When reading the part in chapter 11 of the textbook that describes eating disorders, I couldn't help but think instantly of an episode of Dr. Phil that I had previously watched. The episode is called "Deadly Thin" and I've attached a link to the first part of the episode. Aimee is anorexic and bulimic and weighs in at only 60 pounds. She has suffered from an eating disorder for sixteen years. This is a very severe case of anorexia and bulimia. Aimee constantly restricts her caloric intake, but when she does eat, she binges and purges, often purging up to 150 times a day.
Watching Aimee's episode really opened my eyes to how severe eating disorders can get. I had a family friend who was once hospitalized due to her anorexia, but I have never before seen anyone as thin as Aimee. I can't imagine living my life the way she does. All of her thoughts are about food and calories, planning out what she will eat and how she will get it out of her body. It would be so miserable to eat a few bites of food only to purge it a minute later and continue to do this several times throughout just one meal. Eating disorders are very serious and I think that this video really depicts the emotional toll that disordered eating can have on those who suffer from it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PLDBITfHYA&feature=relmfu
I have to say that although I am a male, the same pressure to avoid fatness has affected me. I believe that it has to do with my perfectionist nature and the belief that I just can't be fat at all. But if I eat, it is like I try to eat a lot at one time until I really feel full. One thing that I think really helps this perfectionism is to allow others to make my meals for me and then finish them. I think that it is my own inability to recognize whether I am hungry or not that ultimately drives the problems. I think that a helpful thing to do is put out a healthy amount of food for one day and then this gives me an idea of when I am overeating and when I am just forcing myself to not eat even if I am hungry. Besides this though, I really think that eating the bigger amounts of healthy foods is a better way to go than to try to eat less unhealthy food.