Should she be concerned?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Should she be concerned?
1
Sat, 09-25-2004 - 12:13pm
I have a 36 yrd old sister. She is is divorced, no kids. I dont know why since when my sister have been obsessed with the way she looks. When she was in her teenage years and in college she used to be a fat woman, not obese though. I have heard that his classmate teased her about it. Then before getting married 10 yrs ago she entered a gym for the first time in her life and she got really thin only by going to the gym. Because of that she became a little bit obssesed and she used to go to the gym 5 days a week, 2 hours each day like for 5 yrs and thought that if she skipped one day, and eat something, she will gain a few pounds that is why she never skip one class. Then she started to taking some business classes so she had to cut her gym classes and only used to go to the gym like 3 times a week 1 hour.

She finishes classes (2 yrs) and again she got back to her old gym routine.

During a Christmas and New Year´s season like 2 yrs ago she gain some pounds and you can see her that indeed she gain some weight.

Then she said that for a new year resolution she will start again going to the gym to loose all the weight she gain during Christmas season. My sister has the facility of loosing weight a kind of quick (lucky her!), and that what happened in 2 months she was already thinner. Then like one year ago or so, she has become obsessed with her body image and her weight. She continues to go to the gym 5 times a week 2 hours each day. She has to see her body on the mirror after gym classes, then she lift her blouse to check her abdomen, legs, to check how are they.

Then she asks everybody she knows (relatives, friends, my parents, etc) how is she, that give her opinion about her body if she is fat or thin. It is really annoying that she has to hear opinions over her body and of course if people tell her she is thin, she feels very good. My sister is an anxious person, so she has to pick food and eat it, I mean if she comes by our house, she starts looking for food, because she is hungry.

Because of her anxiety she went to some anxious anonymous sessions (like alcoholic anonymous) in order to help deal with that anxiety that she has to pick food even if she is not hungry. Then she also attended some nutritionist in order to teach her the correct way of eating. Then she took some homeopatic pills for the anxiety and the latest is that she is taking some weight lost pills called "Reductil". I sneaked at her purse and there I found those pills.

Have you heard about these pills? I have heard these pills should only taken by really obese women, is that true? My sister is not morbidly obese, not even obese, she is ok, and she stil going to the gym 5 days a week, 2 hours each day. Perhaps she still think she is fat and by taking pills is the only way of loosing more weight and be slimmer. But she goes to the gym 5 days a week 2 hours each day. I conclude she is obssesed with being thin, she wants to have the perfect body, Im starting to assume. She is thin already, why she has to take Reductil pills? And if someone tells her something and wants to give her an opinion or advice, she would not listen. My sister does not even diet, she eats everything, although when taking something to her mouth, she starts to wonder, will this make me fat, will I gain pounds by eating it? Is an annoying attitude.

She told my mom once that she is unsatisfied with her body and in college and high school people call her names. My mom told her that is not healthy to live only focusing on her oh physical image, is most important what a people have inside.

My sister told my mom that she never got pregnant when married because one of the reasons were she was afraid she will gain a lot of weight and never taking them off. Focusing only on her image was one of the many reasons her ex husband divorced her, there were other different reasons too, but one of those reasons were that. My sister only focusing on her body and never wanted to have kids.

Im 33 and I also like to do aerobics, Im not that obssesed like her. I dont have also the perfect body, and eventhough I try to watch what I eat, I eat everything, Im not going to suffer or mortifying myself because if I eat one tiny chocolate, for instance, I gain pounds already.

But my sister is like that, asking eveyrone how she looks, seeing at the mirror constanly, going 5 days to the gym and doing 2 hours. I only do exercises one hour each Sunday and sometimes 1 hour on Saturday because during the week I work and besides I can afford register at a gym. My sister goes to the gym after work everyday and she spends a lot of money on membership. each month.

Should my sister be concerned with her attitude and if she is ok taking those diet pills?

Let me only clarify my sister is neither bullimic or anorexic (she is not extremely thin), I dont know if what she suffers has a name or is an obsession.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Sat, 09-25-2004 - 1:46pm

Hello,


Do you know if she ever takes laxatives or makes herself throw up? If so then she does have bulimia.... many people with bulimia are of normal weight or even overweight.


She may have what I have.... it is called EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified).


http://www.ivillagehealth.com/library/nwh/content/0,,215912_227063,00.html


www.somethingfishy.com


Both have info.


Hugs, Michelle