Posted on 04/05/2005 10:44:49 AM PDT by Zivasmate
GLOBE EDITORIAL Terri Schiavo's affliction April 5, 2005
RIVETED BY the personal and political battles over Terri Schiavo's rights to life and death, the country is largely ignoring a chance to act on an underlying issue: eating disorders.
Schiavo was an overweight kid who reportedly wept when she bought clothes, fearful of being teased about her size. After high school she lost weight, dropping from over 200 pounds to 150. When she was 26 she weighed 110 pounds. On Feb. 25, 1990, less than three months after her 26th birthday, she collapsed. Her heart stopped, depriving her brain of oxygen and causing severe physical damage. Doctors say the cause was a chemical imbalance that had been triggered by an eating disorder.
But Congress is not rushing to pass bills to battle eating disorders. Nor is President Bush pointedly waiting to sign such legislation. And protesters who supported Terri Schiavo by taping their mouths shut did not realize the cruel irony of their symbolism.
Eating disorders have gotten attention in the celebrity-focused press with stories about stars battling anorexia. But the news is often about fan support and public appearances.
Missing are hard clinical facts such as those offered by the National Institute of Mental Health, which warns that ''people who suffer from eating disorders can experience a wide range of physical health complications, including serious heart conditions and kidney failure which may lead to death."
Philip Levendusky, the vice president of new program development at McLean Hospital in Belmont says, ''Kids don't realize how much of a game of Russian roulette they're playing." He ran through a tragic list of problems related to eating disorders, from bowel disorders to death.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Well, rather than admit their own complicity in this murder, they're anxious to blame the victim. I have seen some Freepers, for that matter, insist that it was her own fault that she found herself in that condition. Sad, but true.
It is an obvious attempt to shift the focus to where only victimhood is involved but no victimizer.
I agree. The MSM is spinning like mad to cover up what happened. If she was that bulimic, her teeth would have rotted out a whole lot sooner. Even in the last video, she had good looking teeth.
As biased as they are, an important clue was stated: low self esteem due to weight. She was perfect for MS.
They have no more proof that her condition was caused by bulimia than we have that it was caused to a blow to the head by her hubby.
I'm not certain that we know that she actually had an eating disorder. Wasn't this an uncorroborated piece of mythology cooked up by Michael. Where is the proof?
LOL...Her husband Michael testified twice in court that she wasn't bulemic.
Boston Globe falls for urban legend.
I agree that this article is biased towards the pro-death side, but it does raise a valid point. Eating disorders can have horrible consequences. Terri was definitely murdered by her husband and the govt, but sadly her eating disorder contributed to her being in that vulnerable state. It's not "blaming the victim" - what was done to Terri is inexcusable; she did not deserve to be starved to death because she was bulimic 15 yrs ago. BUt to ignore the fact that her heart attack was caused by bulimia does no favors to anyone.
Hopefully some good can come out of this whole travesty, and among other things, I hope that more women realize the dangers of bulimia. It is an alarmingly common disease and many people do not realize it can result in something as severe as a heart attack. I was bulimic myself for awhile back in college and had no clue that what I was doing to my body could result in a heart attack. Had I known about Terri Schiavo, I probably would have been "scared straight" and sought help for my problem. As it was, I kept it a secret from everyone, seeing it as something to be embarrassed about but certainly not dangerous to my heart. I was lucky that I eventually lost the compulsion to binge and purge before anything bad could happen to my health. But there are other young women out there currently struggling with bulimia that are at risk now, and if the Terri Schiavo tragedy is a wake up call for them, then some good has come out of it.
It's really sad. She doesn't have it now, but when my oldest went through puberty, she went from string bean to butterball. She ate small amounts, but exercised up to 4 times a day. I used to put my ear up to the bathroom door to make sure she wasn't throwing up her food.
She still does exercise like a maniac, but she can't get the weight off. This occured when she was a teenager, and her metabolism finally rebelled.
If you saw the one video of Terri, you'll notice that her teeth look pretty good. Dedicated bulimics have tooth damage.
This is true. My second oldest had a weight problem for years. One year, she gained three inches in height and lost 50 pounds. She was not bulimic, ever. Has anyone considered that she did indeed have a heart attack or stroke, brought on by stress? Her bone scan is a nightmare.
I'm not bullimic intentionally, but due to stress, I've been throwing up my stomach contents for the last several years. My front teeth are fine, but the back ones are breaking. I went through a period when I couldn't swallow things like meat or vitamins.
I don't feel comfortable talking about what's going on in my life, but since you asked...
Michael Schiavo, 1/2000 Direct Testimony: states bulemia was never proved see p 27. (large file)
As far as I'm concerned this is just more of the attempt to cover the murderer's behind.
She had cardiac arrest which is different than a heart attack.
Michael's hired physician, Bambakidis, testified Terri never had heart attack
I wasn't downplaying the danger of bulimia. My point was that the Globe chooses to play it up over all the other issues. Also, it seems she may have never had a heart attack, because her cardiac enzyme count was normal when she was admitted to the hospital emergency.
What we need is a thorough investigation into the case, from its beginning to horrible end.
BTW, I'm glad you were able to be cured of this dangerous disease, yourself. G-d bless.
Right. As far as I have heard anyone say, Mikey Shiavo was the only one who "knew" Terri was "bulimic". Her family and friends say otherwise. I didn't realize Mikey was a doctor at that time (has become a nurse supposedly to "take good care of Terri). If he had been SO smart and caring, and IF (big IF there) Terri had showed signs of "bulimia", then why did he not see she had treatment pre-"accident" or "collapse" or "whatever"?
Heck, when I was a teenager, I cried when I bought clothes, but I was still a far cry from "bulemic" or "anorexic". I dieted, but the lemon ice box pie won in the tenth round of that fight. When a young woman takes on a husband and a job and housekeeping (perhaps Mikey helped?), she pretty much stays thin by default.
I had that problem...Dr. Atkins solved it for me! :-D No matter how many calories I counted or how much I exercised or how many low fat meals I ate...I gained! When I started watching the carbs it came off so fast I actually had to increase my carb intake again. Now I just eat normally -- not too many carbs, not too few -- making sure I don't each as many carbs as I once did and I'm maintaining. For what it's worth!
each=eat
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