Health is Wealth

I watch TV and read maagzines. Who doesn't? The common thing I see these days are 'WOW! Beyonce shows off her hot body on the beach' or 'Jennifer Anniston loses fourty pounds and wows'. Then there things like 'Why did Katy Perry gain weight?'' or 'Kate Middleton packs on the pounds'. Needless to say, this annoys the life out of me. The media (including magazines, radio, TV, or whatever) is so focussed on people's bodies and how they look. Beyonce lost weight and looks thin? So what? Why is that worthy of news? I mean, that is great for her. But I don't care. Kate Middleton gained weight? So? She still looks healthy to me. And even if she DID gain weight and became a little overweight, why must the world know? Who cares? It is her body and her life. I honestly could not care more about who lost and gained weight. Maybe this is because of my experience with ED. The obsession with my body and weight made me realize that the world is too ...

We hear it all the time: 'love your body!'. As much as this SOUNDS wonderful, it really is hard. Especially for someone like me, who has (or still does) suffered from ED. It is strange how society confuses us: one moment we are being told that we are too large and need to lose weight, and the next minute we are encouraged to love our bodies. I have a confession to make: I do not love my body. There I said it! I DO NOT LOVE IT! But I'm still living. Loving my body is hard. I still look in the mirror and am not happy. I do not like the way my body looks - my thighs, my stomach, my chest, my behind...etc. Before you go crazy on me, let me explain. I am recovering from ED. My weight is restored, I am eating enough, and life is getting back to normal. But the body image issue still is there. And it has been with me since I was a little kid. I remember being about six years old and wondering why I had so much fat on my stomach, when other kids did not. So you see, this body...

It's often said that eating disorders are options. As if someone would choose to starve him or herself. As though the idea of slowly dying is appealing to anyone. This is why we have organizations (like NEDIC) to inform the public about what ED really is about.   Eating disorders are not choices. They are real and very serious illnesses. They are mental illnesses. They need treatment. They take time to fix. They affect your mental, physical, emotional, and social health. They cannot be ignored. They are prominent around the world, even if you don't think so.   I think it's time that we begin to understand that ED is a very serious condition. It can rob a person of their life within a short time frame. It changes the person. EDs can creep up on an individual without warning. But once it starts, it needs help.   We need to understand that EDs need treatment. Food is a priority. But there are many other things that need 'fixing'. The person may need medications f...

Do you remember a few months back, when I posted about how Disney was going to change some of the characters to look 'thinner and more attractive'? You might also remember that I started a petition on this site, and many people signed it. Well, I sent this to Disney a while ago, but I just got a reply now. 'Dear valued visitor and fan, Thank you for your concern and interest in Disney's products and media relations. We appreciate your strong devotion and love for our original characters. Due to the review we got from the public regarding this new characters, we have decided to remove them and keep the orignal characters in all their Disney states. We hope you continue to love Disney and get satisfation at all our products and services. Once again, we would like to thank you and orhers who signed your petition. This loyalty is heart-warming. Sincerely, The team at Walt Disney' YAY!!! We did it! I'm not saying that Disney decided to keep the original chara...

I was bullied a lot when I was young . I remember being in JK and SK, and some kids were calling me fat. In grade two, a few girls teased me by putting grapes down my back when I was not looking. In elementary school, no one picked me to be on their team for sports or in gym class. In grade seven and eight, my teachers told me that I was going to fail gym because I could not perform as well as the other atheletes. In grade eight, a boy who I had a crush on told me that he could never like me because I had 'too big thighs'. I hate bullying. Why do people (and kids included) have to be so mean? Honestly, why can't we just mind our own business and let people live their lives, without making fun of others? I cannot stand seeing others get bullied. When I volunteer, I try my best to help kids accept one another and to avoid any teasing. Words really do hurt. Sometimes, all it takes is for a mean person to say one thing - one simple word or phrase - and already, someone is hur...

Today is Mothers' Day! Happy Mothers' Day to all the moms, sisters, aunts, grandmas, cousins, etc all over the world! You deserve to be recognized everyday for your work, but today is a special day just for us to tell you how amazing and wonderful you all are! This day is certainly important for me, because my mom is my best friend. She is everything to me. I want her to know how much she means to me - and how much I appreciate her. Mom, this is for you! Last year on Mother's Day, I was dying in the ICU and could not breathe. I didn't even have enough breath to tell my mom, 'happy mothers' day'. And she didn't protest or complain. She stayed by my side and prayed, looking into my dull and tired eyes. She told me, 'don't worry, Marina. You will be okay. All I want for Mother's Day is for you to be alive and to come out of this healthy and well. That is the best and only gift I want'. I cried because I couldn't give her a proper ...

I will do my best to explain these disorders, as was requested by some readers. I have not experienced them first hand, but I work with NEDIC/other organizations to help people with them, and I have researched quite a bit on them. I hope this helps! Bulimia is an ED in which the victim eats food and then purges. Purging can take many forms, but the most common ways are vomitting, excercising excessively, or using laxatives. I want to make a clear distinction here: there is bulimia, anoerxia nervosa purging, and binge-purge disorder. Bulimia alone is simply the act of eating normal food amunts but then purging. AN purging is when the person eats very little, but still purges. Binge-purge is when the victim eats tremendous amounts of amounts, and then purges. Purging is extremely harmful to the human body. There are numerous consequences, including teeht problems, throat irritation, stomach cancers, acid reflux, etc. Aside from that, it is a hard habit to break. Just as star...

I'm done exams now, although I have summer school. I've been waiting for the summer for so long, considering that I didn't have much of a summer vacation last year. Last summer, I was in the hospital and did not have time to read, play, relax, or go out. This summer will be different. This summer, I plan on having fun! Something that I've noticed about me is that keeping busy is important. I cannot stay at home one day and do nothing. I cannot stay in bed all day either. For one, this makes me feel lazy and it wastes time. It also gives me nothing to do, which means that there might be room for ED to taunt or tease me. This is why I like to keep busy. Thankfully, I have lots to do! I have books to read that I can't wait to start on! I also can't wait to have time to play board games, watch movies, and relax with family and friends. I'm a shopping addict, and I plan on shopping this summer as well!  What makes this summer different is that I'm hea...