FALL 2015
PAGE 7
Am I Perfect ?
Struggling to live with an eating disorder
Olivia Litzenberger ‘ 20 Contributor
According to some estimates about 10 percent of people living in the United States will suffer from a serious eating disorder at some point in their lives . Eating disorders are no small matter . There are no quick fixes and there is a constant battle for control . I know this because I have been receiving help for anorexia nervosa since June of 2015 .
People with anorexia starve themselves to be thin . People with bulimia purge or force themselves to throw up . Another common eating disorder is binge eating , where people eat large amounts of food in a short period of time , followed immediately by guilt and often partnered with bulimia . A lot of people push another ’ s eating disorder aside and simply say , “ Just start eating !” The problem is , it is not that simple .
An eating disorder distorts the way a person sees themselves . They compare themselves to others , and almost always lose . According to psychiatrist Dr . Kim Dennis ( in an interview with the Huffington Post - Feb 2015 ), “( Eating disorders affect ) the thinking parts of our brain that we use to make rational decisions . Those parts of the brain shrink and degenerate during an active eating disorder ,” said Dennis .
They begin to distort their selfperception , noticing flaws that aren ’ t really there . They begin to panic , questioning what they could possibly do to change the horrid reflection they are forced to face every day . The person may start by simply skipping a few meals for a week , but it escalates over time .
I know from experience . I began by eating a good breakfast and dinner but no lunch . Then I began to increase it , eating tiny breakfasts , no lunch and a decent dinner , but eventually I was eating no breakfast if I could help it , no lunch and a tiny dinner . I kept a calorie count of less than 500 calories a day . The average recommended caloric intake for a 14-year-old girl is 2000 . I began to exercise as well , until I went to sleep by getting in bed and passing out ( not figuratively ). My heart was bad . I was tachycardic , which means my heart had to work harder than an average person ' s for simple tasks such as standing up . I could not stand for long periods of time , and my balance suffered as well , making me unnaturally clumsy .
There are about 2 million people out there like me just in the U . S . If a person with anorexia does not get help , they are only expected to live for 10 to 20 years after they develop the eating disorder .
A person with bulimia has a more unpredictable life expectancy and can die in more painful ways . One example is after repeated purging , the esophagus can burst , sending a person into shock and causing a slow painful death .
Eating disorders are not pretty , and are much more than a shy person with a bad view of their body . They are terrifying . Eating disorders are the loss and thinning of hair from a lack of nutrition , or growing more hair because there is no protection from the brutal cold . They are burning the uvula from the acids of purging . Eating disorders are tears , hate , shattered mirrors , broken hearts and the search for perfection that will never ever be reached .
Bringing these memories back has my hands shaking and my head spinning , because I can never take back what I did to myself , yet I am lucky . Some people do not have the luxury of regret because they are no longer here . If you , a friend , Olivia ’ s article was selected for or a loved one , are being publication in the Best of chained by an eating disorder , School Newspapers Online get help . They may not appreciate it at first , but they will be WWW . BestofSNO . com alive , and they will learn to accept themselves . It may take time , but nothing is more important than saving one more victim from the real life horror movie of an eating disorder . Help destroy their ghosts of resentment .
If needed , the national eating disorder helpline is , 1-800-931-2237 . And , National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is February 22-28 . Consider wearing purple for support and remember the often repeated advice that we sometimes forget , " You are good enough , strong enough and pretty enough . You are enough ."
Note - Information for this article was gathered from author ' s personal experience and knowledge , and the National Eating Disorder Association . Please visit
www . nationaleatingdisorders . org
“ I kept a calorie count of less than 500 a day . The average recommended caloric intake for a 14-year-old
girl is 2000 .”
Olivia Litzenberger ‘ 20
Original Artwork by Santina Vanasse ‘ 17