Dear Dish-It,
I had anorexia and I still do but I'm getting better. Before I got it I was really obsessed with my weight. I wouldn't eat breakfast, at lunchtime I would give my lunch to my friends and at dinner I would have a couple spoonfuls of food. I felt tired all the time and I used to be in a whole bunch of sports but I quit because I was getting muscle and I thought it made me look fat. Then for four days, I ate nothing and at school I was feeling dizzy and then I fainted. The next thing I know I was in a hospital bed being told I have anorexia. I'm still ill. When I look back on what I did I realize how stupid I was and that everybody looks beautiful the way they are. I realize I already looked good before I got sick, so there was really no point of feeling miserable for eight months, looking even worse than I did before and risking my life.
sk8inggurl
Dear sk8inggurl,
Thanks for writing in and sharing your story. More and more young men and women today are being diagnosed with eating disorders. Many people get caught up in the weight obsession without even realizing it until it's too late. Whether peeps want to be skinnier, more muscular or look exactly like their fave TV star, body image plays a huge role in our everyday lives. It's important to surround yourself with positive images, messages and people. If you find yourself feeling discouraged about the way you look, you should talk to someone about it (a friend, family member or even a school counsellor). You'll probably find that everyone around you has had similar insecurities at some point.
It's not realistic to focus on looking like Paris Hilton, because she, and other Hollywood stars, are working out on a daily basis with personal trainers, going on crash diets and sometimes being [kwlink]very unhealthy[/kwlink]. As a growing teen, focusing on being healthy and happy is a better priority. We can't all look like movie stars, but we can feel good about ourselves. Eating right, exercising regularly and getting lots of rest is going to make you look and feel great. Take advice from sk8inggurl who's been there and learn to love your body!
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