Michael Jackson aftermath: Facts we should all know about eating disorders

June 29, 2:37 PMExtreme Weight Loss ExaminerMark Rubi

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Ana Reston photos before and after anorexia

The death of Michael Jackson may save many lives in the future because of the corresponding media attention on eating disorders and their symptoms. The three main eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. All three are characterized by medical experts as “severe” and “life-threatening.”

Singer Karen Carpenter died in 1983 from cardiac arrest due to anorexia. It was the first time that many had ever heard of the disease. Although anorexia was first diagnosed more than 100 years before Carpenter’s death, the attention generated by her death began the rise of opening medical clinics devoted to eating disorders.

Terms such as “anorexic” and “bulimic” came to be widely known for the first time during the 1980’s. The same was true for phrases such as “binge and purge.” Unfortunately, the public also came to believe that teenage girls and young women were the only ones who developed the two conditions that most people thought encompassed the medical term “eating disorder.”

This is a deadly misconception. The Mayo Clinic’s eating disorder page says that “most people who die of the effects of anorexia are older than age 65 — not young girls.” This is not because older people are more prone to the condition, but they are more likely to have other health conditions that are magnified by the lack of proper nutrition and calories.

In people over 40, eating disorders are frequently brought on by major life events like divorce, illness, or the death of a loved one. Some who suffer from the disorders admittedly “bluffed their way through treatment” when they were younger.

Because eating disorders are so strongly identified with girls and young women, “boys are less likely to be diagnosed,” according the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH). They add that “One in four preadolescent cases of anorexia occurs in boys, and binge-eating disorder affects females and males about equally.”

That National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) says that eating disorders are characterized by “extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues.” They add that around 10% of those who seek assistance are male. There may be many more men or boys who fail to seek treatment, and others who see their deteriorating health may not even consider the thought of an eating disorder being responsible.

Intense or irrational fear of “being fat” is common for those suffering from anorexia or bulimia. NEDA says that “feelings of shame or self-hatred” as well as “anxiety, depression, and loneliness” are hallmarks of eating disorders. Anorexics and bulimics suffer from a “distortion of body image” that leads them to “see themselves as overweight” even when they are extremely malnourished and underweight.

Causes of death from “complications” of anorexia and bulimia include “cardiac arrest, and electrolyte and fluid imbalances.” Suicide was also listed a result. Binge-eaters run the risk of being massively overweight or morbidly obese. These conditions can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and other chronic health issues.

Another sign of eating disorders is “Over Exercising,” which WomensHealth.gov (WHG) describes as engaging “in strenuous physical activity to the point that is unsafe and unhealthy.” WHG goes on to add that “Eating disorders and over exercising go hand-in-hand — they both can be a result of an unhealthy obsession with your body.” They add “The condition can be easily hidden by an emphasis on fitness or a desire to be healthy. Over-exercising is placed in the same class as eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia.”

In addition to over exercising, another sign of these disorders is excessive use of laxatives and diuretics. Other common ways of purging include gagging oneself to induce vomiting or the use of vomit inducing substances such as ipecac syrup. Ipecac syrup is well known to parents as a safety device in case of a child’s accidental poisoning. Please note that ipecac syrup should never be administered to a child or anyone unless directed to do so by a health care professional. Karen Carpenter’s autopsy showed she abused ipecac syrup to maintain her anorexic condition.

Signs of vomiting being used are chronic sore throat, acid reflux, swollen neck glands, and excessive tooth decay due to the enamel being exposed to stomach acids, according to NIMH. Kidney problems and severe dehydration also results from excessive use of laxatives and diuretics.

The underlying causes of eating disorders are still largely unknown, but experts point to family history and social pressures as being prime instigators. The Mayo Clinic site says “Parental attitude about food and their values about what constitutes a healthy weight definitely have an impact on children.”

Despite the fact that the US is suffering from an overweight and obesity epidemic, “the US has a social and cultural ideal of extreme thinness,” according to the WHG website. NEDA points out that “the average American woman is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. The average American model is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs 117 pounds.” This means that our children are raised in an environment that idolizes beauty and that one aspect of beauty is being bone thin.

The use of underweight fashion models has become a problem around the world. Following the death of model Luisel Ramos, Spain became the first country to ban fashion models with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18 in August 2006. Following the death of model Ana Carolina Reston later that year, Italian fashion designers banned the use of models who were size zero or smaller. Fashion shows and designers in the US, Great Britain, and France have yet to follow suit. Sadly, the younger sister of Luisel Ramos also died of heart failure due to malnutrition. Eliana Ramos was also a model and was only 18 years old when she died.

“Heroin Chic” was a phrase coined the 1990’s to talk about the use of emaciated models. Anorexia and drug abuse by models was said to be a prime reason for the look. The well-known Wallis Simpson quote that “You could never be too rich or too thin” was beginning to be challenged.

A BMI of less than 18.5 is considered underweight by medical authorities. The World Health Organization considers a BMI of 16 to be starvation. Ramos had a BMI of 14.5 when she died, while Reston’s BMI was 13.4. Michael Jackson’s arrest record from 2003 said he was 5’11” tall while weighing 120 pounds. That would have given him a BMI of 16.7 at that time. Reports that Jackson weighed less than 100 pounds would mean that his BMI was less than 14, at the same level that killed the models.

The moral of the story is that eating disorders are deadly serious conditions that must be addressed. Since denial and the hiding of destructive behaviors are key symptoms of eating disorders, it is important to watch out for each other. Extreme weight-loss or weight-gain are both signs of a problem. Extreme attitudes about weight, body shape, and exercise are also potential signs. Knowing the signs and doing something when you see them can save the life of someone you love.

Photo Notes: The Ana Carolina Reston photos are copyrighted photos. The author of this article does not own the copyrights. They are being used under "Fair Use" in United States Copyright Law to illustrate the dangers of eating disorders which resulted in the death of Ms. Reston, Luisel Ramos, and Karen Carpenter.  Any other use of the photos may be considered copyright infringement.