OR HELP YOURSELF OR LOVED ONE WHO MAY NEED. MORNING ANCHOR KIRSTIN O’CONNER
IS STANDING BY NOW TO ASK A
DOCTOR.
>> EATING DISORDERS ARE NOT A
NEW ISSUE BUT WE DEFINITELY
HEAR MORE ABOUT THEM ARE
CELEBRITY ADDRESSES THEM SO
IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME TO
CHECK AND SEE HOW WE CAN HELP
THOSE AROUND US.
HERE TO HELP US TODAY IS
LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH
COUNSELOR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT
THE TAYLOR SWIFT DOCUMENTARY.
I KNOW YOU’VE SEEN IT.
WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM
THAT MOMENT THAT SHE WAS SO
OPEN ABOUT EATING DISORDERS?
>> HER VULNERABILITY AND SAYING
IT WAS A GRADUAL THING THAT
SNUCK UP ON HER.
AND REALLY JUST WITH ALL THE
EXPECTATIONS WHETHER THEY BE
POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ABOUT HER
BODY FEELING LIKE SHE TO UPHOLD
AN EXPECTATION OF FEELING LIKE
SHE WAS ASHAMED IF SHE DIDN’T
AND THAT KIND OF PRESSURE THAT
WAS ON HER.
I THINK THAT WAS REALLY GOOD
SHE SAID GRADUAL AND HAPPENS
VERY QUICKLY.
>> AND I’M SURE YOU’VE SEEN
PATIENTS BEFORE.
I KNOW HAD FRIENDS GROWING UP
WENT THROUGH ALL TYPES OF
EATING DISORDERS WE HEAR ABOUT
BULIMIA AND ANOREXIA.
BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A
GRADUAL EATING DISORDER I’M
SURE IT CAN BE FROM DAYS TWO
MONTHS AND EVEN YEARS THE
PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
>> EXACTLY IT’S NOT ALWAYS
VISIBLE ESPECIALLY BINGE EATING
DISORDER IS MOST COMMON IN THE
US.
AND OVER EATING FOR COMFORT AND
TO DEAL WITH UNPROCESSED
FEELINGS OR EMOTIONS IS ALSO AN
EATING DISORDER.
SO WE ALWAYS THINK OF SOMETHING
LIKE A VERY THIN YOUNG FEMALE
HAVING ANOREXIA BUT THERE’S
ALSO DISORDERS SUCH AS BULIMIA
THAT IS EXTREMELY COMMON AND
AFFECTS ABOUT 30 MILLION ADULTS
IN THE UNITED STATES EVERY
YEAR.
>> 30 MILLION IS A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
THAT IS OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
MEMBERS.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SIGNS
PEOPLE SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT
FOR?
>> VERY RESTRICTIVE EATING
PATTERNS.
TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM MEETING
WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND NOT
WANTING TO BE SOCIAL WHEN THERE
EATING REGULARLY COUNTING
CALORIES.
VERY OBSESSIVE BEHAVIORS AND
MAYBE HIDING FOOD OR HOLDING
FOOD MAY BE FINDING RAPPERS AND
PLACES YOU WOULD NOT EXPECT TO
FIND THEM.
IT IS UNUSUAL EATING BEHAVIORS
AND AN OBSESSION WITH FOOD AND
THE ABILITY TO REALLY EAT AND
PUBLIC VERY WELL OR BE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE SITUATIONS
THAT YOU NEED TO LOOK FOR.
>> I’VE SEEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT
SEPARATING THEIR FOOD ON A
PLATE AND ONLY EATING IT FROM
ONE SECTION AT A TIME.
IS THAT ANOTHER IDEA OF A
WARNING SIGN?
>> MORE OF A WARNING SIGN FOR
ANOREXIA BECAUSE IT’S A SENSE
OF TRYING TO CONTROL SOMETHING
IS ANOREXIA AND EATING
DISORDERS IN A SENSE TRYING TO
CONTROL SOMETHING IN THE WORLD
YOU FEEL OUT OF CONTROL.
SO HAVING YOUR PLATES EATING
PIT TO THE TIMES YOU DO NOT
HAVE TOO MUCH CALORIE INTAKE.
BUT DEFINITELY A SIGN.
>> YOU MENTIONED THIS IN LADIES
AT THE SIGN THE PROBLEM FOR MEN
TOO.
AND ESPECIALLY MEN WHO ARE
UNDER PRESSURE AND SOME OF THEM
BODYBUILDERS AND SOME PEOPLE
WHO ARE WEIGHING THEMSELVES
CONSTANTLY.
>> YES, ANYTHING THAT BECOMES
AN OBSESSION OF REPETITIVE
CONCERN OR CAUSES DISTRESS IS A
DISORDER.
AND THERE’S DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
DISORDER.
WHEN WE THINK OF ANOREXIA BEING
THIS PERSON COULD DIE FOR THIS
SERIES.
BUT THERE’S OTHER WAYS EATING
DISORDERS CAN AFFECT PEOPLE
EMOTIONALLY.
SIMPLY BEING AWARE OF IT AND
KNOWING THE SIGNS AND GETTING
HELP ARE WAITING UNTIL THE LAST
MINUTE WHEN IT GETS SO MUCH
WORSE THAT YOU NEED TO BE
HOSPITALIZED.
>> IN THERE SO MANY FAD DIETS
WILL TELL YOU YOU CAN ONLY EAT
CERTAIN FOOD TYPES.
WHEN WOULD YOU SAY IT IS NOT
WORTH BUYING INTO THAT FAD AND
IT REALLY COULD BE DANGEROUS TO
YOUR HEALTH?
>> A LOT OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT
ABOUT DEALING WITH THIS
DISORDER IS TALKING TO
NUTRITIONIST AS WELL.
AS FAR AS FANSITES ARE ALL
THESE THINGS IT’S NOT ABOUT
THAT IT’S ABOUT A LIFESTYLE AND
NURTURING YOUR BODY AND THERE’S
SO MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT
TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF AND
EATING WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO
BE EATING WITH HEALTHY GREENS
AND PROTEINS.
THAT IS WHERE SOMETHING WILL
HAVE LONGEVITY IN AND TAKE CARE
OF YOURSELF THE REST OF YOUR
LIFE.
NOT JUST TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING
THAT THE FEDS WILL DO FOR A
COUPLE MINUTES AND AUNT.
SO REALLY LEARN ABOUT NUTRITION
AND NURTURING YOUR BODY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS AND
I’M GLAD IT’S BACK IN THE
SPOTLIGHT THE REASON MANY WON’T