Video: National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Maintaining your weight is essential to a healthy life style but there are some who take extreme measures to control their weight, even putting their lives at risk. Eating Disorder Awareness is being recognized across the nation this week.

“Officially I’m diagnosed with Bulimia. I was in denial about it until probably a few weeks into treatment,” says Taylor Szasz, who suffered from Bulimia.

Taylor Szasz (Sass) is one of millions of Americans who have suffered from an eating disorder. Bulimia occurs when a person eats large amounts of food and then vomits to keep from gaining weight. Szasz says she suffered for five years before seeking help and after getting treatment, she’s now aware of what caused her illness.

“I learned that I was really out of touch with myself as a person. I learned about setting better boundaries with people because I had a lot of trouble being able to tell people no. So I guess I kind of took all that frustration and anger out on myself,” says Szasz.

The most diagnosed eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating. Kim Kavalsky is the coordinator of Mental Health Outreach at Mississippi State. She says though all eating disorders are unhealthy, anorexia is the most deadly because people are literally starving themselves.

“Someone who suffers from Anorexia is going to have a substantially lower heart rate and low blood pressure. You may notice dry skin, dry hair. They may be fatigued very weak due to the starvation. Particularly with women, we see a loss of menstruation,” says Kim Kavalsky, Coordinator of MSU Mental Health Outreach.

Szasz attended intense therapy in Memphis for 12 weeks. She says some people try to cure themselves with information on the internet but getting help should be a personal choice.

“I think that you need to make it more of an individual effort and don’t let anyone else’s idea of recovery interfere with what’s best for you,” says Szasz.

The National Eating Disorders Association reports that nearly half a million teens suffer with eating disorders in the United States.

If you’d like more information on the treatment of eating disorders, go to www.nationaleatingdisorders.org or call 800-931-2237.