Courtney Roome
Narrative Essay
Education is Prevention
Did you know that about 8 million Americans today have an eating disorder? Living a healthy lifestyle is a big issue our society faces today. Many Americans are not getting the proper education to be knowledgeable about the many diseases, and illnesses out there, as well as preventative techniques to avoid them. Eating disorders are an example of one very serious condition that must be helped and treated otherwise death could result. Eating disorders -- such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder -- include extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues. Eating disorders are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for females and males (NEDA, 2005).
I am bringing up this issue of eating disorders to raise awareness to the public of and advocating for more effective health promotion and preventative care education in young children. We need more health promotion and exercise activism in kids at a younger age to eventually stop their unhealthy habits, lifestyles, and thoughts! 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner (NEDA, 2005). We need to work on raising children with proper education and care to live a healthy life mentally and physically. 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25 (ANAD, 2011). I personally did know many young teenagers that had an eating disorder, my sister included.
When I was younger, about 10, I noticed my family start to have more problems and fight on a regular basis. I noticed frequent mood swings with my sister, Ashley, and bickering of my parents, and even more so when it involved food. That spring, I went on a vacation with my family to Florida where I first began to understand the rise of our family problems.
It all happened after the flush of a toilet. My parent’s were banging on the bathroom door, yelling for Ashley to come out. My dad escorted me down the hall into the kitchen, a little further away from the bathroom so he could talk to me in private.
“Ashley is sick,” he told me. I remember thinking, “Sick? How? What kind of sickness?”
My dad described to me that my sister had an illness of her body and mind, and that it is something very complicated and sometimes hard for others to understand. At my young age, I did already know the basics about eating disorders, however not enough to have a full understanding of how and why it grew on my sister. My dad told me not to worry and that everything was going to be okay. But was it? My vacation and life had changed drastically.
Growing up in our childhood and adolescent years, Ashley and I had many ups and downs, however we always had each other’s backs no matter what. It took Ashley a while to reach out to me and really speak to me about what is going on in her life and body. It hurt my family and I to see what she was going through and not be able to help her or understand why. Ashley struggled a lot with her illness; she was also suffering from depression, and anxiety. Almost 50% of people with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression (ANAD, 2011). Not only was my sister depressed; she was angry. Ashley had trouble explaining her emotions so most of the time she would have outbursts, almost tantrums at times that consisted of slamming doors, screaming, cursing, and potentially physical violence. At times I was scared of her, not sure how to approach her or even talk to her- and this continued for me until I researched more about the disorder and the contributing factors and understood more about what she was going through.
Ashley left home for a while too to seek treatment; sometimes weeks and sometimes months at rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and other care units. We lost a lot of money going through all the expenses trying to make sure my sister was mentally stable and had a clear head on her shoulders. It was actually ridiculous the amount of money we spent, as well as the amount of money that our insurance company would not cover, especially in dire time. The estimated treatment of an eating disorder in the US ranges from $500 per day to $2,000 per day. The average cost for a month of inpatient treatment is $30,000 (Mirasol, 2010).
It took Ashley over 8 years to get through some successful treatment and therapies. To this day, she is still having inner struggles that only she knows how to handle. Her illness and instability took a huge part out our family throughout the years. We went through MANY rough times and difficulties that we are still working through. Eating disorders are serious illnesses that can hurt not only the individual but families as well. There are many good therapeutic treatments out there for people living with eating disorders however it takes many years till full recovery, if that. There should also be more preventative education on eating disorders for young girls and boys to make sure they are aware of the severity of the disorders and how it affects you and your loved ones.
References:
ANAD. "General Information." National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. ANAD, 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. <http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/ general-information/>. ANAD. "Eating Disorder Statistics ." National Association Of Anorexia Nervosa And Associated Disorders. N.p., 2011. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. <http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/>.Mirasol. "Eating Disorder Recovery Centers." Mirasol. N.p., 2010. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
<http://www.mirasol.net/eating-disorders/information.php>.
NEDA. National Eating Disorders Association. N.p., 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. <http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/information-resources/ general-information.php#terms-definitions>. NEDA. " Dieting and The Drive for Thinnes." National Eating Disorders Association . N.p., 2005. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. <http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/uploads/file/Statistics%20%20Updated%20Feb%2010,%202008%20B.pdf>. NEDA. "What is an Eating Disorder?" National Eating Disorders Association. National Eating Disorders Association , 2005. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. <http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/WhatIsEd.pdf>. 