i need help so bad, i am anorexic but i cant stick with it. pleaz give me tips on how 2 stick and how 2 take ur mind off food and also how 2 hide it from my parents. if they find out theyll put me in rehab. trust me, anything any 1 will try 2 say about how anorexia is bad, dont waste ur time. nothin u say can make me not ana. pleaz other people though, i need tips so bad!!
Responses to this article:
--- Sunday, August 1, 2004 -
Answer by: Enigma
Turland... the little game is up okay...
Listen, IF you're having problems, then get some help.
At this point, like Sam I have nothing further to offer here.
I see that you want to play games here Turland... being *hilary* one minute and *turland* the next...
Sweetie, I really hope you get some help with your self esteem...
--- Sunday, August 1, 2004 -
Answer by: Hilary
i donno, it just went like that.
--- Sunday, August 1, 2004 -
Answer by: turland7
how did u get that 2 say i wrote it??
--- Sunday, August 1, 2004 -
Answer by: turland7
oh my god would u shut up already! look, anorexia is the BEST AND ONLY WAY OF LIFE 4 SOME1 WHO IS ANYTHING LIKE U!!! ur already half way there, finish the race! come on! u can do it! courteneys great looking! dont u wanna look JUST LIKE COURTENEY. well, this is how she did it. wats so bad about it, if thats how GORGEUOS u look in the end, huh? trust me. im just like u. these 2 baffoons dont no anything about how we think, do they? no they dont. ill help u look just like courteney, if u just trust me, ok?
--- Sunday, August 1, 2004 -
Answer by: turland7
i no sam, ur so right! i am being selfish, so very selfish and i feel soo bad about it 2. i no i shouldnt do this but i dont want 2 be ugly and fat! i just want 2 be accepted! hilarys right, i cant make up my mind. i just wanna be like courteney and all the other stars. if courteney has an eating disorder than how come she looks so good? i dont understand! its so frusterating! please please please help me make some sense of this all!
--- Sunday, August 1, 2004 -
Answer by: Sam
Ok, Hilary. Apparently you know so much more about this than two adults in their twenties -- and Enigma, who is a registered nurse and who has gone to nursing school. I have my medical books and they sure don't talk anorexia up. And as for those stars -- most of them, kiddo, aren't anorexic. They all live off of a no/low carb diet. That's fine, but their liver is going to blow if they keep it up because not only does you body need food, you also need carbohydrates! Oh and Hilary -- one star celebrity DID die from anorexia -- and her name is Karen Carpenter. Check out her movie, "The Karen Carpenter Story." I've tried to plead with you both to care for yourselves and to not do this and hurt your body. You most certainly do have low self-esteem if you are going around saying how you're a monster, how ugly you are, and that you're fat fat fat fat fat... if that isn't low self-esteem, then I am in another galaxy far, far away...
Honestly, in my opinion I think what you girls are doing is selfish. Think about the people that love you. There are people all over the world who wish that they had food to eat. People are starving in this world, and you should be thankful you have the life that you do, that you have food on the table, where millions of little kids out there go to bed hungry at night. And you both choose to starve your own little bodies and hurt your organs that people also wish they had (there's a lot of people out there who are in need of a kidney) -- because you want to be like some of the "stars." Not all "stars" starve themselves and hurt thier bodies, Hilary. As I said earlier -- Beyonce' eats five times a day and works out. Look at how amazing she looks. But, since you both are refusing to listen to me (or Enigma's professional medical advice) then I guess I'm wasting my time here. I believe in those who believe in themselves. If I can't help someone that wants the help, then I have nothing else to say here, and all I can do is pray for you both.
I hope you change your mind, Turland.
God be with you both.
--- Sunday, August 1, 2004 -
Answer by: Hilary
im 11. and i dont care whos life it claims. and its not ur concern wat me or her does. we dont have a problem. and u obviously dont understand the point of view of the anorexic. maybe ur the 1 who needs 2 do more research. and i dont have low self esteem and im VERY healthy
--- Sunday, August 1, 2004 -
Answer by: Enigma
*HILARY*
Now, thats just stupid.
Turland is a 12 year old little girl... you are probably not much older than she is... you are BOTH still growing and changing.
Anorexia Nervosa ISN'T a "special little club" it is a deadly eating disorder, that claims the lives of both genders... including celebrities.
As an adults, it would be completely irresponsible for Sam or myself to encourage Turland or anyone else for that matter to engage in behavior that is harmful and in a lot of cases deadly.
People who suffer with low self esteem, poor body image, and this as well as other eating disorders are NOT healthy regardless if they are a 12 year old little girl, or a celebrity... and if you believe anything else Hilary then you need to do a whole lot more research.
--- Sunday, August 1, 2004 -
Answer by: Hilary
turland, u sound like u need 2 make up ur mind! one minute u say u wanna be anorexic, and the next u say u dont, and now u do again. make up ur mind, will u. and u other 2 shouldnt try 2 make her stop her way of life. besides, shes absolutely right about the stars. they all are thin and healty and most of them did and do have eating disorders. turland 1nce u make up ur mind, ill gladly welcome u 2 the club. live happy and thin. be appreciated. ill give u all the tips u need. i can help.
--- Saturday, July 31, 2004 -
Answer by: Enigma
*sigh*
Turland... Courtney Coxx Arquette just gave birth to a child... she had a hard time getting pregnant and trust me when she did get pregnant she ate right not just for her, but for the HEALTH of her child.
Beauty is skin deep Turland... you can be "perfect" on the outside... and still be ugly on the inside...
Coming up with the celebrities got thin with an eating disorder is ridiculous... and you completly over looked the women who've made huge contributions that still struggle with weight...
You know Turland, part of changing how the world see's others starts with YOU... and to have an idea that people who carry extra weight are not worth while... isn't only not true, it is a horrible prejudice... and no better than someone who is racist.
You need to accept who you are Turland... to love yourself unconditionally... that means taking care of yourself and respecting your body.
--- Saturday, July 31, 2004 -
Answer by: turland7
all those famous people got thin with an eating disorder, and theyre fine. courteney cox arquette is the most beautiful and best actress ever. shes my idol. shes perfect! no teeth missing, no health problems. she has a healthy baby and a husband. she had an eating disorder. i want beaty, and thinness. i dont want 2 be hosrribly ugly and fat fat fat fat fat fat fat! i wont let myself do this. i dont deseve 2 live if im gonna be fat. no way. i want wat courteney has. once im done ill look just as gourgeous as her. i cant stop and i wont until im beautiful. i cant look in the mirror and say im special and beautiful. im not. and i wont be till i look like her. im not stopping.
--- Saturday, July 31, 2004 -
Answer by: Sam
Be STRONG, Turland -- I believe you can do this, and I believe in YOU!
--- Saturday, July 31, 2004 -
Answer by: Sam
Turland, if you want to lose wight -- see a doctor and develop a nutrition plan. EAT RIGHT -- this means so sugar and sweets, no "bad" carbs, eat lots of chicken breast, broiled legumes, vegetables, fruit and some whole grain wheat breads. Don't put butter or cream in your food or on your toast. Drink reduced fat milk and stay away from candy bars and ice cream. If you want to snack on something sweet eat dried fruits or yogurts. Sugar free candy is out there too. Starving yourself is NOT the way to go, Turland. I don't think you want to lose your hair and teeth, and a kidney to boot for this. You are dangerously ill and afraid of food. It is not normal to think this way, sweetheart. You are a very special person, you are a miracle of life created by God. You are NOT a monster, you are NOT ugly! You are a sweet and special young lady with a bright future full of smiles and laughter.
Turland -- look into the mirror and tell yourself, "I AM BEAUTIFUL, I AM SPECIAL." Do this everyday. It's called self affirmations and it will help with your self esteem.
TALK to your parents OR a trusted adult --you need HELP in dealing with anorexia and your low self esteem.
--- Saturday, July 31, 2004 -
Answer by: Enigma
Aretha Franklin one of the MOST FAMOUS SINGERS... Missy Elliott, Carnie Wilson, Oprah Winfrey, Marilyn Monroe... ALL have struggled with weight... ALL have made huge contributions!!
TURLAND... Get some help dear.
Mary-Kate Olsen Tracey Gold Cynthia French Jane Fonda Jamie-Lynn Sigler Sally Field Carre Otis Paula Abdul Victoria Beckham Justine Bateman Joan Rivers Dawn Langstroth The Barbie Twins Leila Pahlavi Whitney-Houston Courtney Thorne-Smith Amy Heckerling Barbara Niven Magali Amadei
After months of speculation about her emaciated appearance, Mary-Kate Olsen has entered treatment for an eating disorder (anorexia), her publicist said Tuesday. Fans and celeb magazines expressed shock and concern at Mary-Kate's appearance April 29 at the unveiling of the twins' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Tracey Gold began her career at age four by appearing in a Pepsi-Cola print advertisement. Tracey reveals that, ironically, the actress was nothing like her honors student character in ABC's, Growing Pains, she was failing her subjects in school. She was finally diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), a learning disability that affects millions of Americans. But it was just one of many "growing pains" Tracey experienced. She was also diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and bulimia in 1990. She had almost starved herself to death. But her family, friends and husband helped her overcome the disorders. When she returned to acting, she starred in a dozen TV movies. Tracey has written a book about her story titled, "Room to Grow-An Appetite for Life".
Cynthia French Singer, Songwriter, and Publisher, has begun touring the country speaking publicly about her experiences with eating disorders, how she overcame them, and what led her to create the fiction novel "Humanville".
Jane Fonda, actress, activist, athlete, wife and mother, was one of the first famous women to openly discuss her eating disorder. In the late 1970s, she went public with her "bulimarexia," the binge-and-vomit cycle that nearly ruined her health. Overwhelmed by the demands of the Hollywood culture, she spent nearly 20 years in the relentless pursuit of thinness.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler-One young actress who was brave enough to take her battle public is Jamie-Lynn Sigler- James Gandolfini's daughter on "The Sopranos." Jamie-Lynn decided that her success should be turned to doing good, and right now this is her way.
"I became a spokeswoman for eating disorders," Jamie-Lynn shares with ET, "I would say about three or four months after I actually came out about it. It is a tough thing to talk about it, but it is actually therapeutic for me. I know it is something that touches almost every girl, and men, too."
The best advice Jamie-Lynn can offer is that "if you know someone who is going through it, or if you are going through it, the person really has to want to get better to get better. Just make sure that you let them know that you love them and that you are there for them when they are ready, because that's really all I needed to hear."
Sally Field, 45, began her three-year bout with bulimia at 20, spurred, she has said, by the perception that ''everybody then was Twiggy, except me.Field has faced eating disorders that, during her days as TV's Flying Nun in the '60s, caused the 5'2'' actress, who normally weighs 100 pounds, to binge on candy and balloon 20 pounds. Career-wise, she once had to struggle to move beyond the spunky, white-bread image she earned in her earliest TV roles as Gidget and the famously soaring Sister Bertrille.
Carre Otis. As a top fashion model, Carre Otis made her living on looking thin and beautiful. But now she is sharing the ugly truth about the weight-loss strategies she subjected herself to and the dire health consequences that resulted.
“I had been on this insane diet for almost 17 years to maintain the weight that was demanded of me when I was modeling,” Otis says. “My diet was really starvation. I am not naturally that thin so I had to go through everything from using drugs to diet pills to laxatives to fasting. Those were my main ways of controlling my weight.”
Paula Abdul, singer and dancer , famous for her daring necklines and skin-tight dresses, has a secret weapon for keeping her figure sexy and trim. She employs a highly priced "food cop" to patrol her kitchen.
Top Hollywood nutritionist Yolanda Berman keeps a strict eye on what 36-year-old Abdul keeps in her pantry, cupboards and fridge. Abdul once thought nothing of sitting down to wolf down a whole cake, a bag of biscuits and a tub of ice cream. Then she would retreat to the bathroom and purge herself of the food. She had to overcome the eating disorder bulimia, whose sufferers binge and purge, by checking into a clinic in 1994. Abdul was once also an exercise junkie, trying to burn off the extra kilojoules she had taken in by over-indulging in food. "I used to be a fanatic," she says. "I used to exercise four or five times a day. "Now it's different. I don't exercise too much for the wrong reasons. Three times a week I'll do some cardiovascular or aerobic activity.
Victoria Beckham Posh Spice of Spice Girls has admitted for the first time that she suffered from an eating disorder. She made the revelation in an extract from her forthcoming autobiography, Learning To Fly, which was published in the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
Beckham has denied that she had anorexia in the past. Beckham described her illness and said that for a time she was "obsessed" with her appearance.
Justine Bateman says teenage fame made her become a bulimic.
The former Family Ties star made a lot of rules for herself: "I can have one more cookie if I go throw it all up later. Or I can have this now if I skip lunch later," she said in the Nov. 9 edition of the U.S. TV Guide. "I'm talking mainly about doing stuff like not eating when I'm hungry. Or eating more than I really want to and then trying to get rid of it."
Bateman said she was sure people knew. "In fact, when they'd say, 'You look anorexic,' I'd take it as a compliment."
Joan Rivers, commedienne, author, entrepreneur and mother developed "acute onset" bulimia after the tragic suicide of her husband, Edgar Rosenberg. Devastated by the loss, her appetite went into orbit as she launched her gastronomic space program--bags of cookies, whole cakes and ice cream by the gallon. She was so angry and despondent that for a moment she too considered suicide. The love of those around her caused her to take stock. She began to count her blessings, not her losses. She sought counseling. She volunteered to help others. She learned that the long journey back to health begins with small steps. Step-by-step, she recovered. (See "Bouncing Back," Joan Rivers, Harper Collins, 1966)
For years, people have associated Anne Murray with her satin voice and hit songs. But last week in People magazine, Anne revealed a surprising side of herself — one that eight million families can identify with. Anne's daughter, Dawn Langstroth, is recovering from anorexia nervosa.
Though Anne had noticed some eating problems while Dawn was growing up, she attributed them to typical teenage behavior. Even when Dawn's eating habits became more unusual, it was difficult to pin down their source. "I didn't know what to do," Anne confessed. "She would say, 'I'm fine.' She would eat while I was at home. She always put on a good face, but inside she was dying. She's a great actress." Oprah interview
The Barbi Twins Though they bared their bodies in Playboy, pinups Sia and Shane Barbi said models are not to blame for society's obsession with personal image; they, like many women, are victims of an over-emphasis on a waif-like physique. The sisters, known as the Barbi Twins, spoke on campus Tuesday night about their battle with bulimia and anorexia as part of Body Image Awareness Week.
Leila Pahlavi Ever since the untimely death of Leila Pahlavi I have been biting my fingers to avoid putting pen to paper. I picked up the pen in the hopes that her death -- by turning our attention to depression, and eating disorders amongst our women -- might help other young girls and women who might find themselves in her predicament.
Whitney-Houston The crowd watched in shock as a frail Whitney Houston hit the stage Friday night during the Michael Jackson concert at Madison Square Garden. As this photo shows, one of the world's most vital pop stars has become a shell of her former self in the year and half since she last publicly performed.
COURTNEY THORNE-SMITH Her name is Courtney Thorne-Smith, and she has an eating disorder. The former star of Ally McBeal tells US Weekly that the pressure to be thin ultimately led her to quit the Fox dramedy. "I started undereating, overexercising, pushing myself too hard and brutalizing my immune system," the 33-year-old actress says. "The amount of time I spent thinking about food and being upset about my body was insane."
AMY HECKERLING In high school, she was anorexic. And, more recently, she said, "I had an eating disorder because I was going through something that was depressing me. And I didn't feel like eating. It wasn't that I thought I'd look cuter and be more popular. That certainly was long gone. I come from a family of heavy women, so I've always been really scared."
BARBARA NIVEN Actress Barbara Niven is beautiful, blond, and brave - brave enough to go public about her bulimia. "By sharing my experiences I hope that others who may still be hiding their problem may take their first steps toward recovery," says the star of the syndicated TV hit Pensacola: Wings of Gold. "Bulimia is a hidden disease. To fight it, first you have to recognize you have it. Then you need to start talking about."
MAGALI AMADEI "My battle with bulimia lasted seven years. I would eat - binge really - and purge it by vomiting afterwards, eating and vomiting up to seven times a day."
Paula Abdul Christine Alt Amaya Karen Carpenter Catherine Colby Courtney Cox Sandra Dee Elisa Donovan Elton John Calista Flockhart Uri Geller Tracey Gold Heidi Guenther Audrey Hepburn Christy Henrich Catherine Hickland Marya Hornbacher Barbara Hutton Michael Krasnow Anne Lamont Dawn Langstroth Joyce Maynard Cheryl Boone O'Neill Marie Osmond Elvis Presley Molly Jong-Fast Gilda Radner Cathy Rigby Joan Rivers Deborah Schnelle Richard Simmons Michaela Strachan Naomi Wolfe Princess Victoria
Other Celebrities that have struggled with an eating disorder. Christina Ricci - anorexia Christ Henrich (died from her eating disorder) Fiona Apple - anorexia Brandy (teen singer) - diet pill abuse Billy Bob Thornton - disordered eating Johnny Depp (self-injury) Lena Zavaroni (actress) - died from her eating disorder anorexia Kate Dillon (model) - anorexia Melanie Griffith - disordered eating Daniel Johns (lead singer of the band Silverchair) - anorexia Geri Halliwell (former Ginger Spice) - disordered eating Princess Diana - anorexia and bulimia Dolly Parton - disordered eating Dolores O'Rirdon (lead singer of the Cranberries) - disordered eating Oprah Winfrey - disordered eating Helga Brathen - gymnast who died of anorexia Janet Jackson - disordered eating
--- Saturday, July 31, 2004 -
Answer by: turland7
like i said, ive been having mixed feelings about this. and right now i feel differently than i did thismorning. i CANT tell my parents and i dont WANT 2. if i tell them they'll put me in rehab and i'll miss school and i wont see my friends and they'll make me FATTER than i am now, and i CANT let myself get fatter, so i CANT stop this. and i dont want to anyways. why would i want 2 be fat? i don't want 2 be. i cant be. i can't let myself get fat. i just cant. i dont no wat i was thinkin thismorning wen i said i wanted stop. i must be crazy! now i see how stupid im being letting myself think 4 1 minute that i should stop trying 2 be thin, stop trying 2 be beautiful and respected and accepted in this world. i can't be anything, i'll never be worth anything if i'm FAT FAT FAT FAT FAT FAT FAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll have 2 punish myself 4 thinking such foolishness!! im so STUPID!! i'm such a STUPID FOOLISH LOSER!! i hate myself!!! i hate myself 4 being so STUPID!! and i hate myself the most 4 letting myself get so HORRIBLY UGLY and so sickenly FAT FAT FAT FAT FAT!!!! I DONT DEERVE TO LIVE IF IM GONNA WASTE MY LIFE AWAY BEING FAT!!! I SHOULD JUST DIE AND GET IT OVER WITH!!! WHATS THE SENSE OF LIVING IF YOUR GOING 2 BE FAT???im worthless, and im not good for anything. i can never fullfill my dreams if im gonna be FAT!! ill never be a famous singer. i have never seen a famous singer in my life that was fat.so there goes my chance of doing wat i love! if i cant be happy and do wat i love than why should i wait around? i should just DIE and forget it all!!!!! anorexia is my only way of being worth anything. if i quit ill be fat and never fullfill my dreams. if i quit ill be worth nothing! at least if im thin i'll be accepted and be a famous singer and have a life worth living. i cant stop. i wont.
--- Saturday, July 31, 2004 -
Answer by: Enigma
Sweetheart, there is help out there... YOU can control this with help and support... YOU are in control of your body and what YOU choose to put into it.
Anorexia Nervosa is a difficult disorder to overcome... but you CAN get help and reclaim your life Turland...
How much I can help you here is very limited sweetie... please go to your parents right now and let them help you. Anorexia Nervosa
What is anorexia nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa is a serious, often chronic, and life-threatening eating disorder defined by a refusal to maintain minimal body weight within 15 percent of an individual's normal weight. Other essential features of this disorder include an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, and amenorrhea (absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles when they are otherwise expected to occur). In addition to the classic pattern of restrictive eating, some people will also engage in recurrent binge eating and purging episodes. Starvation, weight loss, and related medical complications are quite serious and can result in death. People who have an ongoing preoccupation with food and weight even when they are thin would benefit from exploring their thoughts and relationships with a therapist. The term anorexia literally means loss of appetite, but this is a misnomer. In fact, people with anorexia nervosa ignore hunger and thus control their desire to eat. This desire is frequently sublimated through cooking for others or hiding food that they will not eat in their personal space. Obsessive exercise may accompany the starving behavior and cause others to assume the person must be healthy.
Who develops anorexia nervosa?
Like all eating disorders, anorexia nervosa tends to occur in pre- or post-puberty, but can develop at any major life change. Anorexia nervosa predominately affects adolescent girls and young adult women, although it also occurs in men and older women. One reason younger women are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders is their tendency to go on strict diets to achieve an "ideal" figure. This obsessive dieting behavior reflects today's societal pressure to be thin, which is seen in advertising and the media. Others especially at risk for eating disorders include athletes, actors, dancers, models, and TV personalities for whom thinness has become a professional requirement. For the person with anorexia nervosa, the satisfaction of control achieved over weight and food becomes very important if the rest of their life is chaotic and emotionally painful.
How many people suffer from anorexia nervosa?
Conservative estimates suggest that one-half to one percent of females in the U.S. develop anorexia nervosa. Because more than 90 percent of all those who are affected are adolescent and young women, the disorder has been been characterized as primarily a woman's illness. It should be noted, however, that males and children as young as seven years old have been diagnosed; and women 50, 60, 70, and even 80 years of age have fit the diagnosis.
How is the weight lost?
People with anorexia nervosa usually lose weight by reducing their total food intake and exercising excessively. Many persons with this disorder restrict their intake to fewer than 1,000 calories per day. Most avoid fattening, high-calorie foods and eliminate meats. The diet of persons with anorexia nervosa may consist almost completely of low-calorie vegetables like lettuce and carrots, or popcorn.
What are the common signs of anorexia nervosa?
The hallmark of anorexia nervosa is a preoccupation with food and a refusal to maintain minimally normal body weight. One of the most frightening aspects of the disorder is that people with anorexia nervosa continue to think they look fat even when they are bone-thin. Their nails and hair become brittle, and their skin may become dry and yellow. Depression is common in patients suffering from this disorder. People with anorexia nervosa often complain of feeling cold (hypothermia) because their body temperature drops. They may develop lanugo (a term used to describe the fine hair on a new born) on their body.
Persons with anorexia nervosa develop strange eating habits such as cutting their food into tiny pieces, refusing to eat in front of others, or fixing elaborate meals for others that they themselves don't eat. Food and weight become obsessions as people with this disorder constantly think about their next encounter with food. Generally, if a person fears he or she has anorexia nervosa, a doctor knowledgeable about eating disorders should make a diagnosis and rule out other physical disorders. Other psychiatric disorders can occur together with anorexia nervosa, such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
What are the causes of anorexia nervosa?
Knowledge about the causes of anorexia nervosa is inconclusive, and the causes may be varied. In an attempt to understand and uncover the origins of eating disorders, scientists have studied the personalities, genetics, environments, and biochemistry of people with these illnesses. Certain personality traits common in persons with anorexia nervosa are low self-esteem, social isolation (which usually occurs after the behavior associated with anorexia nervosa begins), and perfectionism. These people tend to be good students and excellent athletes. It does seem clear (although this may not be recognized by the patient), that focusing on weight loss and food allows the person to ignore problems that are too painful or seem unresolvable.
Eating disorders also tend to run in families, with female relatives most often affected. A girl has a 10 to 20 times higher risk of developing anorexia nervosa, for instance, if she has a sibling with the disease. This finding suggests that genetic factors may predispose some people to eating disorders. Behavioral and environmental influences may also play a role. Stressful events are likely to increase the risk of eating disorders as well. In studies of the biochemical functions of people with eating disorders, scientists have found that the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine are decreased in those with anorexia, which links them with patients suffering from depression. People with anorexia nervosa also tend to have higher than normal levels of cortisol (a brain hormone released in response to stress) and vasopressin (a brain chemical found to be abnormal in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder).
Are there medical complications?
The starvation experienced by persons with anorexia nervosa can cause damage to vital organs such as the heart and brain. Pulse rate and blood pressure drop, and people suffering from this illness may experience irregular heart rhythms or heart failure. Nutritional deprivation causes calcium loss from bones, which can become brittle and prone to breakage. In the worst-case scenario, people with anorexia can starve themselves to death. Anorexia nervosa is among the psychiatric conditions having the highest mortality rates, killing up to six percent of its victims.
Is treatment available?
Luckily, most of the complications experienced by persons with anorexia nervosa are reversible when they restore weight. People with this disorder should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible because eating disorders are most successfully treated when diagnosed early. Some patients can be treated as outpatients, but some may need hospitalization to stabilize their dangerously low weight. Weight gain of one to three pounds per week is considered safe and desirable. The most effective strategies for treating a patient have been weight restoration within ten percent of normal, and individual, family, and group therapies.
To help people with anorexia nervosa overcome their disorder, a variety of approaches are used. Some form of psychotherapy is needed to deal with underlying emotional issues. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is sometimes used to change abnormal thoughts and behaviors. Group therapy is often advised so people can share their experiences with others. Family therapy is important particularly if the individual is living at home and is a young adolescent. A physician or advanced-practice nurse is needed to prescribe medications that may be useful in treating the disorder. Finally, a nutritionist may be necessary to advise the patient about proper diet and eating regimens. Where support groups are available, they can be beneficial to both patients and families.
What about prevention?
New research findings are showing that some of the ‘traits" in individuals who develop anorexia nervosa are actual "risk factors’ that might be treated early on. For example, low self esteem, body dissatisfaction, and dieting may be identified and interventions instituted before an eating disorder develops. Advocacy groups have also been effective in reducing dangerous media stories, such as teen magazine articles on "being thin" that may glamorize such risk factors as dieting.
--- Saturday, July 31, 2004 -
Answer by: turland7
but i am all those things. im ugly and stupid and so FAT FAT FAT FAT FAT!!i wish i wasnt born. i dont deserve 2 be avlive b/c im so FAT!! i hate myself!! really, i want 2 stop, i want 2 stop so much but it wont let me. and a few months ago i did get help, and i felt great and but then i got even more fat and i just went back, even though i didnt want 2. i wasnt making my own descisions. it was making them 4 me. and now i cant control it. every time i see food, i see poison, and its gotten 2 the point that i dont even really like water anymore. im so stupid that i cant even control wat i do, im such a fat fat fat loser.u dont no how hard this is. its so powerful. i cant avoid it. no matter how hard i try. and i no how bad it is. i have a sunken in face and i can feel my bones, but im still so fat and its not working. im supposed 2 be thin but im not. im a fat fat fat fat fat fat fat loser who cant even be thin no matter wat she does.
--- Friday, July 30, 2004 -
Answer by: Enigma
Turland...
Jeez, I just want to hug you!
Listen to me please... okay?
Sweetie, please know I remember what it was like to be 12 years old... growing up is soooooo hard!
I think being your age is even harder now... but sweetheart, this isn't forever... I know it seems like it is, but it's not.
You are not a "monster" or ugly or fat Turland... you are a beautiful 12 year girl who has had a lot of pressure and stress put upon you...
There is a way out sweetie... and anorexia isn't the answer. Abusing your body is never okay...
I know it's hard for you to overcome this... but with the right support and help,you can and will overcome this disorder and find a new way of living, eating and find self love.
Turland... please, I beg of you to speak to your parents... I have 2 little girls myself Turland... they are both much much younger than yourself..and I know I would want someone to tell them to talk to me about this... they are all my life and all my heart... and I'm willing to bet your parents feel the exact same way about you, as I do about my little girls.
You can change... to be healthy.
Please, think about this...
Don't feel you need to apologize to Sam or myself... we care and we want you to get some help.
--- Friday, July 30, 2004 -
Answer by: turland7
i want 2 get help. i do. more than anything in the world, i want to get help. but its taken over me. i cant think 4 myself. its in control of me. i cant make my own decisions anymore. i cant control it. im always lightheaded. i want 2 get help, i want 2 be free, but i try so hard yet it remains physically impossible. but i feel soo bad that i treated u both so horribly. i was so wrong. i am an ugly fat, fat, fat monsterous freak who doesnt deserve a place on earth, but 4 wat its worth, im sooo sorry. i feel sooo bad about how i was.but please believe me that i want 2 get help, i really cant.
--- Friday, July 30, 2004 -
Answer by: Enigma
OMG Turland!!!
Sweetheart... you're only 12 years old... you've got your whole life in front of you sweetie!
I know it's hard growing up... there are so many outside pressures right now, and everything seems to be about image...
TURLAND,
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, AND WONDERFUL, AND SO LOVED BY YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!
You CAN STOP! Sweetie, you are so young and you are going to grow and change and have so many great experiances...
PLEASE, Talk to your parents... or a school counselor, but PLEASE TALK TO SOMEONE sweetie, and get some help for yourself.
PLEASE
--- Friday, July 30, 2004 -
Answer by: turland7
im not in highschool. im only 12 and going into grade 7. thing is, i no that its bad 4 me but part of me wants 2 stop some of me doesnt. i cant get help b/c the minute i stop, its horrible and i think way worse things than i do now. i really dont want 2 stop and now at this point i really cant no matter how hard i try and i really cant get help.
--- Friday, July 30, 2004 -
Answer by: Sam
Did someone say something mean to you at school, Turland? If that's the case, understand that people who say such means things don't mean them -- they say such things because they don't feel good about THEMSELVES and they want YOU to feel bad, too -- just as they do.
It's really sad to me that nothing I say to you is going to make a difference, but Turland you are so young, and believe me -- you WILL blossom into a beauty. If you want to be healthy and in shape you have to eat right and excercise. If you starve yourself you are going to hurt yoursef and even kill yourself. If that doesn't make you stop this, I don't know what will.
Let me tell you about those models in those magazines -- a lot of them aren't healthy. They are starving, if fact. A lot of them don't feel well because of this underweight image they must portray. And this underweight image isn't even what people find beautiful to begin with. A lot of them don't even look that way anyway -- besides tons of make up being used, airbrushing is used also to distort the person who's modeling to create a false image. So basically, what you're seeing is not a real person, but an image enhanced or created by computers. It's not the real thing.
Beyonce is a beautiful woman, Turland -- but she doesn't starve herself OR hurt herself -- she eats five times a day and works out --and she's beautiful because she's healthy.
The girls that get picked on in school, Turland -- they're the ones that blossom out and become beautiful as "late bloomers", while some of the popular girls do get fat and aren't so great to view at a few years after college. Trust me, I've been to high school and I've seen it all myself.
I've you are being picked on or if someone said something cruel to you -- DO NOT LISTEN to them. They only say such things because they probably have a broken home, are abused, and have a poor image of themselves to hurt others. Tell your teacher or a counselor if this is what's going on. I hope to see you be stronger than all of this and rise above such stupidity. Who are those kinds of people who hurt others? They are no winners. I knew a girl growing up and she used to be a bully. Well guess where she is now? She slept around a lot, ended up in bad, abusive relationships after another, and now she has a baby, never was married -- and is now living off of "friends" and cannot support herself and her child. She has no job, no education, no daddy for her baby, no self-esteem and a bad reputation in town. That is sad. That's the sort of things that happen to a lot of bullies -- they go nowhere in life. Sad, yes. But don't let them bring you down!
It's your life, Turland -- but that's a very sad decision that you're making. Don't you want to go to college someday, get married and have kids of your own? Don't you want to have a career and live your life? Well that's kinda impossible to do when you're six feet under. Something to think about.
I doubt you're fat -- in fact, I am sure you're very pretty. God made you and you are beautiful because there is nobody else like you on Earth. You are one of a kind. You ARE special. I just hope that you'll realize that before you hurt yourself... or before it's too late.
--- Friday, July 30, 2004 -
Answer by: Enigma
Turland,
Obviously your problems are not going to be resolved in a few paragraphs from Sam and Myself...
It really makes me sad to know that you've such a negative self image of yourself... and you are so young.
It wouldn't matter what I said here Turland... but i'm going to say it anyway... you are NOT an ugly freak or a monster... and i'm willing to bet, you're not fat either...
Turland... again, this isn't going to be resolved in a few paragraphs, as much as Sam and I both wish for you it could be...
I still will hold out hope that you will get some help and learn to love and accept yourself girl...
Thoughts are with you.
--- Friday, July 30, 2004 -
Answer by: turland7
i thank u 4 ur concern but i said nothin and thats exactly wat i mean. nothin u say even makes my in the least bit wonder if i should re-concider. besides i already heard all that stuff from my friends and parents. im not changin my mind. and i dont need help at all. im fine. there is nothin wrong with me. just the fact that i need 2 find some1 2 give me some tips on how 2 avoid being a fat ugly monster. now i have 2 go because my stupid frined wont leave me alone and wants 2 see if im ok, and not underweight. im defenantly so not im an ugly fat freak.
--- Thursday, July 29, 2004 -
Answer by: Sam
Turland -- I'm sorry sweetheart, but when you post on a public advice asking for tips on how to continue a deadly illness, it does make it my business, and everyone else who happens to visit this post. People aren't going to support anorexia, Turland. It's very scary, and -- I am concerned about you because I care.
I want you to get help. I don't want a young, beautiful girl such as yourself to become another statistic and die. You are in a lot of danger, and we are very afraid for you and your health. Enigma is a mom and she has two little girls that she adores so much -- she, as a mom -- is naturally very nurturing and caring about people. She presents some very strong facts there about anorexia. This is very, very serious. I urge you to seek help immediately.
You are a cry for help. People just don't leave posts on a love advice site asking for tips on how to be anorexic. Please, get help.
--- Thursday, July 29, 2004 -
Answer by: Enigma
Turland,
Here is a complete medical complications list that are associated with anorexia nervosa...
The consequences are VERY REAL, VERY SERIOUS, AND VERY DEADLY. When you come onto a public message board seeking advice dear, then you've lost the right to say "mind your own business" seeking advice on how to hurt yourself, or potentially kill yourself... even strangers cannot give to you.
I'm an RN Turnland... and believe me when I tell you this disorder is deadly. Medical Complications of Eating Disorders The following is a list of possible medical complications that accompany Eating Disorders. If left untreated the physical complications from practicing an eating disorder can become life threatening.
CARDIOVASCULAR Slow pulse Low blood pressure Electrocardiogram abnormalities Hypovolemia Myocardiopathy and CHF (especially with use of ipecac)
CHEMISTRIES Uric acid elevated Cholesterol is abnormal (elevated or depressed) Carotene is elevated Deficiencies of trace minerals Low blood glucose Hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis
DENTAL AND MOUTH Increased dental caries Highly sensitive teeth from gingival deterioration Pyorrhea Lacerations and contusions of the oral cavity from use of objects to induce emesis Tooth Loss Erosion of enamel Altered bite Bleeding gums Oral sensitivity
DERMATOLOGIC Dry skin Loss of subcutaneous tissues and fat in general Scars (such as on knuckles due to inducing emesis) Fine lanugo hair Acrocyanosis
EFFECTS ON BRAIN AND CNS Lack of REM sleep Affected hypothalamus (lower body temperature, loss of shivering response, cold intolerance, and malfunction of entire temperature regulating system) due to chronic malnutrition EEG abnormalities
ENDOCRINE T-3 deficiency (leading to bradycardia, sluggish reflexes, dry skin, cold intolerance, hypercarotenemia, and various abnormalities of the hair) Abnormal calcium levels and symptoms Hypogonadism Partial diabetes insipidus condition and the inability to concentrate urine normally Addisons disease or hyperaldosteronism
FLUID AND ELECTROLYTE ABNORMALITIES Effects of resultant metabolic alkalosis, potassium and chloride deficiencies Electrolyte Imbalance Skeletal muscle weakness Diminished reflexes Abnormal gastrointestinal motility Cramps Paresthesia Polyuria and oliguria Nocturia CNS abnormalities Constipation Cardial effects (conduction abnormalities, irregular rhythms and sudden death) Impaired kidney function Emotional lability and lassitude Potassium increase due to diuretic abuse causing cardiac abnormalities Depletion of sodium (hyponatremia) Dehydration Hyponatremia Edema
GASTROINTESTINAL Abdominal pain, bloating, and fullness Esophageal perforations and lacerations (Mallory-Weiss Syndrome) Irritable bowel syndrome Ulceration of the bowel Malabsorption of nutrients leading to hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia and calcium deficiency Fatty infiltration of the liver Pancreatitis Exacerbation of hemorrhoids Esophagitis Melanosis coli Gastritis Gastric ulceration Intestinal injury
GYNECOLOGIC Menstrual irregularity Amenorrhea Infertility Atrophic vaginitis and loss of sexual appetite Breast atrophy
HEMATOLOGIC ABNORMALITIES Anemia Leukopernia Thrombocytopenia Bone marrow may be deficient or hypocellular
OPHTHALMOLOGIC Transient blurred vision Dark circles, puffiness under the eyes
ORTHOPEDIC AND MUSCULOSKELETAL Osteoporosis Loss of muscle mass leading to muscular weakness
PULMONARY Aspiration pneumonia
RENAL Prerenal and renal azotemia due to diminished renal pertusion and chronic dehydration Tubular and collecting system abnormalities due to electrolyte abnormality Predisposition to renal stones Kidney failure
MISCELLANEOUS Bacterial and fungal infections Bilateral parotid gland swelling
--- Thursday, July 29, 2004 -
Answer by: turland7
ive heard the so called "concequinces" and they dont happen 2 be real and also, mind ur own buissness, b/c i dont care wat u have 2 say. if any1 has some real advikce id be happy 2 hear it
--- Wednesday, July 28, 2004 -
Answer by: Enigma
Turland,
Nothing anyone say's will change your mind about becoming anorexic uh...
Okay, well how about this... are you prepared to be super thin AND loose your teeth? How about super thin AND loose your hair?
How about super thin AND loose your life?
So you will be a super thin corpse without any teeth and clumps of your hair missing from your scalp... wow, sounds pretty damn good uh?
Listen up Turland... Starving yourself will cause HUGE problems within your body... you can and will loose teeth, you can and will start having hair fall out of your scalp... you will become so weak you're unable to go do any fun things with your friends or family.
If you think for a minute that you can be starving yourself and no one is going to notice how bad you look... think again. Your family will notice that you're not well.
Love and accept yourself girl... it is the only way anyone else can love and accept you.
Good Luck
--- Wednesday, July 28, 2004 -
Answer by: Sam
You need tips? About what, dear? How to stay anorexic!? How to slowly starve yourself to death? How to hurt your body severely? Listen to me right now -- your life is in danger. My tip to you is to first, get into counseling. RIGHT NOW.
Second, EAT! Let me tell you -- guys love a woman with meat on her bones! Curves make you beautiful! Food makes your skin glow, your hair shine, your bones strong! Seeing a chick that's skin and bones and malnourished with fried hair that's breaking off -- is horrid to look at! Get some help RIGHT NOW, you must have severe low self esteem to do this to yourself. If you want to be healthy, eat right and exercise! Starving yourself will only kill you! Your body and organs NEED food to keep functioning and fight off infections! Food not only gives you life, but eating right makes you beautiful! Do you want your hair to break off from malnutrition? How about your bones sticking out from your skin? Think that is beautiful? Your obsession is an illness and you need to get help before it's too late. Watch the movie "The Karen Carpenter Story" and you will see that she, a celebrity, died from anorexia. Get help and do it now!
Marilyn Monroe -- one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, was a size 14! Men WORSHIPED HER! Eat, girl, food is a pleasure! Get conunseling so you can get healthy and learn to eat right, exercise and feel great.
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