How would you classify food? Would it be the life source that you crave on a daily basis? Or the tasty little objects that you can’t wait to scarf down and ask for seconds? Maybe you might even classify food as the only thing motivating you to get out of bed to start your day. Let me give you my opinion on this sensitive little topic. Food was the one object that sustained me throughout my life, which probably doesn’t make me the first person to think of it like that. But food is also part of the very thing that destroyed my way of thinking; maybe even the reason for my daily dosage of pain. This essay will be about my difficulties dealing with my anorexia, what drastic change lead me to my choices, and even the impact it had on my life.
Statistically about 7 million women and 1 million men suffers from eating disorders. Such eating disorders involve anorexia and even bulimia. I’m sure you’ve been told that food is the basic building block needed to function in your daily life and it would be a crime, maybe even torture, to have that taken away from you. As I’m sure you’ve heard there are a lot of umm… “side effects” to skipping meals or making the decision of fasting on a regular basis. Such effects would include: nausea, headaches, drowsiness, impaired function of parts of your body, and feeling weak/faint. But why would someone choose to suffer? As I’m sure you know, the idea that you have to look a certain way or act a certain way is implanted into your thoughts from watching runway models, reading magazines, and even tough criticism given to you by your peers. The topic of anorexia is a serious problem, and sadly to say, one of the things I experienced in the spring of 2015, that ruins a person’s daily routine. After skipping a number of meals in a few short days, I have trouble concentrating, normally feeling faint, experiencing constant dizziness, and constantly feeling bad about myself. But it isn’t just me feeling this way, several millions of people have the same experience as me and it’s probably killing them.
Let’s get back to the reasons someone might choose to go through the process of anorexia. As we are growing up we see people with flawless skin, great bodies, and even successful people. These are the norms that are implanted into our brain through TV commercials, ads, and magazines.  This later then influences people to stride to become one of these well-acknowledged people, which would include fasting, if necessary, as well as falling for false advertisements on expensive products. Others face criticism for being a certain weight, which is my problem, by friends and families. Being told that they are overweight on a daily basis by the people who was supposed to support them can do a number of problems to the brain.
The impact my life choice, anorexia/bulimia, had on my family is not pretty. On a daily basis, I’m asked how much meals have I had today? They would also emphasize that the food I’m being served has low fat or causes little-to-no weight gain. This situation is understandable considering I fainted twice, one from loss of tiny pints of blood from an allergy test and another from skipping meals for 5 days straight. Even so, I bare through my situation with inside jokes about my current situation. An example being: at least I save money.
There is a lot of unjust that happens in the world and a lot of influences the media has over a person’s physiological thinking. Although my anorexia may be my decision alone, I can honestly say it was influenced by 6 years of criticism. It is rude to point out a person’s flaws and make quick judgment on the negative aspects that you can see. It is much better pointing out the positive aspects of a person and focus on those small little details because the effects of that would be less detrimental.
