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The world mourns a great performer and musician… and rightly so, but the question needs to be asked: Did Michael Jackson die of an eating disorder? Numerous comments across the web and the airways suggest that the King of Pop weighed a little over 100 pounds at the time of his death.
If that is true, it means the Jackson’s BMI at the time of his death was 14.3 when he died. A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25. If the reports of his weight are true, Jackson was 29 pounds under what would be considered the lowest healthy weight for a man of his 5’ 10” size. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has an online BMI calculator.
Stress can be a major factor in many eating disorders. Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by unwillingness to eat. The University of Maryland Medical Center’s web site says that “Anorexia is an emotional disorder that focuses on food, but it is actually an attempt to deal with perfectionism and a desire to control things by strictly regulating food and weight.”
Getting ready for his comeback in England, which reportedly sold out 50 shows, Jackson himself was reportedly worried that he was too weak to perform a full concert, let alone 50. Some have said that he admittedly ate very little. Many who saw him up close over the last few years said he was very frail.
Anorexia Nervosa is a condition normally associated with teenage girls, but it also affects women in their 20’s and older as well as some men. Pop singer Karen Carpenter of The Carpenters died in 1983 from anorexia. Like Jackson, she died from heart failure.
The National Institute of Mental Health says that eating disorders are “medical illnesses with complex underlying psychological and biological causes. They frequently co-exist with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders. People with eating disorders also can suffer from numerous other physical health complications, such as heart conditions or kidney failure, which can lead to death.”
Besides anorexia, other eating disorders are Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating Disorder. Unlike anorexia, in which an individual denies themselves food, the other disorders are characterized by eating massive amounts of food in an uncontrollable fashion. Bulimics force themselves to regurgitate their food in a series of behaviors known as “binge and purge.” Binge-Eating Disorders tend to gain a great amount of weight and are frequently overweight or obese.
The National Institute of Mental Health says that “Binge-eating disorder, which has received increasing research and media attention in recent years” is an eating disorder which is characterized as "eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS).”
Whatever the official cause of death turns out to be, Michael Jackson was clearly suffering from mental health issues. Regardless, may he rest in peace.
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Comments
I found myself wondering the same thing. I work with people with eating disorders, and when I saw the photos of him at his recent 50th birthday, I thought he looked quite unhealthy.
www.biggerfatterblog.blogspot.com
We will be discussing his anorexia in depth
just a few weeks ago it was in the news that Michael Jackson was saying he was scared he was going to die. He had skin cancer, and he knew he wasn't well. He's been sick for a while.....he didn't die from a damn eating disorder.
i was surprise when i heart michael jackson was die, i was crying when i heart that, but we can do nothing about because god oready sign that he going in to die today,we love u michael u make history of pop, i hope go forgive u all bad things that u did in ur life, god bless u, god bless your family.
You can't tell simply from someone's appearance if they have an eating disorder. Many illnesses can cause weight loss. And some people are constitutionally thin (although I agree that Mr. Jackson seemed too thin). In order to diagnose an eating disorder, you have to observe behaviors around and attitudes toward food--something impossible from a distance. If indeed Mr. Jackson had anorexia nervosa (and we don't know that) he would be a very prominent and visible personality to underscore the deadliness of this neuro- biologically based illness. Anorexia nervosa is the deadliest of all mental illnesses. It often is accompanied by anxiety, depression or other mental health issues such as an obsessive compulsive personality style. Some of these factors may simply be secondary to starvation itself. Or, they can pre-exist co-morbidly. But, I stress, you can't know if an eating disorder exists without direct observation of the person. Any eating disorder deserves immediate treatment.
I think there is little doubt that Michael Jackson suffered from an eating disorder - most probably anorexia nervosa. He has spoken about it in the past, he was horribly underweight and driven to plastic surgery by body dysmorphia. I hope that this untimely death may help many who suffer from this dreadful illness to understand that none are immune from it's deadly consequences.
It seems to me that the mental health system may have failed Mr. Jackson (and many others too). I say 'may' because I don't know what, if anything, was tried for him. However, the popular idea of 'adult autonomy' at the expense of mental health is perhaps very visible here. This doesn't mean we shouldn't respect people as adults--but to recognize that mental health issues can render even the most gifted among us considerably less able to make the best of decisions in their own best interest. How do we handle this ethical dilemma? We need to have much more of a conversation around this as a nation. The hands of friends and family are often tied legally when loved ones are suffering--and in denial.
Yes, it seems that he suffered from anorexia nervosa.
Michael did have an eating disorder.
The stress he was under made him fill he had
no control of his life.Having an eating disorder made him feel good and nothing would
hurt him he was in control and felt that no one could say diffrent. every time he was about to release a new song some one would file
a law suit wanting what he didn't have.
to the girl who was on his best all time album
filed a law suit saying she wanted the money it was making.she now lives two blocks from me
she needs to grow up.she was paid in full she now needs to get a life. rest in peace my litte
mike.you'll alway's be in my heart
It's possible, but still unclear that Michael suffered from an eating disorder. The official report may shed more light on this. Of course there are many other reasons for his slight appearance also. About 1/4 of people with eating disorders are males (Hudson,et al. study).Regardless of what he may or may not have died from, his death is a tremendous loss.
if he wanted to live then why was he not eating
can not believe that he was under wight either and at the same time and taking drugs his doctor should have known about this I suppose you can not make anybody eat if they do not want to eat he was just slowly killing him self lets face it the guy did not have life anyway just like elvis I think he just got sick of it in the end and being accused of abusing young kids that was the lowest of the the low and right out of order.
I think micheal jackson may had died from an eating disorder and excessive exercise. The sad thing is it won't be stated that way. If medical personal would state the true cause maybe eating disorders will be recognized more providing more help for those that suffer.
Media needs to stop glamorizing too thin as "normal" and calling healthy weight people fat, as it does. It contributes greatly to eating disorders by shaming people for having any bit of flesh.
Go play in heavy traffic all of you and the poster "author" who needs to look in the damn mirror. Are you all pro ana pro mia? Stop spreading these accusations about Michael. YOU'RE NOT EVEN FANS for crying out loud. How would you lunkheads even know how Michael looked recently? You guys only know the Thriller album, you don't recent news about him? Fake fence riders. Don't worry, I will notify Michael's estate, and let me tell you, these lawyers don't play pretty. See ya in court:)
uh ya i think he did cuz he did weigh like idk 102 when he died and if u hav seen recent picz of him hez super skinny...so probly o_o
that is very interesting
(miss Michael Jackson)
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