EATING DISORDER AWARENESS WEEK—A SHOUT OUT IS GOOD, BUT A SCREAM IS SO MUCH BETTER!

So Eating Disorder Awareness week is this month. I think everybody expects me to do something spectacular like paint my body purple and go throw sandwiches at Supermodels or something. Well honestly, it’s not anything crazy special for me, because every single day of my life is spent spreading eating disorder awareness. Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled […]

Eating Disorders Treatment brought to you by RaderPrograms.com

So Eating Disorder Awareness week is this month. I think everybody expects me to do something spectacular like paint my body purple and go throw sandwiches at Supermodels or something. Well honestly, it’s not anything crazy special for me, because every single day of my life is spent spreading eating disorder awareness.

Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled they have dedicated a whole week to all of those who have suffered, those who are suffering, and those who need to understand.

What I struggle with is still how unaware people are despite the fact.

I honestly think Eating Disorders are out there now, as it seems like every actress, model, or Real Housewife has got one. It’s on every single magazine cover in the check out aisle. Somebody is not eating, weighs 20 pounds, or is living off of diet cola.

It’s a very noticeable disease, however it’s still very very camouflaged.

Walk up to anybody on the street and ask them what the first thing they think of when you say Eating Disorder.

I guarantee you it will be something to the effect of skeleton, thin, bones, Karen Carpenter, or a girl who looks in the mirror and thinks she’s fat…etc.

A few might say a girl who scarfs and then barfs, or Kate Moss.

I bet you nobody will say a gay man who cuts himself with razor blades, or a heterosexual male who is obsessed with his abs so he works out 6 hours a day … girls who have gotten raped or molested so all they eat is paper, or an overly obese person who eats 4 dozen eggs, a large pizza, 2 gallons of ice cream, and 5 cheeseburgers for dinner because they are lonely.

Eating Disorders are one thing on the inside, but a totally other thing underneath.

They are also stigmatized by the thin, and tend to leave out the thick.

I think it’s wonderful that we dedicate a whole month to breast cancer, and that football players are wearing pink shoes, that everything from tic tacs to vacuum cleaners are colored bubble gum pink, and that everybody and the mayor are running half-marathons to raise money for a cure.

Here is my thing…My thing is, why isn’t that much effort and awareness brought to people who suffer from Eating Disorders?

Why isn’t Tebow wearing purple shoes, and President Obama painting the white house periwinkle?

I guess it’s because people don’t realize the depth of what an eating disorder involves. That everybody is different and that unlike Cancer you can’t cut it out.

I’m not at all comparing disease to disease. What I am saying is that level of awareness should be equal.

Eating Disorders not only effect the person who is suffering from it, but like any other disease it effects those who love them.

They have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

Approximately 7 million girls and women struggle with eating disorders · Approximately 1 million boys and men struggle with eating disorders Amount of people affected by specific eating disorders: · 0.5% – 3.7% of females suffer from Anorexia Nervosa in their lifetime

· 1.1% – 4.2% of females suffer from Bulimia Nervosa in their lifetime

· 2% – 5% of the American population experience Binge Eating Disorder

· 10%-25% of all those battling anorexia will die as a direct result of the eating disorder

· Up to 19% of college aged women in America are bulimic

I could go on and on with the facts..but the simple truth is that all of us who have eating disorders can talk about it next week, wear purple bracelets and pass out NEDA pamphlets while all the high up proffs go and speak about it over tea sandwiches somewhere.

We need more than that people. We need advertisers and marketers to be more aware of their effect on young girls. We need the editors of magazines with airbrushed supermodels to be more aware, and the mannequins in store windows to listen up. We need all the friggin Insurance companies who deny treatment to people with Eating Disorders everyday, leaving them to suffer or die.                              

Next week I of course will be participating, as it is a great opportunity for me to scream a little louder, jump a little higher, and sparkle a lot more.

I am proud to be a survivor, but I am also disappointed to not be doing more.

I have been through the trenches, and me and a lot of other people are proud to show our scars.

I am dedicating all my energy from present to future to putting a mirror in front of this disease and really showing people what its about. The stuff nobody talks about..well I’m gonna go there so just wait.

Til then Happy Eating Disorder Awareness week, spread the word, make a difference, fight the fight!

Love to all,

Miss Meliss

Eating Disorders Treatment brought to you by RaderPrograms.com