Eating Disorder Talk

When I came across this article, I knew I’d be sharing it with you. Seems that October 11th will see the largest eating disorder awareness event Canada’s seen, Until Your Heart’s Content at the Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam.

The event will be hosted by Shelley’s Angels Society, a non-profit committed to providing funding to those afflicted with eating disorders who cannot afford private counseling via bursaries. World-known speakers include Dr. Anita Johnston, Lori Henry, Susan Kern, Karen Cook and more. Also on the bill are musician and dancers, such as Evelyn Yngveson and Divirani Naidoo.

Two days later, Dr. Johnston will be running the Soul Hunger Workshop, a day-long event with a view of challenging and questioning the feminine ideals and habits.

Sadly, I won’t be able to attend either of the events, but I recommend it to anyone who can - the ticket prices of $50 and %150 could well be worth it, to be surrounded by those recovered and positively stationed in life. IF anyone is planning on attending and would like to share their experiences, interpretation or even just some photos, please get in touch with me via email.

soul hunger workshop, eating disorder awareness, eating disorder events, until your heart’s content, shelley’s angels society, eating disorder recovery funding

When entering an outpatient recovery program for an eating disorder, they look to you for why you should be there. There’s forms to fill regarding your mental state and how to think you look - fat, thin, emaciated; you get to tell them your psychological history and that of your family as well; and the best part is that you often have to keep a food diary - an honest account of what you ate, when, in what quantity and what you *may have done afterwards.*

Food diaries are normally something spoken of in the context of weight loss. Or, in actuality, for the development of a healthy eating plan. But did you know that keeping a journal of everything that passes your lips can actually be a step in the direction of recovery?

The first step in any addictive behaviour - and yes, I believe disordered eating to be highly addictive, neurally and emotionally - is to admit there’s a problem. Sometimes, we’re still quite stuck in the “it’s only a diet” or “I eat a lot sometimes, but the rest of the time, I’m fine” or even “yes, I use laxatives, but really, everyone does it sometimes” frames of mind. We can’t see past the “it’s only…” to the realistic “i’m not in control or healthy” part. This is where a food journal can help.

Sure, it’s pretty numbing, humiliating even, to see in black and white (or for someone else to see!) how little or much you eat. It’s a huge invasion of privacy, akin to when a close friend or family member asks “are you done with that yet?” or “what did you eat today? Did you eat today?” There’s a shame that is manifested, absolutely. Thoughts you might have when you confront your journal is that it’s being proven that you are gluttonous/extremely starving and you may even be disgusted with yourself and/or your actions.

It’d be nice if I thought that was a bad thing, right? Sorry. No luck there. I think part of hitting rock bottom is looking at yourself and not seeing anything that you don’t despise and then, preparations can be made for change.

So consider it. Track what you eat for a week in a little notebook. Show someone, don’t show anyone - it’s up to you. If you want to email me, I’d love to create a post about reader’s results. I’ll even include my own journal. My last word of advice though is to track what you eat for a week in a little notebook (or you know, wherever you’d like) and then to leave it for another week.

Then go back and read through. When it’s not as fresh and you don’t have the past day’s stresses on your mind still, it’s less easy to explain away your disordered eating. Instead of having a moment to make excuses like you might if you were continually reviewing it, you can forget how little or much you took in and be surprised, all over again.

If you’d like tips on how to keep a food diary, please visit this site.

food diary, addictions, eating disorder recovery, gluttony, starvation, diet, rock-bottom

Today, Science Daily reported on the claim of University of Iowa associate professor, Pamela Keel, that a new eating disorder exists. I wholeheartedly agree with Keel’s beliefs that “Purging Disorder” should be given it’s own classification from Bulimia. I mean, yes, there are more commonalities than not, but think how many people would not be considered bulimic based on their weight or eating habits alone.

The primary difference between a true bulimic and someone with purging disorder is being proposed as the following:

“Women with purging disorder eat normal or even small amounts of food and then purge, often by vomiting. Women with bulimia have large, out-of-control binge eating episodes followed by purging, fasting or excessive exercise.

“Women with purging disorder differed from women with bulimia on a physiological mechanism that influences food intake. Those with purging disorder also reported greater fullness and stomach discomfort after eating compared to women with bulimia and women without eating disorders.”

The researchers associated with a study that Keel bases her claims on are looking for participants for a follow up, so if you are someone who purges to maintain or lose weight, or a true bulimic who binges and purges (via vomiting or laxative use, and/or over exercising) please consider contacting Keel for more information.

So research in the area of obesity has recently turned up some plausible proofs of some wacky theories. There’s the virus that causes fat cells to expand - you get it, and you can blame your weight on being sick. And now, there’s a gene that controls fat formation.

The virus is not yet treatable, nor has a vaccine been introduced. But it would give obese and overweight people a sense of justice - knowing that they’re afflicted with a sickness out of their control. The gene, in fruit flies at least, appears manipulable. Meaning they could, in theory, turn up fat formation so that people who have trouble gaining and keeping weight are successful. Alternately, they could turn down the formation, allowing overweight and obese members of society a genetic diet.

And this is what all of my recent media raving has come to: The media is so inspired and littered with celebrity weight ideals, eating disorder rumours and “scientific gains” to combat the obesity epidemic. It’s enough to make you never want to eat, again. Or never stop, depending on your habit du jour.

Why do we want to take control away from people when most who have issues with disordered eating - whether not enough, too much or digesting it, fully and naturally - when control is what most disordered eating revolves around? Bulimics purge as a means to cleanse of the lack of control they felt while binging (or eating in general, sometimes). Anorexics sometimes only have “control” over what they put into their bodies and how they choose to use it (such as in the case of over-exercising). Overeaters and Binge Eaters, well, eating can be seen as a coping mechanism to situations and feelings over which they have no control.

I see treating, medically, a weight problem (outside of extreme risks to health, of course) akin to sedating the opiate addict - yes, they come out clean on the other side, but without the pain and coping of withdrawal and therapy, what did they learn and what will stop them from returning?

I’m not condemning overweight people as bad. But the fact, until recently, existed that being overweight is about simple intake and output. Sure some bodies don’t function as effectively as others and the hard-fast rule of losing 3,500 calories means a loss of one pound is few and far between, in reality. But that doesn’t mean fixing it with a vaccine or medication, does it?

We need, as a world, community, species to come to terms with the fact that we are ultimately responsible for everything that we’ve experienced. We choose to lose weight, to starve, to binge, to sit without moving for a day, to drive to the corner store, etc.

Isn’t that a good way to take control?

obesity, fat gene, fat virus, control, diet, binge, eating disorder, anorexia, bulimia, overeaters, locus of control

An article I came upon this evening speaks of calorie restriction as a means to lengthen and enhance the quality of a person’s life. Apparently, if human beings take in 75% of the calories their body needs - a theory based on successful longevity trials with mice, earthworms, dogs and monkeys - they have more energy, better heart and health test results and fewer digestive issues.

This sounds like a medically-endorsed eating disorder. An interesting thought is that current estimates of males with eating disorders are making up 10% of the total amount of sufferers, yet in this article they’ve stated that 70% of the members of The Calorie Restriction Society are male.

So is this just an accepted, mild eating disorder? Let’s look at the side effects that one follower accepts as worth the results:

“…a low but tolerable level of hunger…

“…lowered libido (animals facing starvation typically delay procreating to save energy and ensure survival of the healthy), cold hands and feet, not being able to lift as much or work as vigorously in the garden (CR people debate the value of exercise, whether it adds to the need for calories and defeats the purpose of tricking the body into starvation mode), so little body fat that his mattress seems hard and his limbs go numb, blood pressure so low that he sometimes feels dizzy when he stands up suddenly. Then there is the social stigma and occasional spousal irritation with the lifestyle.”

Yup, sounds like an eating disorder to me.

The difference? It’s for health and not to lose weight. The actual intention is to appreciate the whole, healthy foods you’re taking in. But the calorie deficit is just too limiting, I think. I need to do some more reading on this.

But for you, here’s an example of one of the follower’s daily diets. Does it not seem to be a tad fastidious? I mean, this is bordering on obsession.

Breakfast: 2-21/2 tablespoons oatmeal, quarter cup powdered milk, few raisins, 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds, half tablespoon molasses, half cup beans, half teaspoon Metamucil, half teaspoon arrowroot flour, Equal or other sweetener. Other variables: turmeric, curry powder, hot sauce, blueberries, half cup Cheerios, tomatoes, rye flakes, Chinese vegetables, egg white, lean chicken.

Lunch: few tablespoons brown rice, few small chunks of lean chicken, variety of vegetables

Dinner: (similar to lunch). Lean chicken, beef, tofu and vegetables.

Small piece of chocolate

1,400 to 1,500 calories

calorie restriction, fountain of youth, balanced diet, vitality