OPINION & EDITORIAL
Bulimia, anorexia too grave to ignore
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Also by Rachel Krystek:
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by Rachel Krystek
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
"Do these pants make me look fat?"
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 10:38pm):
There are a lot of helpful websites online for help and information about eating disorders. A couple of these sites that I go to are www.pale-reflections.com and www.something-fishy.org. Hopefully other people will find them helpful. :) Great article and thank you!
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 10:54pm):
Thanks for this piece. When I was a freshman entering college, I believe I had some form of anorexia. I was lonely, felt out-of-control, pushed myself too hard to get good grades. I severely limited my calorie intake, and pangs of hunger became my only friend. Now, 2 years later I am finally STARTING to realize that I had a problem. I look back at pictures of myself and see sunken eyes, gaunt cheekbones, ashen skin. As I thought I was becoming more attractive, I was actually ruining myself. Thanks for pointing out the significance of eating disorders in the college context. Now I, and others, don't have to feel so alone.
NR CM (November 4, 2007 @ 5:46pm):
The issue of eating disorders is one that is very important, especially for girls. You also mention how eating disorders can be triggered in girls by psychological and emotional responses to their environment, such as the need for control, loneliness, perfectionism and a desire to fit in. But one thing that I think we should consider is the possibility that people first try to deal with these personal issues by DIETING. Eating disorders are what develop AFTER the initial attempt of dieting. So what if we taught young kids how NOT to diet? Would the chain from trying to deal with personal issues to dieting to developing eating disorders be broken? We can use "intuitive eating", or a way of listening to our bodies to determine when, how or what we eat without any rules or limitations about food, to reject the diet mentality that, as you say, is "entwined in the fabric of adolescent society". If girls develop a healthy relationship with food they are less likely to go on and off of diets in attempts to lose weight, and they will learn how to deal with their personal issues in other ways that do not involve the usage of food or damage to their bodies. This, in turn, could ultimately lead to the prevention of eating disorders. It is about time we see the damage that dieting has on our society and, if possible, banish it completely.
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