Women Share The Fight Of Eating Disorders And Why They Ultimately Get Help

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Idaho Falls, Idaho (East Idaho News) — Kimmy Smith had an extreme phobia of gaining weight. In her mind, she had to be thin – regardless of cost.

When the fight against food began, 25 was just 10 years old. Like many families, her parents paid attention to what they eat, and her mom often talked about dieting.

Low-calorie treats were in the cupboard, exercise became a hot topic, and bathroom scales were used daily.

“I had in my head that my health was thin and I was looking at my mom’s pattern.” Oh, I need to reduce calories, count calories, and keep this weight forever. ” Smith says. EastIdahoNews.com.. “I was obsessed with it, and by the time I was nearly 11, I had to see a series of doctors because I lost so much weight. I was up to £ 50 at the age of 10. “

The average 10-year-old weighs 70 to 80 pounds, and Kimmy was told that if he didn’t gain weight, he would have to give up his favorite hobby.

“The doctor said I couldn’t ride a horse if I was 50 pounds. I had to sit in a child seat, so I had to eat again and my heart started to weaken,” Smith recalls.

Emma Anderson is related to Smith’s story. A 19-year-old graduate of Hillcrest High School says weight loss and a healthy diet are always a hot topic in her growing home.

She was never overweight, but felt the pressure to stay lean.

“I remember when I was in third grade, I ran around the kitchen many times, went to my parents’ bathroom and jumped on the scales to see if I had lost weight,” Anderson says. “I did that for 20 minutes to see how many times I could run really fast, and then jumped to the scale to see if that number was reduced.”

Both women say that eating disorders only get worse when they are teenagers. They often ate very little and were depressed. They say their thoughts on a healthy body were very thin.

“The less you eat, the healthier you are, and the more you exercise, the better it is for your body, because that’s what the diet industry is telling us,” Anderson says. “I was limiting because my menstrual cycle stopped and I didn’t eat much. No one knew I was having a hard time with this.”

Smith and Anderson graduated from high school and moved to Rexburg to attend Brigham Young University, Idaho. Their eating disorders occurred with them, and at some point Smith was eating only peanut butter. Both suffered from serious anxiety and realized that they needed professional help.

Get help
They heard about Liz Stevenson, the only certified eating disorder counseling expert in the Rexberg region. She is very busy with clients and is often booked for months at a time.

Stevenson says the story of Smith and Anderson is not uncommon for women of the same age, but what is worrisome to her is the number of girls and boys who are beginning to fight eating disorders at a young age.

“Previously, people with eating disorders were probably over 15 years old,” says Stevenson. “We are now seeing eight-year-olds suffering from eating disorders. They are getting younger and younger.”

According to the National Association of Eating Disorders, about 20 million women and 10 million men in the United States will suffer from eating disorders at some point in their lives. Most of us know of loss of appetite, which you rarely eat or starve, and bulimia nervosa, which eats a lot of food and wipes it out. However, diagnosing certain eating disorders can be difficult.

“People think there are these two classic cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and they are all eating disorders,” says Stevenson. There is another subcategory called “Other Specific Eating Disorders”. Or it is called OSFED. Eighty percent of people with eating disorders fall into that category. They don’t have enough criteria to be called anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, but they have enough of the same problems or mixtures as in other categories. “

According to Stevenson, eating disorders begin in the brain. It often happens during traumatic periods of life, such as when parents are divorced, bullied as a child, loved or unwilling. Even at the risk of severe malnutrition, food is in your control.

“People can die from bulimia, which is not mentioned on the death certificate. It indicates heart failure, but” my daughter throws herself or uses laxatives and diuretics. I have parents who say, “I died by doing it,” says Stevenson.

After Smith and Anderson began meeting Stevenson, they learned that they were not ashamed of having a disability or getting help and that there was no quick solution.

“You need to completely rewire your brain and completely get rid of all the publicity the world has told you,” Smith says. “Eating disorders are like best friends, but they’re also abusive. I want to go back because it’s comfortable and familiar, but in the end it beats you and You feel terrible. “

Stevenson recommends that parents do some things while raising a child in a society that is obsessed with being thin:
Look at the person first, then the body.
Do not focus on “good” or “bad” foods. If you eat various health foods, you can eat snacks.
Have an open conversation about how your child feels about their body.
Be aware that health is not weight. Health is action.

“Someone can be £ 115 and they look healthy, but if they are vomiting or starving, it’s not healthy,” she says. “Today, I’m not punishing myself for eating 1,000 calories, but I enjoy exercising.”

Advance
After consistent hard work, Anderson says she is the healthiest she has ever been since childhood. She knows her fight isn’t over yet and encourages people suffering from eating disorders to seek help.

“I think it was a lifesaver and life-changing thing for me. I’ve grown a lot, and thanks to counseling I’m very confident in myself,” she says.

As for Smith, she compares her disability to a roller coaster. One day it’s up and one day it’s down, but at least she has the knowledge to know how to deal with it.

“Talking to someone is very important,” Smith says. “You need to be very honest, and you have to tell someone because you don’t want to have this for 14 years.”

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