How to Defeat Harmful Habits (Counseling Through the Bible Series) (23 page)

Feel powerless to stop eating, even though you want to?

Emotional eating
is typically done in secret, as is the case with almost all other types of eating disorders. Those who practice these behaviors fail to focus on the always-abiding love and presence of the Lord, who is everywhere all the time and who never slumbers or sleeps.

“‘Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the L
ORD
. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the L
ORD
”

(J
EREMIAH
23:24).

Eating disorders are primarily associated with women, but in recent years an increasing number of men—such as musician Elton John and actors Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton—have been diagnosed as anorexic or bulimic. A 2007 Harvard University study determined that men comprised 25 percent of all people with anorexia or bulimia.
³⁴

Media images portraying the ideal male physique can wield tremendous pressure on men who are extremely fitness conscious, and homosexual men tend to be more prone to eating disorders than heterosexual men. Among gay men, 14 percent suffer from bulimia and more than 20 percent are anorexic.
³⁵

Don’t be deceived. Not all anorexics or bulimics will appear greatly underweight. That is why it is important that you be alert to other warning signs of an eating disorder. And don’t be misled about the danger of these disorders—both can be deadly. The Bible tells us that

“a prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it”

(P
ROVERBS
22:3).

H
OW
B
ULIMIA
A
FFECTS
Y
OUR
B
ODY

•
Blood Problems

– Anemia

– Poor circulation, low body temperature

– High blood pressure, hypertension

– Ketoacidosis (high levels of acid buildup in the blood)

– Type II diabetes mellitus

•
Body Fluids

– Dehydration

– Low potassium, magnesium, sodium (out-of-balance electrolytes can cause cardiac arrest)

•
Kidneys

– Problems from diuretic abuse

– Infections from vitamin deficiencies, dehydration, and low blood pressure

•
Intestines

– Abdominal cramping and bloating

– Chronic constipation and diarrhea

– Irregular bowel movements, abnormal bowel functioning

– Excessive use of laxatives, causing bowels to no longer function without total dependence on laxatives

•
Hormones

– Irregular or absent menstrual period

– Imbalances causing multiple problems throughout the body

– Imbalances can occur even after recovery when healthy eating habits are being practiced

•
Brain

– Distorted body image

– Excessive fear of weight gain

– Anxiety and depression

– Dizziness

– Seizures

– Difficulty concentrating

– Low self-esteem and shame

– Neurological and mental deterioration

•
Cheeks/Jaw Area

– Swelling, soreness, TMJ (temporomandibular joint)

– Swollen salivary glands in cheeks

•
Mouth

– Purging of food brings up hydrochloric acid from stomach that washes across the teeth

– Teeth sensitive to hot and cold foods

– Tooth enamel erosion and discoloration (teeth look clear)

– Cavities and tooth loss

– Gum disease and pain

– Sores in the mouth, swollen salivary glands in the cheeks

•
Throat and Esophagus

– Sore and irritated

– Tears and ruptures

– Esophageal reflux, damage to larynx and lungs

– Bleeding esophagus

– Cancer of the esophagus, larynx, and throat

•
Muscles

– Fatigue and aching

– Atrophy

•
Stomach

– Pain and soreness

– Delayed emptying

– Ulcers and ruptures

– Deficiency in digestive enzymes

– Pancreatitis caused by repeated stomach trauma

•
Skin

– Abrasions and calluses on knuckles

– Dry flaky skin

•
Heart

– High cholesterol

– Elevated triglyceride levels

– Electrolyte imbalances

– Irregular heartbeat

– Heart muscle weakened, thickened

– Heart failure with a mortality rate from 5 percent to 15 percent of bulimics due to cardiac arrest

•
Lungs

– Shortness of breath

– Increased infections

•
Eyes

– Broken blood vessels in the eyes

– Vision problems

•
Pregnancy

– Miscarriage

– Difficulty getting pregnant

– Baby stillborn (not born alive)

– Baby born early and low birth weight

– Birth defects, such as blindness or mental retardation

•
Weight Swings or Drops

– Chronic bingeing/purging causes extreme weight fluctuation within short periods of time

Tragically, those who believe the lies that produce and propagate this fatal eating disorder have failed to guard their hearts and their minds, thereby putting their lives in danger. No wonder Scripture strongly admonishes us to

“above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life”

(P
ROVERBS
4:23).

They’re known as “thinspiration”—famous female celebrities idolized by anorexics and praised on pro-anorexia Web sites for their skeletal frames.

One of the most popular thinspiration figures is Victoria Beckham, formerly known as Posh Spice of the Spice Girls, a British pop music group with a string of hits in the 1990s. A posting on one Web site reads, “I envy her thin legs and chest. She has beautiful bones sticking out of her chest.”
³⁶

The glamorization of anorexia is closely linked to a consistent message from all different types of media:
You can’t be thin enough
.

Those who struggle with anorexia are hungry for love—they feel love-starved. Their deepest hunger for love can be satisfied only by the One who is love—God Himself.

Realize that people will let you down. People can provide only a temporary filling of love that will once again end in hunger for love. No one has demonstrated more love to you than God has—love that has tremendous potential impact both now and for all eternity. The Bible speaks of His continual love for you:

“Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”

(P
SALM
66:20).

Those who suffer from anorexia nervosa have a “fat phobia,” an intense fear of gaining weight. Their desired weight represents their self-worth, self-control, and status. They generally fall into the following two subgroups, with many crosses back and forth between the two during the course of their illness:

1.
Restricting food intake
and possibly exercising excessively (anorexia athletica)

2.
Bingeing and purging food

They…

• Deny ever feeling hungry

• Postpone major events

• Refuse to maintain even minimal body weight

• Put their life on hold until they “get thin”

They…

• Exercise excessively

• Diet exceedingly

• Weigh repeatedly

• Lose hair frequently

They constantly…

• Obsess about food, calories, and nutrition

• Feel bloated, fat, or nauseated from eating even small amounts of food

• See themselves as fat when they are truly thin

• Believe they are overweight even while continuously losing weight

In addition, they necessarily…

• Feel cold even when the temperature is normal

• Set unobtainable performance goals for themselves

• Experience amenorrhea (the absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles)

• Avoid mirrors and photos and engage in constant self-criticism, thus sabotaging their self-esteem

For those in the midst of the struggle, no matter what they do, their hearts are not at peace. Their pain is ever-present. They can feel the hurt spoken by Job in his deep suffering:

“If I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away”

(J
OB
16:6).

Ellen—Counting Calorie After Calorie After Calorie

It’s nighttime and Ellen was curled up in bed with her cookbooks—processing, calculating, obsessing.

“Hmmm…chicken marsala, one serving…232 calories.” She turned the page. “Smoked salmon, one serving…159 calories.” In another section of the cookbook, Ellen gasped at the number of calories in a savory slice of pecan pie—800 calories!

Ellen had no intention of cooking,
nor did she have any intention of eating
. She was simply swimming in a sea of numbers, compulsively calculating the calorie content of all kinds of food. She paused for a moment, reflecting on her day:
Just how many calories were in that piece of chewing gum?
But then Ellen got right back to her cookbooks and calculations, counting calorie after calorie after calorie.

At 78 pounds, Ellen was a
hungry
young woman—hungry not only for food, but also for love. Adopted and the youngest of eight children, Ellen was abused by her adoptive father. Apathy best characterized her mother, who turned a blind eye to many things, including her daughter’s eating disorders. (Ellen struggled with both anorexia and bulimia.) Once, after hearing Ellen purging her food, her mother instructed, “Make sure you clean up the bathroom.”