View Full Version : Dieting Out of Control
I see girls who are bone thin and want to be thinner everyday, they don't know how dangerous dieting can get.I want to raise awareness............
"You never see your friend eat anymore -- she always says she isn't hungry, or she just ate.
Your brother is constantly working out and taking fat burning pills.
The two main eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
People with anorexia want to loose weight so badly that they can starve themselves and exercise beyond normal levels. They fear gaining weight or being perceived as fat. They also have distorted self-images. For example, even when they are bone thin, they might think they look huge.
People with bulimia go through cycles of binges and purges. Binges are periods where they eat more than they usually would. For some it could be a whole box of cookies -- for others, just one cookie is a binge. The purges are attempts to get rid of the calories by vomiting, abusing laxatives or over-exercising.
So what if I skip a few meals, does that mean I'm sick?
Well, what do you mean by a few meals? One a day? Two a day? Do you skip eating every other day? Every Thursday? There's no quick answer to this question. If you are skipping a meal you need to ask yourself why. Are you trying to loose weight? If so, there are healthier ways to shed a few pounds. Remember, cutting out food because of fat or calories also means cutting out good nutrients, vitamins, minerals and water -- all of which your body needs to function.
How will I know if this is affecting someone I know...or me?
Here are some of the warning signs for eating disorders. If you're concerned about yourself or a friend, the best thing you can do is talk to a doctor or someone you trust.
Anorexia: drastic weight drop, denies feeling hungry, rarely eats in public, exercises excessively, feels fat, intense fear of weight gain, growth of soft hair all over skin, withdraws from social activities, hair begins to thin or fall out
Bulimia: has excuses to go to the bathroom after meals, eats large amounts of food without gaining weight, uses laxatives or diuretics, teeth decay, withdraws from social activities, weight fluctuates constantly, overeats because of stress, experiences periods of depression
What are some of the things than can happen to someone with an eating disorder?
Eating disorders are serious problems that can be life threatening. Dizziness, heart attacks, kidney failure, low blood pressure, anemia, low temperature, fainting, seizures, dehydration, constipation, osteoporosis, irregular menstrual periods, infertility and heartburn are just a few of the health problems resulting from eating disorders.What causes eating disorders?
Eating disorders can occur for a variety of reasons. They are part psychological and part physical. According to the Renfrew Center, the factors that may help develop an eating disorder include low self-esteem; depression; family dysfunction; genetics; membership in groups where weight is an issue such as wrestling, body-building, swimming, gymnastics or modeling; a lack of control in his or her life; and socio-cultural ideals that praise thin bodies.
How are eating disorders treated?
Since eating disorders have both psychological and physical aspects, treatment often includes medical doctors, mental health professions and dietitians who all can provide helpful information.
Very interesting runnin around...
I might say, I do have some of these symptoms, actually my cousin called me a bulimic just yesterday!!!
I do have weird eating patterns and I do go through different cycles, sometimes I would be into eating, other times I just feel sick by just smelling food. Now that school has started I would usually skip meals, not because I want to but because sometimes there is no time to eat, and so I get used to having 2 or sometimes 1 meal per day.
But I don't think I'm either, simple, because I have a constant weight and I'm perfectly healthy and most of all I'm aware of what I'm doing and trying to change it.
I believe that our social and everyday life somehow govern our eating patterns, and it's just a matter of teacing yourself and getting used to something. Also, comments from either family or friends can play a very important role in creating these ideas in the person's head, remarks like, oh you've put on a few pounds, or god your face looks so chubby, people might say it as a joke, but sometimes they have dangerous consequences..
This is one topic that i need to participate..
I have also the same problems, eating disorder. I was advised by my Dr. to go and see a dietician. But i did not go. The thing is few years back when i went to visit my aunts theyr started telling me that in future i will become fat (though i am not fat at all) so i thought and decided to start controlling myself in eating.
Crazy me, i stopped eating any fried food, butter, ice creams chocolates. When ever i enter the supermarket, i will always look for a product that has less fats or non-fats!! So i got used to that pattern.
Sometimes, i cry because i feel hungry but i can not eat. Or i feel hungry but as soon as i see the food i loose my appetite.
Oh my god, what i do these days is during the dinner, i always eat for my breakfast!!
I just don't know how to get over it.
Well Salma, my advice to you is to go and see a dietician. You won't be able to solve this problem on your own, and you need help.
I don't know much about nutrition, but what I know is that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and dinner is the least important one, so never ever skip breakfast, you need energy to start your day, otherwise you won't have enough energy to do anything, and if you're still a student then you'll have difficulty in concentrating. The important thing is that you should know that your body needs a variety of nutrients, so you might be ignoring some important substances that are crucial to your body, so your health comes first.
You're saying that you're not fat, then why not exercise instead of diet? This will help keep your shape and believe me it will help you get your apetite back, it works with me...
Salma FORGET about what people say or think of you.
who are you trying to please them or you?? YOU are more important than anyone, when you get sick you'll be the one lying in that hospital bed, having to live with what you did to your body.
it may not be serious yet (though it sounds like it is), but eventually you'll get into habbit and get acustomed to not eating, then you'll get sick.
this all depends on you, what is more improtant to you, people's empty words or your health?
not only are you letting them damage your body, what about your self esteem and confidence?
so what if you eat 5 cookies a day? did you take somone's life away by doing that?
think about it, it'll take time to overcome but you'll get there eventually, and don't wait 'till it's too late.
Hey all,
Thanx..
Whenever I go to the hospital, the second day i end up being sick! I have already been warned that my homeoglobin is very low and iron in my body is low. I have been told to eat and eat anything that is infront of me. But it is not easy for me.
When ever we are invited to the weddings, i would make sure that i don't take my lunch and I only eat a small portion of my dinner why? because i don't want my tummy to show! as if I have one! I just had some stupid insecurities. People will always find me wearing Black tight dresses, why beacuse they make a person slim!
what i have forgotten is that I dont think if i looked slim but I guess i looked skinny!! What was I thinking!!
I like being Slim, But before i failed to understand between slim and skinny.
Alhamdulillah, I have been doing many changes in my eating pattern. But i do not think that is enough. I have tried to take appitizer pills, but i eneded up sick. Actually i forgot to eat, i did not take breakfast nor lunch! I remember I attended a college's seminar where I just had on piece(half) chicken sandwich. i went back home around 4:30pm. I couldnt even work when i reached home! i had a big pain in my tummy, then my sis started questioning me, so she found out that the problem was food. she brought me some, after 30 mins, i was fine.
Funny and Scary.
I have tried to exercise several times, but i get very tired. I liked watching my sisters exercising then they go to eat, i tried but it did not work with me. I felt more tired.
when ever i feel hungry, i must eat at that instant or otherwise i will loose the appitite for the whole day or for long hours!
Yesterday I did not put anything in my mouth untill i went back home, i had my dinner around 7:35pm, I was eating my whole body was shaking. I wanted to take a break, but noway i decided to eat my dinner and push down my throat by using water and tea!
I like rice, because it is easy for me, when i do not feel hungry and my stomatch is empty then i just eat rice and drink water when i want to swallow the food.
Ramadan is the Best.
My sis used to be both bulimic and anaroxic but she is back to normal.
most teenage girls want to be like models that they see on tv and magzines so they starve them selves.
I think the biggest problem is where these advertisements pops out. slim beutiful models. For most of the teeneagers who are being exposed to the world of supermodels and actresses.
some companies, they are just promoting their products on the expense of the others.they make women feel insecured about their bodies.
I was there once, although i am still fighting to get back to my old eating routine. I used to see these beutiful models and actresses saying and showing off how they maintain their figures. I really wanted to do that. I controlled myself.
but then when my aunts started saying about fat and gaining weight!! i just had to start the diet!! I hate myself for listening to them and kept myself in this position.
very soon inshaalah i will get over it. Just can not wait
i think i used to have simillar problem.. but then i noticed it is hust a game of input and output..
when i increase my body work( output) i try to eat more and vice versa..
if u visit a dietition, she/he will give u some tables.. and accordingly u will know how much work u do per day ( output) and the ditition also a table of differnt food in terms of calories and then u will choose ur eating habit..
i have tried it by my own, and believe me it does help.. thsi will maintain ur weight..
a dietition is not necessary to be in hospital.. some colleges do have nutrition lecturer and they will be happy to help..
the problem comes from the timing. I have no time to go to see a detician. I just have to find that first.
By the way , this took e a long time to admit to myself that i have problem. It is such a relief.
this is my biggest problem.
Have yu ever experience such a situation:
when you are invited to your relatives, during the meal time they keep on saying you have not eaten anything (while at that moment you are full, eevn though you ate a little) , they keep on asking you to eat more and more!! I hated that, still am.
Infact , I stopped going to any invitations from my relatives. they would always tell my mum, ohh look your girls have not eaten anything, please ask them to eat!!
It is so irritating and annoying. I don't like it when people notice how much you are eating. i get that so much. That has affected my behaviour. When ever there is an occasion(party/lunch/weddings) anywhere at home or work, it becomes very difficult for me to eat with different people, because I feel like they are watching how much I am eating.
Even at work I still get that. EAT , EAT, Go put some more food.....
I don't like it though everyone is trying to be nice. It realy bothers me.
I just wish I could eat the way they are eating. In fact now i am feeling very hungry. so before i loose my hunger. i will go and eat now.
I remember the first time I said that I felt hungry, it was a big deal from my friends and home.
first you can't blame the media for what you do/did, yes there is pictures everywhere of bone thin models and lots of girls want to look like that too.
but there is pics everywhere of people smoking, drinking, dressing stupid.........ect. does that mean we should be like them? at the end of the day what we do is totaly up to us, if we choose to follow someone else's footsteps, copy them or whatever, it's your decision in the end and you have to live with it.
girls or even guys who have this problem need to get over it mentally before physicly, so as long as you've idenified the problem and admited it to yourslef you're on the right track and may allah help you.
about people forcing you to eat while you're at their house. I think they are just being kind and want you to feel at home with them, you probably feel they are watching you but even if you ear alot they will still say you didn't eat enough, that's them being generous.
and people are probably telling you to eat 'cause they see you so thin! and want to help, it might bother you but just remember they are actually caring about you.
runnin' around,
What do you mean that the media has nothing to do with it?
What media does is that they influence you to do to something that you were not aware of. They arise the need which did not exist in your world. Honestly if you are not carefully adverts can manipulate you.
What adverts does, is theyonly tell what people wants to hear. that is marketing.
I realy appreciate that people do care, on the other hand but it hurts. Or maybe i am very sensitive. Because the moment they start saying that i don't eat, even if i am hungry, I loose it. So I decided to better stay at home whenever my family goes out for dinner or invited.
selma I didn't say the media has nothing to do with it.
I said that at the end of the day you are responsible for your own choices not the media.
if you choose to be influenced by the media, that's up to you and you'll have to live with the consequences.
God gave us individual minds for a reason, we have the power to ignore the media and do what makes us happy...............but people just don't use that power and choose to be blind and let "the media" think for them.
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