Eating Disorders

I am all too familiar with this issue. A very close friend, someone I
think of as a little sister has struggled with an eating disorder since
she was 15. It was the strangest thing to watch happen. I have known
her since she was 2 and she was always a very active child and was
always very small, height and weight. At about 11 or so (junior high)
she began putting on weight and by 13-14 was overweight (not obese but
"chubby" for her height). No one knows exactly what happened but there
was an incident (outside of the home) that broke her spirit and she
became a whole new person. Eating was limited at best and the food
choices were not a healthy variety. Rice cakes, water, celery, etc.
Sugar was out of the question. Exercise was the other new obsession.
There would be times when she would go for so long and so hard that she
fell off the treadmill. We all noticed these behaviors and tried to
talk to her but it only got worse. She reached a point where she was a
size 0 and it was an extremely proud time for her. It was an
excruciating time for her family. We could see her breast bones and
shoulders through her skin and her cheeks looked like they had been
scooped out. Several years have passed and there has been marked
improvement. She finally accepted a little bit of professional help and
also married a nice young man who loves her for what is on the inside.
There were many other issues involved such as promiscuity so it is my
thought that this was not only about control but also about "feeling"
loved or accepted (self esteem). This is the strangest part of the
whole thing because she has a very loving family who always told her
she was special and beautiful, no matter what. Through this experience
I have learned to understand thestrength and power of this disease. I
am glad that we all worked together to get her on a healthier track. I
am happy to report that in the beginning of this month she delivered
triplet boys who are all perfectly healthy! She has already begun to
talk about her exercise plans to "take off baby weight" but she intends
to do it in moderation. We will all be watching closely =)