A woman in her 30s lost as much as 27 kilograms after eating 30 ㎉ a day and felt threatened with her life. Another high school girl confessed that she lost as much as 26 kilograms due to an eating disorder when she was an elementary school student.
On the 6th, CBC Terevi released the case of Yuan Watanabe (18) living in Aichi Prefecture. “I personally like the best to relieve my appetite, so when I see a picture of a skinny person, I thought about how much I would reduce the number, like a game,” he recalled. “I gradually fell in love with the pleasure of losing weight.”
Watanabe continued to lose weight while trying not to eat anything. When he was in elementary and middle school, he repeatedly entered and discharged from the hospital. He was 155 centimeters tall, but he lost up to 26 kilograms of weight and lost his facial expression.
His mother said, “I know that my life is in danger because my elementary school child has (anorexia), but it was so hard not to be able to do anything for me.”
Watanabe overcame anorexia when she was in her first year of high school. She said she learned about vegan foods that do not eat animal foods at her mother’s recommendation.
According to the Japanese Society of Eating Disorders, the number of teenagers with eating disabilities increased further due to stress that made it difficult to communicate with friends due to the COVID-19 outbreak. From 2019 to 2020, the number of teenage patients increased more than 1.5 times.
Watanabe overcame the eating disorder in a relatively short period of time, but some people have lived in pain for 15 years. A 33-year-old woman living in Aichi Prefecture has been suffering from an eating disorder for more than 15 years since she was a teenager. She is 158 centimeters tall and once dropped to 27 kilograms, but has now recovered to 38 kilograms. However, she was still far short of her standard weight.
A said, “In the past, even when I was 30kg, I kept thinking that I still wanted to lose more weight,” and added, “It’s ideal to see crisp bones. The more I see my bones, the more I’m happy I can see them, so I didn’t know what to do.”
“I had a complex about my body and face because I dressed up and put on makeup. I was afraid of calories, so I ate only small radish and seaweed soup and carrots and konjac for my taste rice. I ate it within 30 ㎉ a day,” he added.
A, who had lost as much as 27 kilograms at the age of 27, had to be hospitalized. I couldn’t even go to the bathroom because I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t even take off my clothes or wear them. My body temperature dropped to 34 degrees Celsius, my pulse rate decreased, and there was a risk of life at one time.”
He said he has gained weight now, but still does not eat out or eat high-calorie foods. He was suffering from overeating, not anorexia. He said he is repeating overeating and vomiting every day.
“Once I eat it, I can’t stop crying and throwing up, and it’s hard, but I do it again,” A said. “When I vomit after overeating, my teeth become tattered due to gastric acid.” “It’s become difficult and lonely to make friends,” he said. “I only have a moment, but I feel like everything is going bankrupt. I want to eat without thinking about anything.”
According to CBC Televi, “According to a national survey, there are currently about 240,000 patients with eating disorders, which are mental illnesses,” adding, “The mortality rate of eating disorders is about 5%, which is known to be the highest among mental illnesses.”
Women’s standards of beauty have intensified through the media. When you look at skinny celebrities in the media, you compare them with your body. As much as you are exposed to the media, you should show a healthy image to the public. If only thin appearances are shown, the number of patients with eating disorders will continue to increase.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
