My Editorial

May 29, 2008 clortz

It’s Saturday night and you decide you want to take your family out for a nice supper at the Outback Steakhouse. When you get there the hostess takes you to your seat and the best waitress at this restaurant comes up to your table and introduces herself telling you that she is going to be your server for the evening. As you are looking through the menu something catches your eye. The famous Aussie Cheese Fries. It just so happens that this mouth-watering appetizer is the perfect start to a great meal. When the waitress sets this big steamy plate of cheesy fries in the middle of the table your mouth seems to have a mind of its own. You can’t stop eating until the plate is licked clean. When the steak and salad arrives it just looks so good that you eat all of that too. It doesn’t seem like you can eat another bite, but what is that yummy looking desert that you saw as you were looking through the menu? It was the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under. You have to get it, it sounds too good to pass up. On your way home your brain is finally catching up with your body, and it is telling you that you ate way too much. In this one meal alone you consumed about two or three days worth of calories! You start to feel really guilty; you start telling yourself you are going to balloon up like a whale. You decide that you are not going to eat for the next day or so. After you are done fasting you are extremely hungry so you can’t help yourself and you eat everything in sight. And again you feel extremely guilty, so you decide to purge a little instead of starving yourself. What harm could come of it?

Eating disorders affect millions of people, thousands of which will die from them yearly. Two of the most common are anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is characterized by a significant weight loss resulting from excessive dieting. It is motivated by a desire to be thin. The anorexic will avoid food and taking in calories at all costs. They usually strive for perfection, set very high standards for themselves, feel they always have to prove their competence, and usually always put the needs of others ahead of their own needs. They like to be in control of everything. If they can’t control other people or other problems in their lives then they feel like they can control what they eat. However some have very low self esteem and feel that they do not even deserve to eat at all. This can be very dangerous. You need to eat to stay healthy and keep your body working the way it should. Without food your immune system can become compromised and you will be more susceptible to illness. Another eating disorder is Bulimia. Bulimia is characterized by a cycle of binge eating followed by purging to try and rid the body of unwanted calories. These people also have low self esteem and feel like they are not good enough. They try to please everyone, and food is their only comfort.

There are places to go for help. One of the most widely known is the Selah House in Indiana. Selah House provides a full range of treatment options for those who are suffering from the effects of an eating disorder. The professionals here have all suffered from eating disorders and have been able to overcome them. One of the most noted therapeutic sessions available here is the equine therapy. The goal of this treatment is to boost self-confidence and trust, decrease isolation, and create a type of freedom.

Eating disorders are a major problem in the United States. It is a very dangerous and potentially deadly disease. Everyone should learn to watch for the signs of an eating disorder. If you can recognize these signs then you can make sure that these people receive the help that they need.