INTRODUCTION
It's all a blur. I am trapped inside my own mind in
this obsessionwith my food and my desire to be thin. It
consumes my entire life. My reflection makes me cringe,
and the battle within me never stops. I don't want to die,
but in this state I refuseto live.
-Allie,
7:e
I
personal journal entry
destruction an eating disorder causes is like a tornado
~evouring everything in its path. How does the seemingly
insignificant desire to lose a few pounds become something so
powerful that it demands control of your entire life? Allie, who
has struggled with anorexia and bulimia for several years, and
her mother provide some insights throughout this book as they
describe their fight for Allie's life.
Despite how they often feel, Allie and her mother are not
alone in their
struggle.
Eating disorders
are devastating
millions of lives across the world, affecting mostly females,
but sometimes males too. A 2002 Harvard University study
reported that five million people in the United States suffer
from eating disorders. Many more cases go unreported as girls
struggle in silence. Those with eating disorders surpass their
goal to lose a few pounds and progress into an overwhelming
addiction, a coping mechanism to deal with the pain of living
in a fallen world.
xv