A young preteen girl describes what it is like living with anorexia nervosa. (At this writing, Daisy is 5' tall, but weighs 70 pounds.)
Daisy (aged 11):
My name is Daisy, and before you get on my case again, please listen to what I have to say before you pass judgement on me.
I am too fat; please don't say that I don't need to lose anymore in the way of weight, and please don't say that I am crazy! I also was always told through my life that I was fat (and I WAS, too!), and it got to be so bad I decided to do something about it. And I am still fat; I look like a fat pig!
This is why I eat so little; or if I do eat too much, I can get rid of it by vomiting after I eat. I see nothing wrong with this; I am only trying to lose weight..nothing else! I want to look like a model or something; who would want a fattie for a model? Besides, I have never seen anybody fat who was a model; this is why I want to lose weight so badly!
Wu Chang Lu (Daisy's mother):
Daisy has always been heavier than normal throughout her life; and we were only concerned about her; this was why we kept putting her on diets, in the hopes that she could lose some of the excess weight.
But Daisy has since gone too far; she is literally starving herself to death, and she really looks bad. She is now 5' tall, but she weighs only 70 pounds; yet..she continues to diet, even though she is now markedly underweight. She is starting to pass out every so often (the last time she did, we were at a Loretta Lynn concert, and she cracked her head when she went down and cut her head open), and her body looks like someone who has just emerged from a concentration camp; yet, you can't talk to her or get through to her. She has such a stubborn pride about her, and nothing can change her mind. She is only going to do what DAISY wants, not what everyone else wants.
But the only thing she is doing is endangering her health. She has already been in the hospital twice (once for her head injury..she had to get stitches..., and another time for dehydration), and I am afraid that I am going to find her in her bed, dead. She is only ruining her body; I see nothing beneficial about this dieting craze that she is presently going through; and she and I are always constantly butting heads. It is really a very tough time, emotionally as well as physically, for her, and it breaks my heart!
Daisy is putting herself at risk for heart or lung failure; and she is robbing her body of important nutrients. This self-starvation phase she is going through has GOT to stop (and SOON), and if she won't do anything about it, I'll make sure that I WILL. I will put her into a hospital for people like her; then she will see how silly she's been acting these last 6 months! She is only a child, and she has no business harming herself in such a drastic way! She is only going to end up dying, and I don't think we could handle THAT!!
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Symptoms of anorexia nervosa:
*distorted thought processes (people with anorexia see themselves as "fat" when they look into a mirror, even though they may be thin)
*regimented exercise or eating schedule or habits (they will get up early and exercise, or, if they eat, they will eat very little, or if they eat too much, they will often force themselves to vomit)
*depression or obsessive-compulsive disorders may be present
*want themselves to appear "perfect" in other people's eyes
*low self-esteem or fear of change
cessatation, or slowing or stopping, of menstrual periods in females
*eating in secret
*being fascinated with food all of a sudden
risks of anorexia nervosa:
*death
*seizures
*loss of hair
*difficulty with elimination of bodily wastes
sensitivity to cold
*serious physical damage to kidneys, pancreas, heart or lungs, bloodstream,
blood pressure, and brain.
so sad when a child (or adult) feels that they are less than perfect...they'll take drastic measures to measure up to the ideal...BTW, what IS ideal for one may not be for another...thank you for sharing the dangers of this dangerous practice, karen...this series could save lives...and should be published...well written and researched. PUBLISHERS, ARE YOU LISTENING??? (((HUGS))) and love, karla. :(
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