Re: Anorexia: Was: Why do plateaus happen?

[Guest guest]

Or we could take an anonymous poll.........

on 3/4/2005 10:53 PM, Rodney at perspect1111@... wrote:

>

> Hi JW:

>

> Anorexia is an interesting issue. We know for sure that one of the

> ~1400 people registered here became anorexic after losing a lot of

> weight in pursuit of CRON. But we do not know whether this is just a

> very rare isolated case or whether it is something we all need to pay

> really close attention to.

>

> I realize some people with anorexia might feel this to be a very

> personal matter they may not wish to discuss in a 'public forum'.

> But it would be really helpful to all of us here if we could get some

> idea about whether or not it is a significant risk for those choosing

> to pursue CRON.

>

> So here is a suggestion. I would like to ask that anyone here who

> recognizes they suffer from anorexia to let the group know by either,

> your choice:

>

> A) Posting here to tell us, or .......

> Emailing Francesca off-list, to let her know privately.

>

> Then Francesca would be able to add up the numbers and tell us only

> the total number of people here with anorexia, without any

> identification as to who they are.

>

> It would also be helpful if those suffering anorexia would indicate

> whether they started CRON before or after the anorexia symptoms

> appeared. In other words, did it appear that CRON may have caused

> their anorexia? Or did they come to CRON as a way of improving their

> nutrition to ameliorate the effects of pre-existing anorexia?

>

> Any input from anyone here with anorexia will be a very great help to

> all members of the group. Many thanks in advance.

>

> Rodney.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Francesca:

Ah. So it would be totally confidential if done using the 'Polls'

link on the left of the page here? I hadn't thought of that.

Then everyone could answer. Perhaps some of the questions might be:

1. Do you believe you suffer anorexia? (Y/N)

IF 'YES' TO QUESTION 1. ..........

2. Did your symptoms appear before or after you embarked on CRON?

3. Please add any other comments you would care to share with

members of :

4. .......................

Suggestions for additional questions ....... anyone, please.

Rodney.

>

> >

> > Hi JW:

> >

> > Anorexia is an interesting issue. We know for sure that one of

the

> > ~1400 people registered here became anorexic after losing a lot of

> > weight in pursuit of CRON. But we do not know whether this is

just a

> > very rare isolated case or whether it is something we all need to

pay

> > really close attention to.

> >

> > I realize some people with anorexia might feel this to be a very

> > personal matter they may not wish to discuss in a 'public forum'.

> > But it would be really helpful to all of us here if we could get

some

> > idea about whether or not it is a significant risk for those

choosing

> > to pursue CRON.

> >

> > So here is a suggestion. I would like to ask that anyone here who

> > recognizes they suffer from anorexia to let the group know by

either,

> > your choice:

> >

> > A) Posting here to tell us, or .......

> > Emailing Francesca off-list, to let her know privately.

> >

> > Then Francesca would be able to add up the numbers and tell us

only

> > the total number of people here with anorexia, without any

> > identification as to who they are.

> >

> > It would also be helpful if those suffering anorexia would

indicate

> > whether they started CRON before or after the anorexia symptoms

> > appeared. In other words, did it appear that CRON may have caused

> > their anorexia? Or did they come to CRON as a way of improving

their

> > nutrition to ameliorate the effects of pre-existing anorexia?

> >

> > Any input from anyone here with anorexia will be a very great

help to

> > all members of the group. Many thanks in advance.

> >

> > Rodney.

> >

[Guest guest]

Yes I mean the " polls " feature on our website which allows anonymity.

However, we have not had a lot of participation in previous polls, all of

which were a lot more benign than an " anorexia " poll would be (even though

it could be anonymous). So don't expect miracles.

Therefore I don't think this would be a successful and useful poll (but

certainly I will cooperate if you want to set it up - nothing lost by

trying). Especially if any anorexics are using CR as a rationale. I

recall a year or so back when someone posted/complained that her doctor

thought she was anorexic when in fact in her mind she was just " doing CR " .

She was about avg height and weighed a scant 90 lbs IIRC (if she did indeed

post her actual weight - or perhaps added a few pounds) . I replied to her

post that perhaps she might consider that her doctor had a point - she

quit the group in a huff since those were not the words she wanted to hear.

It's not something that people easily face, the mind being what it is.

People don't just look in the mirror and say: " Oh I'm too thin, I must be

anorexic " . From what I know of the disease, it's complex and often takes a

lot of intervention from family, friends, physicians etc to get the person

to acknowledge that anything is wrong, even in the fact of starvation.

The oldsters among us will remember Carpenter, a public figure, whose

family and friends were begging her to get treatment. She was in denial to

the end and suffered a fatal heart attack from heart damage. I believe she

was in her 30's when she died.

on 3/4/2005 11:45 PM, Rodney at perspect1111@... wrote:

>

> Hi Francesca:

>

> Ah. So it would be totally confidential if done using the 'Polls'

> link on the left of the page here? I hadn't thought of that.

>

> Then everyone could answer. Perhaps some of the questions might be:

>

> 1. Do you believe you suffer anorexia? (Y/N)

>

> IF 'YES' TO QUESTION 1. ..........

>

> 2. Did your symptoms appear before or after you embarked on CRON?

>

> 3. Please add any other comments you would care to share with

> members of :

>

> 4. .......................

>

> Suggestions for additional questions ....... anyone, please.

>

> Rodney.

>

>

>>

>>>

[Guest guest]

Hi Francesca:

Here's a suggested working definition of anorexia that might be

useful to us all here:

Log everything you consume for a month in Fitday or some other

nutrient tracking software and check to see if you are getting at

least the RDAs for all of the standard list of nutrients,

then .............

A) If you *are* exceeding all the RDAs you are not anorexic.

If you find you are deficient in one or more nutrients AND FAIL

TO ADJUST YOUR EATING HABITS TO FIX THE SHORTFALL then you *are*

anorexic.

C) If everyone one you know says you are very slim and you refuse to

log your food intake into nutrient tracking software for a month,

then you *are* anorexic.

--------------

My impression is that the 40% restricted mice were pretty darned

thin, but they *were* getting their RDAs. So eating such a small

number of calories did no harm to their health/lifespan - quite the

contrary. Would the same not also apply to us humans? If I weighed

90 pounds but was getting all my nutrient RDAs (with a couple of

exceptions for which supplements might be necessary) from food, then

would there be a meaningful reason to describe me as anorexic?

[i am certainly not planning to try it. For a start I enjoy food too

much!]

Rodney.

I

> recall a year or so back when someone posted/complained that her

doctor

> thought she was anorexic when in fact in her mind she was

just " doing CR " .

> She was about avg height and weighed a scant 90 lbs IIRC (if she

did indeed

> post her actual weight - or perhaps added a few pounds) . I

replied to her

> post that perhaps she might consider that her doctor had a point -

she

> quit the group in a huff since those were not the words she wanted

to hear.

>