I did something unthinkable by my standards on Sunday evening. I sat and watched the Oscars for FIVE hours! Yes, I did. I watched the pre-show, the show and the after show! Though I'm not usually the awards-show-watching-sit-on-the-couch-for-hours-on-end type, I thought I'd get into the spirit of it this year. And the one star who really stood out for me was Angelina Jolie. Of course her beauty, the dress, and the now famous 'leg' (which has its own Twitter page I hear!) drew everyone's attention - but what struck me the most was her thin, frail frame. Now I know she's busy - is it six kids now? And of course in Hollywood, thin is 'IN' all the time - but this to me was a bit too much 'skin and bones' 
looking.
And interestingly (and not coincidently by any means!) I saw various commercial ads throughout the programming for diet-related products. How perfect - you see these thin women, feel bad about yourself and then conveniently watch the 'magic pill/shake/program' you can use to look like them!
All that got me thinking about Eating disorders and how images like that of Angelina and the like, can really affect women (and men) about their body image. So I wanted to share with you the 10 signs that could indicate someone you care about is struggling with this disease, according to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) :
1. Binge Eating - Binge eating is a sign of an eating disorder and is characterized by repeated binging to the point of discomfort with compensatory measures to counter that eating (i.e. purging).
2. Avoiding Meals Or Wanting To Eat Alone - People suffering from an eating disorder often want to eat alone or avoid meals all together, using various excuses for doing so, like "I just ate before I got here."
3. Drastic Weight Loss - Weight loss to a healthy level is one thing, but when it becomes drastic to the point that someone looks unhealthy, it could indicate a problem.
4. Preoccupation With Counting Calories - Yes, we should watch our calories and consume a healthy diet, but an unnatural or excessive preoccupation with food, fat grams or calories, to the point that it interferes with your nutrition or daily life - is not healthy.
5. Consistently Viewing Themselves As Fat - People suffering from an eating disorder sometimes view their bodies differently than they really are. They can have a disturbed experience of body weight or shape or denial of the seriousness of their low body weight, according to NEDA.
6. Food Rituals - Someone with an eating disorder could refuse to eat certain food categories (like no carbs, ever) or develop food rituals, like eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate, etc.
7. Excessive Exercise - Someone with an eating disorder can maintain an excessive, rigid exercise regimen--despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury. They have an obsessive need to “burn off” calories taken in.
8. Taking Laxatives Or Diuretics - Laxative abuse is serious and dangerous, and it could result in life-threatening complications. If someone is taking these regularly without a doctor's approval, it could indicate a method of trying to purge the body from unwanted food and calories.
9. The Need To Weigh Yourself Several Times A Day - They could have an intense fear of becoming fat and/or make frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss, thus constantly weighing themselves to try to control this.
10. Smoking To Curb Appetite - Someone with an eating disorder can deny feeling hungry and instead use smoking as a way to distract themselves from wanting to eat.
If you or someone you care about is affected by warning signs, its never too late to begin the road to healing when it comes to eating disorders. Contact NEDA or your local eating disorder center for more information and help. And let's all stop putting these Hollywood bodies on a pedestal of what women are 'supposed' to look like.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Shamira
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