Letters______________
4__________
Opinion
Only five more pounds to lose to be dead
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WcdNEsdAy, FebRUARy 27, 2002
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had eaten too much — I knew five-foot-two, but in order to be suc ing my then-boyfriend that things
that the moment the food hit my cessful in the business, I had to hit bottom. I was living with my
stomach. A mere five minutes watch what I ate at all times and ex grandmother and she was never
after my meal, I was in the bathroom ercise, exercise, ex
there, so it was easy to hide from
with my finger gouged down my ercise. Well, I
everyone, friends and family in-
throat trying to
I eluded. Then one day I was re
force a reaction.
ally dehydrated, pale, and nau
But that wasn’t
seous. I thought it was just be
good enough. I
cause I ate too much at dinner.
had to do one
My boyfriend was visiting with
hour of intense
I me, and my grandma was gone. I
SalenaDeLaCruz I said I had to go to the bathroom.
aerobics to get rid
Opinion Editor I I was really dizzy at this point. So,
of the belly that
had already begun
in the bathroom I brought up what
to form. Just five more pounds and wanted to be successful and it’s not I had just eaten. I was so weak I
I’d be satisfied. The sad reality was something you really plan on doing didn’t hear my boyfriend knock. He
I would never be satisfied with those to yourself, but I found myself want came in right when I was getting
five pounds; they would turn into ing to portray the image of a beauti ready to empty my stomach for the
10 and progress from there. I had a ful girl who everyone admired and I final time. He couldn’t talk. He pulled
problem, and it wasn’t until my boy thought I wanted to be. The same me up and walked me into my room.
friend recognized it that I knew I had image seen in magazines and on He put a washcloth on my head and
to stop myself. I was a bulimic.
television or other various avenues took care of me. The next day he
Bulimia nervosa is described as of the media. And the only way to was adamant He said if I didn’t quit
an abnormal and excessive craving attain that goal was to stay thin.
hurting myself, he’d leave because
for food and recurrent episodes of
I would get uncontrollable urges he couldn’t watch me wither away.
binge eating. The sense of a lack of to just shove food in my mouth, and He said that he now understood all
control over eating behavior causes then I felt so ill from the guilt I started the signs: why I left to the bathroom
self-induced vomiting, the use of making myself puke. When that right after every meal, the tell-tale
laxatives or diuretics and/or strict wasn’t enough, I would exercise bruises on my knuckles and sore
dieting and fasting, according to until I made myself pass out. Two throat complaints.
“The Eating Disorder Site.”
years later, I was at a regular clean
I can speak from experience when
I was 12 years old when it began. ing and my dentist made a remark I say the end result is not a positive
I was a shy, reserved little girl who about the enamel on my teeth. I one. I didn’t feel like five more
still had yet to find herself. That is looked at him and said nothing. That pounds was enough. I was never
when my mom approached me and is when he said that is usually syn satisfied with how I looked, and it’s
said she’d signed me up for a beauty onymous with bulimia because the very hard for me still. My weight
pageant. Now these are not, by any acid in your vomit eats away at the fluctuated from 85 to 100 pounds
means, the sordid events people enamel. I shrugged it off and said during that time. I was moody and
make them out to be, but that’s an my teeth have always been like this never felt I was good enough, even
other story entirely. I was in my very and my last dentist found nothing though I had someone for support
first pageant and my eyes were wrong. So, it continued on through who told me just how great I was.
opened to new hopes, dreams and my next two pageants and my run Sometimes, I find the old feeling com
ideas that were all my own. I was ner-up positions when I thought ing back after meals, but I remember
then approached by a modeling just five more pounds, and I can win what it did to me. I can not even be
agency and told that my 85 pounds the crown for first. It wasn’t until I thinking about it or my body will re
was a good weight for my height of was a junior in high school and dat- act to too much food and want to
I
Say It Loud
&
Proud!
Warning signs of an eating disorder
Warning signs of Anorexia
They are always trying to please others. Starving themselves is a way they feel “in charge” of themselves.
Extreme and irrational fear of body fat and becoming fat.
Warning Signs of Bulimia
Here are some signals that you or someone you know has bulimia:
Frequent episodes of “binge-eating.”
Frequent “purging,” where the person tries to undo the effects of the binge by self-induced vomiting,
dieting, excessive exercise, use of diet pills, laxatives and/or diuretics (drugs which speed the elimination of
fluids from the body).
Medical Problems for Anorexia & Bulimia
Kidney and/or liver damage
Bloating or swelling
Constipationpr diarrhea (Inability to have bowel movements or very frequent ones.)
Menstrual problems (Periods become irregular or stop altogether.)
Anemia - (low red blood cell count. Those are the blood cells that circulate oxygen around your body.)
Malnutrition
Pieces of You
She's an ugly girl,
Does it make you want to kill
her?
She's an ugly girl,
Do you want to lack her in the
face?
She's an ugly girl,
She doesn't pose a threat.
She's an ugly girl,
Does that make you feel safe?
Ugly girl, ugly girl. Do you
hate her?
'Cause she's pieces of you.
By Jewel (singer)
from the song, "Pieces of You"
get nd of the hated meal. I have to
stop myself because, yeah, every
one feels like they could be healthier
and look better, but I’m here to say
it’s not worth what you can lose:
who you are, your friends, family,
but most importantly, your life.
Five more pounds taken off is not
worth a lifetime of your body and
mind slowly deteriorating and be
ing only a mass of skin on a skel
eton. Because you, like me, are beau
tiful just the way you are.
To reach SalenaDeLa Cruze-mail
wonderwoman41477@yahoo.com
or drop by B-104.
How to help someone
with an eating disorder
• Don’t ignore the situation.
• Tell the person you care about them and that you are wor
ried about their health.
• Tell them that you want them to get professional help for
the problem.
• Tell people you trust about your concerns so they can also
become part of the “help” effort.
• Realize that recovery is the person’s own responsibi lity. No
one can do this for anyone else.
• Provide information about the dangers of eating disorders.
• Encourage the person in every way to uncover his or her
own strengths.
• Agree that recovery is hard, but that many people have
done it successfully.
• Be patient.
SOME THINGS NOT TO DO
• Never criticize. The person will withdraw.
• Don’t say, “You are too thin.” That’s what the person wants
to hear.
• Don’t say, “It’s good you have gained weight.” The person
will lose it immediately.
• Avoid power struggles.
All information and pictures on this page compiled from
http://www.talkcity.com/theinsite/me/me_somebody.html