So you want an Eating Disorder?



Posted: Wednesday, August 13, 2008

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Recently, someone told me that they would like an Eating Disorder. I merely laughed in their face. You can not gain an Eating Disorder overnight, nor is this article going to tell you how to. Eating Disorders are complex, mind altering diseases. I would know, I have one.

Don't feel like trusting that maybe there is a point here? Well okay. Eight million people in the United States have Eating disorders or Disordered Eating. Anyone can have an Eating Disorder. Children as young as eight. Adults in their seventies. Males, Females, Rich, poor. It doesn't matter. Anyone can be affected by eating disorders. Most eating problems start in the teenage years.

Is there a difference in Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating? Well, yes there is. Disordered Eating is a very broad definition. It covers everyone from people who skip a meal here or there, to people who have body image issues. Eating Disorder is when a professional diagnosis you, when you are below the weight line or when you meet the Criteria for an E.D. Disordered Eating has no criteria .If you have problems eating, such as Anorexia or Bulimia, but don't meet those criteria, such as underweight or binging a lot, then normally you are labeled as disordered eating.

But it doesn't matter what you call it. Eating disorders are a big problem in our world. Eating Disorders can cause Anemia, Lose of Menstruation, destroys muscles and stomach lining, lose of sleep, death. You name it, an Eating Disorder can cause it.

So why do you want one? Maybe it's because of the hyped up media on being skinny. That skinny is beautiful. But the thing is, beauty is more than just skin deep. Beauty is what's inside, not the outside. Eating Disorders are hard to manage, they take control, They will take over your every thought. You will grow so weak that your body will give out. You will not want to move or get out of bed; you will get dizzy just sitting up.

Everyday I stare into the mirror, and step onto the scale .Everyday I think how fat and ugly I am. But every day someone tells me I look so good, or that I'm beautiful. But I can't focus on that. My mind is controlled by the constant need to starve or to purge. My mind tells me all these things about how no one will like me, while my Anorexia takes control. I think how fat I must be, but I run my hand over my hips and my ribs and I can feel the bones sticking out, ever so much.

My point with this is you really don't want an Eating Disorder. Because once you start, it's hard to stop. It's never enough. You will never be pretty enough, or skinny enough, or smart enough for your eating disordered mind. Six years ago I decided that I was fat. Six years ago I started a path of unhealthy eating and living. Now I struggle to put my life back together.

So if you ever think "God, I want an eating disorder" or "I want to be skinny" stop and think. It is not worth it. Not at all. Because in reality, we are all beautiful on the inside.

Casey is an 21 year old college student, majoring in History, Minoring in German. She plans to go to Law School, or if that fails, to get her Ph.D. She writes articles based on personal experience, in the hopes that someone will learn from her mistakes and with the hope that she can change someone elses life.

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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by straight talk
 3 years 174 days ago.
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It all starts in my opinioin with you, and self. If you don't like yourself then most likely you will reflect that to others in how you look. I really think this is at the core of being overweight although some need to understand if their heritage, DNA or whatever shows you will be big most liklely, not always, you will be big. How big is really the issue and that is what you want it to be or make it. Big does not need to be sloppy, unkempt, dirty. Good job.
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