A Devil Named ED

joshspurlock.com

Many men and women in this world know who ED is.  He is present is so many people’s lives.  He is relentless and evil.  He wants to take full control of your life.  He alienates you from your loved ones and friends.  He wants you to be lonely so that you are loyal to him and only him.

He wants you to stay home.  To eat the same things (if anything) and to maintain the routine that he sets for you.  He talks to you throughout the day to make sure you are obeying.  He wants you to leave your friends, school and work.  He is secretive about it and very condescending.  

He tells you that you are worthless.  Fat.  Ugly.  That you have no power over your life.  He then takes control and convinces you that he is the key to your happiness.  The one to listen to and the one to worship.  You become a victim of his lies and manipulation and can’t get him out of your life.  You are helpless, miserable and scared.  And it now becomes a matter of life or death.

• It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder (ED) – seven million women and one million men
• One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia
• Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia
• Nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder (Note: One in five Americans suffers from mental illnesses.)
• An estimated 10 – 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are males

MORTALITY RATES

• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness
• A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover
• The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 – 24 years old.
• 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems

ACCESS TO TREATMENT

• Only 1 in 10 people with eating disorders receive treatment
• About 80% of the girls/women who have accessed care for their eating disorders do not get the intensity of treatment they need to stay in recovery – they are often sent home weeks earlier than the recommended stay
• Treatment of an eating disorder in the US ranges from $500 per day to $2,000 per day. The average cost for a month of inpatient treatment is $30,000. It is estimated that individuals with eating disorders need anywhere from 3 – 6 months of inpatient care. Health insurance companies for several reasons do not typically cover the cost of treating eating disorders
• The cost of outpatient treatment, including therapy and medical monitoring, can extend to $100,000 or more

ADOLESCENTS

• Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents
• 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25
• 50% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight
• 80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight

RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES

• Rates of minorities with eating disorders are similar to those of white women
• 74% of American Indian girls reported dieting and purging with diet pills
• Essence magazine, in 1994, reported that 53.5% of their respondents, African-American females were at risk of an eating disorder
• Eating disorders are one of the most common psychological problems facing young women in Japan.

CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE SUFFERED WITH EATING DISORDERS:

Paula Abdul

Justine Batemen

Karen Carpenter

Nadia Comaneci

Susan Dey

Jane Fonda

Tracey Gold

Elton John

If you know someone suffering from an eating disorder, please do everything possible and urge them to get help.  Getting help will make a difference.

I know of too many loved ones who are suffering everyday and I pray for them and their families that they can be helped and able to live successful healthy lives.

You will beat this.