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DESIGNED BY KELLY PU
APPEARANCES
DIGGING DEEPER INTO EATING DISORDERS
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BY ANNA LARIONOVA
bout 3 percent of the U.S. population has an eating disorder, and it doesn’t discriminate based on race, gender, class or age, according to The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. In fact, 13 percent of women above the age of 50 engage in eating disorder behaviors, and five to ten percent of people with an eating disorder are male. Most people know that skipping meals and comments about feeling “fat” are signs of an eating disorder, which can be true, but eating disorders are trickier than that. Anorexia might involve dramatic weight loss and excessive exercise, according to the National Eating Disorders Association, but weight gain and anxiety are also signs. Weight gain is a sign for binge eating disorder, and constantly going to the bathroom after eating anything can be a sign of bulimia. Sometimes none of the signs are visible. “It’s pretty secretive,” said school nurse Carolyn Henning. “Typically, there’s underlying depression and anxiety. They’re kids that are tightly wound and perfectionistic.” She warned that students will wear baggier clothing, steal food or hide their disorder in any way possible. Students can go on for months and years without revealing or treating their eating disorder. Junior Beth Kutina developed bulimia as a freshman and anorexia as a sophomore. Her battle with her body was both emotional and physical, and she did show symptoms. “I was super underweight, and I couldn’t focus on my studies, and I was tired and my hair was falling out,” said Kutina. She said that, at one point, “I just remember thinking ‘I can’t do this anymore, I need to get help.’” Her process for recovery was not easy and took years, including a month in inpatient treatment. Kutina was aware of her eating disorder almost the entire time and sought out treatment on her own by approaching her
parents. “Most of the time they’re aware of it,” said health teacher Kjerstin Ostrem. However, Ostrem did mention that it takes students a while to open up and admit that they have an eating disorder, which means that some may need a push in the right direction. Approaching a friend or family member who might have an eating disorder is a serious and tough situation to be in. There’s really no right answer because everyone is different, but Kutina said that “it’s important to just be real with them.” Staying away from words that describe physical appearance and focusing on well-being is the best way to approach someone as a friend, according to Park Nicollet. As a friend or teacher, the best thing to do is to encourage the person to talk to his or her parents, and parents should firmly suggest seeing a physician. Forcing someone into rushing or getting help is the wrong way to approach someone, though. “They’re going to get defensive,” said Ostrem. She also said that friends need to go to an adult if extreme signs are shown because “as a peer, you don’t have as much access to those resources.” Once the person does finally get help, there are multiple places to go to get professional help. Kutina went to Melrose in St. Louis Park for a month where she stayed and worked on her mental health and eating habits. Ostrem said that some people prefer calling hotlines because confronting someone about such a sensitive subject is too hard. Either way, there are places to go for help and treatment. Henning said that every year there are usually five or six students at EPHS who are being treated for an eating disorder. Ostrem, Henning and Kutina agree that people should get treatment as soon as they’re ready. “It becomes obsessive, like an addiction,” said Henning. Addictions need to be treated, so eating disorders do too.
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