final_thp_5thedition

B Y J E A N W U
eating disorders
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Come home, fry tater tots and then binge watch Netflix with my
little sister—years ago, this was my ideal afternoon. There
was nothing wrong with indulging in life. I ate what I wanted.
There were no rules. No guilt. I loved myself and was as confident
as any naive child yet to be exposed to the realities of the world.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when and how anorexia took over, but
perhaps I was drawn to the artificial sense of control numbers
provided when nothing else seemed in control.
It started off like any innocent diet. Replace the fried potatoes with
peanut butter sandwiches and the chocolate with strawberry
yogurt. Bike 3 times around the block. Slowly, the pounds fell. I
journaled and recorded the dropping numbers, even announcing to
my mom my “accomplishments.” Through no fault of her own, she
urged me on. After all it just seemed like a healthy lifestyle change.
But eating disorders creep into families like deadly gaseous vapors,
innocent and invisible, with the capacity for full destruction.
Jean Wu is a sophomore studying Health Promotion
and Disease Prevention with a minor in Education
and Society. She hopes to one day study medicine
and bring greater attention to the power of education
to advance healthcare. Jean has a passion for
sustainability, enjoys creating vegan ice-cream,
farmers markets, and mountain hikes.
SEEKING
HELP
DOES
NOT
MAKE
YOU WEAK.
Please, please, please
do not wait until you
hit rock bottom. You
are loved and you are
worthy.