Fit, Fat, or Fatal?

I realize that there are people who are overweight and have health problems in that respect, but I am not writing about that today.

When I was in high school I had a summer where I was getting a bit close to crossing the eating disorder line.  I worked at a pool as a cashier and I have always liked cooking so I would often read magazines about food.  But I was not taking care of myself (eating) as much as I should.  I didn't pack enough food to take to work and eventually I realized that I did not weigh enough.  I also started getting Charley horses (leg cramps)  a few times due to lack of potassium.  It was a wake up call.  My main problem was that I was going through a depression.  I did not have a body image problem..  AND when kids at school upon returning after summer said that I looked good, I actually felt bad about that I knew I needed to gain weight,  some of them thought it was funny that I was actually trying to gain weight.  Here I was underweight and people were complementing me!  Society sure has given us a strange perspective when praise is given for something unhealthy.   I was underweight and I knew it, not by much, but even a little bit is too much.. Did I developed a full eating disorder, no, but was my eating disordered most certainly.

I also had a woman in my ward who was someone I used to babysit for.  She taught us about eating disorders because she had one.  She however, recognized it, battled it and leads a normal a healthy life now.  She eats treats, when she wants.  But she could tell us how many calories were in almost anything and she knew that was not a good thing.

 So, why the more recent thinking about this whole situation.  You see over the past few years my ward (congregation) and I have watched as one of our members battled Anorexia.  She was active and liked hiking and walking.  She was in and out of eating disorder programs.  She was depressed.  A few months ago, she traveled abroad to do some volunteer work.  She only survived a few weeks.  She got an infection that killed her.  If her body had been stronger I guarantee she would be with us today.  She was such a sweet person too.  Have you ever stood by and watched someone kill themselves?

 Truth is, your body knows when you have had enough (or too much for that matter - if you listen to it).

Ask yourself the following questions:
 do you turn down social events to work out?
do you not want to eat in front of people?
do you purposely count calories and define your meals by their labels?
do you work out more than once a  day?

A friend of mine, who works at an eating disorder facility and treatment center (Center For Change) has said:
That some people, especially people who have disordered eating or eating disorders say - "being healthy" IS my life but we all know that it isn't. It's just part of it. just like you need a balanced meal, you need a balanced life.

I beg you to take a little test.  Because I don't want to stand by and watch anyone else kill themselves fit.
Take the quiz at the bottom of the page, it could save your live or someone else's.
http://www.centerforchange.com/treatments/eating-disorders