this to themselves. They are usually upset when they know the people around them are worried or hurt by their eating disorder.
I was in denial for so long, but I was also very miserable and alone during that time of my life. An eating disorder is an addiction to food. But guess what? You have to eat to live.
Telling a food addict to eat better is like telling an alcoholic to just have one drink a day or a heroin addict you can use it only once a week.
Myth — You cannot die from bulimia.
Fact — Bulimics are at high risk for dying, especially if they are purging, by vomiting, using laxatives and over exercising. Many bulimics have died from cardiac arrest which is usually caused by low potassium or an electrolyte imbalance. Others have died from a ruptured esophagus.
In 1988, at a meet in Budapest, an American judge told Christy Henrich, at that time one of the world top gymnasts, that she was too fat and needed to lose weight if she wanted to be on the Olympic team. She resorted to anorexia nervosa and bulimia as a result to control her weight. Her disorder eventually took her life on July 26, 1994. She died of multiple organ failures. More famous people and athletes have come out with their struggles, and unfortunately, deaths are still reported. That’s why I am so thankful to see “bigger,” very fit gymnasts at the competitions now.
Signs to look for (from the experience of a recovered bulimic):
• Obsessed about their weight, they weigh themselves numerous times a day, especially before and after they eat.
• Eat very little, or eat lots of foods, then immediately disappears to the bathroom and is gone a while.
• Exercises more than 3 hours or more a day most days of the week.
• Very unhappy with their appearance even when you think they look great.
• They brush their teeth many times a day.
• Check their knuckles for calluses, redness, and teeth marks.
• Check the toilet they use for smell, a mess or super clean.
When you expect a problem with a loved one, please talk to your doctor. They will guide you and give you the appropriate steps to take. Unfortunately, this is still a huge pink elephant in many lives, and I am not sure about the current fad of “the shot” or “pill” going in the right direction. Living a healthy lifestyle is feeding your body what it needs and exercising/moving, most days of the week. So simple, yet so hard…
Ester Marsh is director of healthy living at the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA.
