One out of every 100 women between the ages of 10 and 20 have anorexia (diagnosed or undiagnosed).
For females between 15 to 24 years old who suffer from anorexia nervosa, the mortality rate associated with the illness is 12 times higher than the death rate of all other causes of death.
We read these statistics and are shocked; but why? Because although we know that eating disorders are real – too real – it takes us a long time to visibly see their effects. And when we do finally see them… The protruding ribs, the slightly sallow skin, the frail hair… Then it may be too late. And that is what makes anorexia nervosa truly the silent killer.
Struggling with this eating disorder on and off for five years of my life, I learned how to hide it well. I would wear clothes at least two sizes too big on me, I would use a small plate to make it look like the slowly shrinking portions of my food appeared to be a normal amount. I wore my hair up as often as I could so no one would see it thinning, I wouldn’t wear leggings because my legs looked very clearly abnormally small. I took two naps every day and still had no energy during the amount of time that I was awake. I would blame my exhaustion on the fact that “I barely slept the night before,” when, in reality, I got a full 12 hours. I was weak, unmotivated, tired, in pain, and slowly dying – and I knew it. But I was stuck in a cycle of something I felt like I couldn’t control anymore.
Finally, after physically not being able to get out of my bed (and having to lie about why), I realized I had a problem. I realized that what I had once started as something as a “control mechanism” for my life was now controlling me instead. Granted, I wasn’t the "poster child" for anorexia, but really, there is no such thing.
You don’t have to be in the hospital be anorexic. Your skin doesn’t have to be yellow and caving. Your hair doesn’t have to be brittle and falling out. You don’t have to be under 100 pounds. Your ribs don’t have to be visible. You don’t have to not eat. Webster’s dictionary defines anorexia nervosa as: a serious disorder in eating behavior primarily of young women in their teens and early twenties that is characterized especially by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patterns, malnutrition, and usually excessive weight loss.
A common misconception about anorexia is that people who struggle with this eating disorder simply do not eat at all. This is, in fact, simply not true. Yes, some may turn to that extreme, but for many, being “anorexic” may simply mean skipping dinner every other day or halving a normal portion of a meal. It may even mean saying you’re “dieting” and suddenly “going green” on every meal that you intake – just because it is healthier; which will, in turn, make you lose weight. Anorexia has so many faces, people just don’t recognize them - but it's time that we do.
Another common misconception about anorexia is that only females struggle with it. This is not at all the case. Yes, it is more common in women and young girls, but everyone – no matter what – struggles with body image issues. But, just like girls, boys and men don’t talk about it either. That’s why it’s so important to know the signs and can identify them in the early stages… When people are still available for receiving help. But you won’t know unless you keep your eyes open. Anorexia nervosa is a silent killer.
As a survivor of this killer, I know how strong each fighter is that has gone through it and I appreciate and applaud you for going through perhaps one of the toughest things someone can fight.
