Eating Disorders: Present and Past

Poodles · October 3, 2005

I keep reading that if you have an eating disorder you can not be banded. There are so many categories of eating disorders, so which one eliminates you?

What if you HAD a specific eating disorder and have stopped? In high school 10+ years ago, I tried the bulimia thing, no eating thing, etc. I am still a compulsive eater, but have not binge/purged in 10+ years.

Do you think that eliminates me from being a band canidate?

Jachut · October 3, 2005

If there's no official "treatment" or record of it that your health fund could get hold of I wouldnt mention it at all! And I'd lie my head off if asked.

It's me-Debbydo · October 4, 2005

One does not eat themselves into obesity without having eating issues - so your in great company.

I agree with JAchut unless it's severe - they are on an as need to know basis.

And who hasn't stuck their fingers down their throat at least once in their life? Anyone??

Poodles · October 4, 2005

So basically if it is not an active eating disorder there is no disorder at all??? I did receive treatment for it, but it was from another insurance company, under maiden name, and so very long ago I don't think they would find it.

I just don't want to lie about anything. Is there a reason that is a factor?

Jachut · October 4, 2005

If you're bulimic and an active bulimic the problem is the binging and purging. Its not that if you didnt binge then there's no need to vomit - you're still going to have that overriding urge to eat eat eat and you will not need to make yourself vomit with a band, it will happen anyway. You'd risk doing yourself some severe damage I'd imagine if you had a band in place.

So although I said I'd lie about it I'd want to be very sure I'd given up that kind of behaviour for good.

I agree everybody who's obese has an eating disorder - but I've never even thought of eating that much and making myself sick afterwards. It is a pretty severe disease but if you havent done it in 10 years I think you can be proud that you have it licked. But I guess you need to think long and hard about what you mean by "compulsive overeater". I mean, I overeat consistently, I eat when I'm not hungry and I eat rather a lot but not eyebrow raising quanities - I just tend to shovel it in all day whether I want it or I dont. If you are still binging on really big quantities of food and are unable to stop it its a psychological problem that needs addressing and not one the band is necessarily going to fix. You can see therefore why they might not band a person with a recognisable eating disorder. It could be dangerous.

Sigh. What a prison we create for ourselves. I really hope you can get your band.

GeezerSue · October 4, 2005

And who hasn't stuck their fingers down their throat at least once in their life? Anyone??

I sure haven't. But I'm certifiably weird.

GeezerSue · October 4, 2005

You know what else...food is merely the mechanism OF THE MOMENT by which we demonstrate that we are nuts. Plenty of people have wls and start drinking or gambling or complusive shopping or discover an out-of-control libido.

It's always a good idea to remain vigilant against the NEXT manifestation.

vinesqueen · October 4, 2005

I do not have a eating disorder. I've seen a couple of therapists about my weight in the past, one was part of a supervised weight loss program where I lost 50 pounds. It was great. But not great enough apperently. There is nothing like the look of confusion on the face of a doctor that deals exclusivly with obese patients when he is faced with an obese woman with no eating disorders.

I have been on steroids and hospitalized probably 50 times in my life for asthma. Each course of steroids caused me to gain weight, along with other medications that caused weight gain. Hard to get much excersize in when you get out of breath trying to catch your breath...

I may not have lost much weight so far, but I haven't died from resperatoy failure.

Poodles · October 4, 2005

Right now I don't really care if I lose 100 lbs. I just want off of the medicines I take everyday that cost my family so much. Don't think that is an active eating disorder.

I consider eating without being hungry a compulsive eater. I eat when it is time to eat. I have been doing well on Atkins for three years now and that seems to help alot. My doctor actually thinks I am allergic to sugar because I crave it so. When I eat real sugar my joints hurt, my back kills me, and I want more...more...more. I would eat until I could not eat any more. When I was younger, I would feel guilty about eating so much and get rid of it. When I rec'd treatment I stopped purging, but still ate, which it part of the reason I am big today.

Now I don't eat sugar. I will eat... mass quantities sometimes... but never feel like I need to purge because I have done something wrong. A nice big steak, salad, and some low carb ice cream don't make me panic. Does that make sense? Or am I crazy?

I would not want the band to make me throw up. I want it to make me less hungry, monitor my big mouth, and help my BP and Diabetes.

Think I need to be honest about it. If the ins co find out on their own they will surely deny me. ***throwing hands up in the air*** I am still confused on what to do.....

Jachut · October 5, 2005

That makes sense to me - an eating disorder in the sense that we all have one - too much food and eating inappropriately.

I like to think about it like this - I dont consider I have an eating disorder because I eat to the point of being full and when my body tells me its really had enough, I stop. My problem is that that message doesnt come until I've overloaded on calories, my stop point is higher than it should be, higher than it is for a normal person. But I respond to my appetite and my fullness in a normal way.

Whereas I think of someone who's bulimic (and I dont really know so if I'm wrong I apologise) as somebody who cant stop, even when bursting full. So in my mind a bulimic person would be unlikely to listen to the band until physically forced to. Which would be more than enough to do lots of damage. That's what I call compulsive eating.

What you're talking about I call simple overeating. And you sound like you've lost the urge to purge (I dont mean to make that sound like a funny rhyme).

But I still wouldnt say anything about it. If you're set in your own mind that you are healed from those extreme behaviours then you are! What you did ten years ago or more is not really relevant now, and I just wouldnt give them the chance to seize upon it. Like you said, long ago, in your maiden name, they wont find it.