Eating Disorders (Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa)

[aznbelle89]

the culture in the philippines pressures teen girls (and even girls beyond those age) to be really, really skinny. i know girls here in the u.s. have to go through the same thing. however, filipino girls (and other asian girls) tend to be naturally skinnier than white or black people so the "skinny" standard is far skinnier compared to the u.s. (hollywood excluded). and from what i have noticed, filipinos are far less accepting of big girls. i've seen women here in the u.s. who have to be at least 250 lbs -- but they have boyfriends! i think thats rare in the philippines. after all, our country is known for openly commenting on people's sizes. "ang taba mo!" is not something people hold themselves back from saying. it's even a source of jokes but americans tend to be more hush-hush about stuff like that.

havent u noticed how LOTS of the topics here refer to weight and wanting to be skinnier? sometimes, this pressure to be skinnier can lead to eating disorders

i personally think health classes in the Philippines don’t talk about them enough.
 
what do u think? how much do u know about eating disorders? do u know anybody who has/had an eating disorder?
please dont hesitate to open up!

[aznbelle89]

i used to have an eating disorder. i just want everyone to be aware that it wasn't fun and it was very unhealthy. it might make you lose weight but what areyou losing weight for? your funeral? i swear i could've died but thank god i stopped.

[~*~einjel~*~^_^]

oh....well all i know bout eating disorders r bulimia, annorexia, n over eating....im tryin to lose weight but d nmn ako nagpapakamatay sa gutom....ano ko baliw.....there were times that i throw up after eating but thats only when i kinda ovestuff myself....hehe....or usually if i eat too early n too much, minsan kasi napapasarap ng kain eh

[cielo_13]

sabi kc nila masgandang tingnan ang mga skinny girls..they can wear what ever they want...

pero...hello???

mas ok nga pag normal body kalng kc may shape d straight...

ung ibang reasons naman ng ibang tao ay para mas gumanda and to have the MODEL SHAPE...

pero dapat d nila pinapatay ung sarili nila I mean, ung iba nagpapagutom...ung iba, kain ng kain, ung iba kahit tama na cge pa rin...naku  naman...dapat dinidiscuss nila tong mga to sa school seriously

[pUnkistAgirL]

yeah... i definitely agree with aznbelle89.... it's like almost everyone is in denial....

i used to have anorexia and bulimia before... all at the f*cking same time. it was like being in hell... oh, yes, I was thin.... I could wear anything I wanted to.... But it sucked so bad.... Because I still felt like I was so darn fat... Maliit na nga yung abdomen ko, but all I could see was flab and even more flab... grey and yellow na ang skin ko but I didn't notice that.... I kept thinking my cheeks were chubby/fat... my arms were humongous.... i kept having stomachaches and hyperacidity attacks because of the thowing up, but continue pa rin ako.... i started getting sick every week.... fevers, terrible headaches, dizziness, cough, colds.... everyone told me i looked wasted and like a skeleton, in the words of my mother.... she had no idea what was going on....

but now, i'm better. i think... no... not really.... i think i'm not any better... because i have abandoned all hope in dieting and healthy living because i know if i start, i will go back to my EDs.... everyday is a battle... sometimes i still want to give in.... it's easier, you know.... to lose all that weight.... hahaha...

chubby naman ulit ako ngayon... malapit na sembreak... 3 weeks ang sembreak namin... i'm thinking of losing weight... i'm scared i will fall back to my EDs.... but i just need to feel better about myself....

 

EDs are just symptoms to an even bigger problem inside. they are not what they appear to be. Like in my case, I have EDs.... deep inside, I loathe myself... i have major depression... i was sort of diagnosed with bipolar disorder.... I hate myself as in.... But now, I'm in therapy....

EDs mask a really big psychological problem... especially the self-esteem issue.... or maybe abuse.... or just pressure from society....

 

it's really sad that here in teentalk, they don't address this issue.... for all we know, many na ang mayroong EDs.... it's reality... why are we scared of it...?.....

[juwie]

Ako at malapit na magkaroon ng ED.. Ang vain ko kc eh.. Minsan nga naiinis ako sa sarili ko dahil vain na ako..
Eversince people stated noticing my chubby cheeks, I thought na mataba na ko.. And I admired people na super thin and sexy.. Tapos I started dieting, which only resulted to over eating when I feel really hungry. Kaya wala rin.. Tapos kapag kumain ako ng marame, I feel bad about it.. Kasi ang bigat sa tyan.. Tapos feeling ko lahat ng kinakain ko napupunta sa cheeks ko, kasi parang di lumalaki body ko pero my face is getting rounder.. Haay.. Bat ganun?.. I need to set my mind off this..

[aznbelle89]

when i had bulimia, i didnt even know that it was an eating disorder. i've never heard them mention it in class before. maybe they did and they gave the dictionary meaning of it but all that they probably said is that, "its bad. dont do it"

really, health classes should talk about these things more often. if it wasnt for my own research, i wouldn't have realized that what i was doing was wrong. i'll give u guys the facts as soon as i can put them together.

NEVER ever think that u're not beautiful cuz of your weight.

juwie, a lot of girls are in the same situation as u. but set urself apart and dont be a statistic. i have big cheeks too and i KNOW for a fact that if i was in the philippines, i'd be considered chubby. but this isnt gonna make me bulimic again and come close to killing myself... so, just be contended with your own body. stop comparing ur size with models. ur fine and beautiful just the way u are.

pUnkistAgirL i really appreciate that u opened up about that. it probably isnt very easy to talk about. and i bet its an experience u'd rather forget. i really commend u for talking about it tho and telling the girls here about it.

its really not easy for me to talk about it just yet. i'm just getting used to telling people about it. i wasnt going to but when i realized how much i could possibly help others, i knew i had to talk about my personal experience.

[juwie]

aznbelle69 is bulimia really bad? I'm afraid I'm already a victim..

[aznbelle89]

yes, juwie, bulimia is really, really bad. PLEASE read everything i wrote below:

i watched something on the discovery channel before showing how fast the acids in our stomach can digest our food. when you swallow food and it goes to your stomach, its already mixed with those strong acids. the only reason why your stomach isn't corroded is because it has a mucus lining. but your esophagus and your mouth dont have this kind of protection.

it doesnt matter how long you've been bulimic but u could possibly get cancer of the esophagus. (although some people who are bulimic for a long time don't get this -- why risk it? u might be among the several who will do much damage to yourself) i've heard of somebody who was only bulimic for a few months but she later on passed away because of cancer of the esophagus. (cancer also ran in her family)

also, your teeth will be corroded and they will be stripped off their natural luster. my teeth have a yellowish tint now and i've been trying to whiten them to no avail. they're not super bad but i hate them anyways. and im kinda lucky to still have all my teeth. some people with bulimia have lost their teeth.

another thing is, bulimia makes your cheeks swell. if you hate your chubby cheeks -- being bulimic won't help. it can also make your neck swell a bit. for awhile, my mom thought i had goiter. it wasn't super bad yet but the people who knew me noticed it.

the last and most important thing...  it can cause you to lose important minerals like potassium from your body. When potassium levels are low, people become weak and have muscle cramps. One of the muscles that can cramp is the heart itself. People with bulimia have died due to this.


PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE save yourself. to this day, (its been 3 years since i was bulimic) i still feel guilty about it. what if i had killed myself? how much would it have hurt my family? so, dont make the same mistake i did.

[pUnkistAgirL]

pUnkistAgirL i really appreciate that u opened up about that. it probably isnt very easy to talk about. and i bet its an experience u'd rather forget. i really commend u for talking about it tho and telling the girls here about it.

its really not easy for me to talk about it just yet. i'm just getting used to telling people about it. i wasnt going to but when i realized how much i could possibly help others, i knew i had to talk about my personal experience.

no... actually... i don't want to forget it.... it reminds me of my imperfection as a person... it reminds me of the vanity of the world around... it reminds me that i don't want to be part of society... read my sig.... it says so there... i'm not proud of my EDs and the triggers and invitations to go back, but it keeps me in check of reality... \m/

but yes, it isn't so easy to open up and talk about it.... when i told my new college friends back in first year, i was afraid they would reject me but it was the opposite... they helped me kinda get over it... was lucky to have found them... ^_^

[juwie]

yes, juwie, bulimia is really, really bad. PLEASE read everything i wrote below:

i watched something on the discovery channel before showing how fast the acids in our stomach can digest our food. when you swallow food and it goes to your stomach, its already mixed with those strong acids. the only reason why your stomach isn't corroded is because it has a mucus lining. but your esophagus and your mouth dont have this kind of protection.

it doesnt matter how long you've been bulimic but u could possibly get cancer of the esophagus. (although some people who are bulimic for a long time don't get this -- why risk it? u might be among the several who will do much damage to yourself) i've heard of somebody who was only bulimic for a few months but she later on passed away because of cancer of the esophagus. (cancer also ran in her family)

also, your teeth will be corroded and they will be stripped off their natural luster. my teeth have a yellowish tint now and i've been trying to whiten them to no avail. they're not super bad but i hate them anyways. and im kinda lucky to still have all my teeth. some people with bulimia have lost their teeth.

another thing is, bulimia makes your cheeks swell. if you hate your chubby cheeks -- being bulimic won't help. it can also make your neck swell a bit. for awhile, my mom thought i had goiter. it wasn't super bad yet but the people who knew me noticed it.

the last and most important thing...  it can cause you to lose important minerals like potassium from your body. When potassium levels are low, people become weak and have muscle cramps. One of the muscles that can cramp is the heart itself. People with bulimia have died due to this.


PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE save yourself. to this day, (its been 3 years since i was bulimic) i still feel guilty about it. what if i had killed myself? how much would it have hurt my family? so, dont make the same mistake i did.

Thanks aznbelle.. I really appreciate this thread. I also think that everyone should pay attention to this matter. Especially vain girls like me.

I did some researching about bulimia nervosa myself.. That's why I asked if it's really bad bcoz I think I already have it.. But I'm not yet sure. So I wanna ask you based from experience.. What are the symptoms of a bulimic person? How did you know you were already bulimic? I never had any swelling of face or neck, though. Thanks.

[aznbelle89]

Thanks aznbelle.. I really appreciate this thread. I also think that everyone should pay attention to this matter. Especially vain girls like me.

I did some researching about bulimia nervosa myself.. That's why I asked if it's really bad bcoz I think I already have it.. But I'm not yet sure. So I wanna ask you based from experience.. What are the symptoms of a bulimic person? How did you know you were already bulimic? I never had any swelling of face or neck, though. Thanks.

bulimia isnt like a physical illness. its more of a habit. it doesnt have symptoms -- it has effects. bulimia is eating a lot and then either throwing up or taking laxatives to rid your body of what u have eaten. its like, u want to eat but then again, u dont want to gain weight. u either have it or don't have it -- u can't be anywhere in between. i think u probably do have it but just havent seen the famous "effects" of it on your body just yet.

but they will come and you'll see them. i was bulimic for about 6 months and the signs came out like 3-4 months into being bulimic. and then i read a news article that explained bulimia and my health teacher told us about it. i was too afraid to tell anyone so i had to go through the "healing" process (which is just basically the "quitting" process) by myself and without the support of others. what made it hard for me to stop was even when i didnt mean to throw up, undigested chunks of my food would still try to come out. its pretty disgusting. every now and then, this still happens to me. also, i dont even need to put my hand down my throat to throw up -- its gotten so easy for me that i just open my mouth and stoop on the toilet and throw up.

so, its good that u're telling me about this and i'm trying to give u as much help as i could. at least u have someone who understands and is trying to support u -- i had no one. i know its not easy to quit but u have to. please tell me what you've done so far. have u been forcing urself to throw up? anything like that? just give me the details.

what do we need to get rid off???

FAT or WEIGHT?

I mean, some people are heavy but they're not fat. Some people are light but they're a bit fat

thats cuz muscle weighs more than fat but fat takes up more space in the body.
its not about what we need to "get rid" of. thats what leads to unhealthy habits and sometimes, even eating disorders

people should be more concerned about their health in accordance to their weight rather than their "image" in accordance to their weight. they should think "is my size right now healthy for me? do i need to gain some weight? do i need to exercise and maybe trade my fats for muscles?" instead of "im so skinny, i need to gain weight! or i'm soooo fat compared to my friends, i just really need to lose weight!"

[pUnkistAgirL]

bulimia isnt like a physical illness. its more of a habit.

it's not a habit... it's a friggin' disorder!!!! it's a sickness!!! a ticket to death, simply put.... 

it doesnt have symptoms -- it has effects.

it IS a symptom in itself.... it's a symptom to more deeper psychological problems....

[sw3et_pnai]

i lost 15lbs last march bec i didnt really eat anything for 3 weeks just water. no rice no chocolates and crap. basta water lang madalas. sometimes i dont eat for like a whole day.. then if madami nakakain ko, i immidiately go to the washroom to uh u know.. good thing i stopped! cause merong time na i almost fainted omg

[juwie]

bulimia isnt like a physical illness. its more of a habit. it doesnt have symptoms -- it has effects. bulimia is eating a lot and then either throwing up or taking laxatives to rid your body of what u have eaten. its like, u want to eat but then again, u dont want to gain weight. u either have it or don't have it -- u can't be anywhere in between. i think u probably do have it but just havent seen the famous "effects" of it on your body just yet.

but they will come and you'll see them. i was bulimic for about 6 months and the signs came out like 3-4 months into being bulimic. and then i read a news article that explained bulimia and my health teacher told us about it. i was too afraid to tell anyone so i had to go through the "healing" process (which is just basically the "quitting" process) by myself and without the support of others. what made it hard for me to stop was even when i didnt mean to throw up, undigested chunks of my food would still try to come out. its pretty disgusting. every now and then, this still happens to me. also, i dont even need to put my hand down my throat to throw up -- its gotten so easy for me that i just open my mouth and stoop on the toilet and throw up.

so, its good that u're telling me about this and i'm trying to give u as much help as i could. at least u have someone who understands and is trying to support u -- i had no one. i know its not easy to quit but u have to. please tell me what you've done so far. have u been forcing urself to throw up? anything like that? just give me the details.

I overeat sometimes and when I do, I feel bad about it.. I get lonely.   I see to it that I have fiber intakes daily.. Ung C-Lium, or other fruit fibers just so I can dispose some of what I've eaten. Sometimes after overeating, I would promise myself not to eat too much anymore in the coming days, but I still do.. I can't help it. I haven't had my period from March to August. Well, some of the causes of my delay I can contribute with stress. I was really pressured eversince school started this semester. And I really, I reaaally wanted to be thin! Pero others assess na ok na naman ung katawan ko, others even say na payat pa nga ako. I weigh 102 lbs. now that I'm 18 but I still want to shed off some weight. That's how vain I am... But I never reached the point that I would voluntarily stroke my throat to vomit. Sometimes I think of doing it (because I know some who do) but I know it's not healthy..

What do u think Ms. aznbelle89? Do u think I already have it?

Btw, thank you so much again for starting this thead.. You have such a good heart to share your own experience about bulimia and to help others.