Eating Disorders

This article was in the NYTimes the day before yesterday. I read it and then couldn't stop thinking about it.

The article is about a 19-year old girl who died from "a heart attack due to complications from an eating disorder." The mother decided to make a documentary about her daughter and her eating disorder, bulimia. The website is: somedaymelissa.com.

My mother's cousin passed away after struggling with anorexia - it began when she was in college. She was in her thirties, she left a wonderful husband and young children. I remember when she came over to our house to swim in our pool for therapy. She was so, so skinny, and so sick by then; she died soon after. I was 15. My mom had always taught me that it was more important to be healthy than skinny; but her words became even more powerful after seeing her cousin suffering.

I think it is something that needs to be talked about more. And I think the problem may escalate as obesity is now a common topic in schools. My 7-year old son starting commenting about how "chubby" he thought he was, just a few weeks after he started 1st grade. I was blown away - he is a stick, and he is a boy!

As mothers we have a Huge Influence on how our daughters view their bodies, and how they view food. Our influence will begin with how we view our own bodies. Yes, yes, media does have somewhat of an influence, but, I believe, mothers have even more.