For those of you who don't know Anorexia Nervosa (Anorexia for short) is not only an eating disorder but a mental disease. It is where one feels an urge to starve themselves to be skinnier. The problem here is not only the huge health problems this life style presents but also a lot of these girls who feel the need to starve themselves are starving themselves for extended periods of time and are already very slim, they often just don't realise it. It is most common in girls between the ages of 12-25 but it is a know disease for males too. Many people with Anorexia push people away from them such as their family's and friends who are just trying to help them overcome anorexia.
There are many pro-ana groups online where anorexics go for "motivation" and to form communities where they help each other cut down on their calorie intake. I researched some of these sites and I was shocked with what I found. These people are encouraging one another to eat under 300 calories a day. The recommend amount of calories for a female aged 9-18 to consume daily is between 1,600 and 2,400 depending on amount of physical activity. So even if the person is doing minimal physical activities (day-to day things such as walking, picking up stuff etc.) they are still needing to consume 1,600 calories. that means people who are striving to eat 300 calories a day are only eating 18.75% of what their bodies needs for basic functions such as cellular respiration. Here are some other shocking quotes I found (I have not edited at all):
" I’m going to not eat anything. I’ll drink water, diet pop and zero calorie monsters. As far as exercise, I’ll do a long walk every day and crunches and pushups every night. (I can’t do intense workouts when I fast because I pass out) "
"i feel like shit, i feel so weak…
but at least i don’t even wanna eat all the time"
"Breakfast: 2 glasses of V8-100 cals
Lunch: 2 Glasses of water, 3 baby carrots-15 cals Dinner: Glass of water, 2/3 cup mixed vegetables-60 cals"
Lunch: 2 Glasses of water, 3 baby carrots-15 cals Dinner: Glass of water, 2/3 cup mixed vegetables-60 cals"
"I wear a size 27 (in American sizes thats a 7) in jeans. Someone give me a high five. To the face. With a chair. Now. When will I ever be skinny?"
This isn't healthy.
So why do people do it? As I already said the people who do this are mentally ill but a big influence into why they do hat they do is because society thinks that "skinny is good". we see health promotions on TV and on the internet all the time and we are told to try and slim down to be healthy however this thinking is not very good. This huge pressure from media is actually killing some people and hugely affecting the lives of many!
So what can you do?
If you know someone who is suffering from a mental illness such as Anorexia or Bulimia or any other eating disorder or you think that they are going to "head down that road". The firstly never stop telling them they are beautiful just the way they are, never stop supporting them through the tough times they are going through, never give up on them and always be there to help through think and thin. Show them the facts about what they are doing to themselves and help them seek guidance. You may just save a life!
Here are some help lines if you or a friend are suffering from a disorder:
New Zealand: (09) 526 484
Global: 1-800-931-2237
