Project 3: Creative Component
The world has grown quick to judge one based on their appearance — the uprising of eating disorders in the generations, and one of the beloved athletes now faced one. She never pictured her senior year to be consumed by steps towards overcoming her eating disorder, but that exactly how it ended up — living every day, battling and fighting. First, Bulimia, then Anorexia; it all happened so fast. It is the voice that haunts her — continually telling her, “lose a couple more pounds.” It is a lie that remains trapped inside, leaving her in an endless cycle of anxiety, obsessive routine, and self-denial.
The society controlled by being the “ideal” image, but why wasn’t it her? Puberty hit, and she grew aware that she was not like everyone else, but rather the opposite. She would often be on social media and convinced herself that she had to resemble those models for people to accept her. Especially in a sport that is stereotyped in such a way; cheerleading — a sport with high intensity working every muscle in her body. The perception of cheerleaders is to be skinny and muscular. Although, that was never her case. Every practice, she was surrounded by teammates who appear with the “perfect” image, wondering each day why? Her friends ate what they desired, whenever they desired, not gaining a pound, and the only physical activity they tended to was practice. As a result, she started engaging in dieting and exercise; she ate salads and ran every day. Nevertheless, she still could not figure out the methods for weight loss. Weight stigma was a big thing, and everyone around her was very aware of body size.
On her birthday, she began to witness the transformation in her body. She got very sick and lost ten plus pounds in one week. Many would-be devastated, throwing up on what was supposed to be a day celebrated. However, it was a significant accomplishment for her as she started seeing a change in her body size. Could it be as easy as throwing up? The idea flourished in her head as finally, she recognized that she could obtain the “perfect” image. The voice in her head told her she had hope, and all it took was throwing up. That is when it all started. The shower water that ran drowned out the sound for the listening ears on the other wall so that she could throw up without anyone knowing. She went to great lengths for the scale to appear one less tenth of a pound; the smallest bit was an accomplishment. While the nights consisted of her throwing up, the days brought working out and strict dieting. She allotted herself one meal a day, salad or chicken. If she ventured to eat something unhealthy, she felt profound guilt. She never saw the light at the end of the tunnel; she never thought she would be enough.
A girl who once deemed “chubby” now lost 25 pounds within months. The people around her began to notice, school and cheer, having no idea what she was transpiring inside. She became overwhelmed with the compliments she was receiving as she felt accepted for the first time. Her hard work recognized made all the hard times worth it; she was on top of her world. Nevertheless, now she believed she had to keep this up, which meant eating less and exercising more. Her free time was consumed by her time at the gym or her house working out. Her life became all about numbers. She was not just walking her dog anymore; she counted the minutes, distance, and calories she burnt. It was the competition within herself that progressed over time. The amount she ate got lower as the calories she burned became higher. Unfortunately, nothing was ever good enough for the evil voice in her head. In months, she went from a bright, healthy, outgoing girl into one who grew anxious, irritated, and out of control.
The life she knew had all changed in just a matter of months, and now she suffers every day. Consumed by compliments and being the “perfect” image, she did not realize what it was doing to her body. She was destroying herself all for how people perceive her and the way she perceives herself. She was blind to the issue as the voice that penetrated through her head was in control. She could not recognize her disorder until Coach Aiden raised red flags and questioned her health. Others began to notice, and people told her that she suffered from Anorexia, infuriating her because people who suffer from that have all skin and bones. There is a huge misconception on what Anorexia is, just like the “perfect image.” After many tests, therapists, and doctors, she was diagnosed with Anorexia and Bulimia; she felt heartbroken as all her hard work would not be recognized but rather a result of her eating disorder.
Since that day, she has worked hard with endless support to find the girl inside her filled with light and happiness, as a coach who can see that now more than ever, since coaching her from the start of her cheer career to her senior year, looking back and feel guilty for not noticing earlier — feeling like a failure as a coach who could never have known if it were not for facing the same problem being in her position. The definition of Anorexia and Bulimia are conditions so misunderstood. She now knew the road to healthiness is not easy and will be something she faces every day for the rest of her life, although it is entirely worth it. At no cost is anything more important than her health, and she finally recognized that. She faces each day head-on, and on the days when Anorexia is continually trying to sabotage her. Although now the job will be there for her in those times more than ever.
By Julia DePaolo
