please blog about this!

"I don't know really where I should start. I guess with how I feel. I feel like a complete failure. I've let the bulimia take over again, and I'm slowly crumbling into nothing."

These words were the first entry in Sarah Siskin's journal she started in 2003. Sarah Siskin, a nineteen year old who succumbed to bulimia after a dreadfully long struggle of seven years. What started as a high school experiment ended in a slow suicide for this young girl...full of life and full of dreams..and a lifetime of tragedy for her family...I was so moved by these words when I read them that I read them over and over and over.. a hundred times... until they were permanently etched in my heart... feeling helpless and not knowing what can be done to save a million other Sarah's worldwide..

This isn't the first and sadly, not the last..the number of young women and men being diagnosed with eating disorders is on the rise. Over a million men and over seven million women are a victims of eating disorders; Anorexia, bulimia,binge eating etc. These numbers are from America alone. Anorexia and bulimia, are not confined by borders or social strata...they are rampant in the Asian countries too..Karen Carpenter, Christy Henrich, Uruguayan Model Luisel Ramos, Brazilian Model Ana Carolina Reston..all 20 to 25 year olds sacrificed to these dangerous disorders...all of them in a pursuit of a tiny frame and acceptance and to fit in..Research says that 86% of patients report the onset of this disease by the age 20...young and impressionable minds..

"According to the National Institute for Mental Health, USA,

• The mortality rate among people with anorexia has been estimated at 0.56 percent per year, or approximately 5.6 percent per decade, which is about 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all causes of death among females ages 15-24 in the general population.

According to the CDC, USA in 2005 :

• The number of deaths with eating disorders reported as the underlying cause of death were 56 deaths."

Anorexia and bulimia can be overcome, through proper medical and psychiatric help and counsel in time. Its all in the mind of the individual...The role family and friends can play in helping the distressed individual is immense and indispensable.If you notice any of the symptoms in anyone around you, do not delay and SPEAK! speak about it..speak about them..tell them how beautiful they are and how beautiful their presence makes this world..As a responsible adult, be aware of the unsolicited comments you make on a youngster's appearance. Teach them to respect and accept their personality..use the help of several organizations working towards this cause. ANAD has educative, preventive and early detection programs and outreach services. Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous (ABA) is a fellowship that helps in addressing these disorders. AABA, MEDA are another few foundations.

Please blog about these horrible killers. Let there be no such story again.. It would make a huge difference even if we are able to save one life! and let these not be the last words of yet another person...


"I was smart, on the honor roll, I danced, skated, worked at the hospital, strived for so many things . . . but I'm none of those things anymore. All that's left is the bulimia, is death. But I don't want that. I want life, a good life where I can be content with myself ."