<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"year ago I was very chubby, and my stepmom called me fat like everyday, and my dad used to always say that I gained weight, but my mom never said I was huge until one day she was like \"You put on a little weight.\" Then on Christmas my sister bought me a pair of jeans and I couldn't even fit into them, and my sister was like \"Wow, you gained a lot of weight, when did you get so fat? Those skinny jeans are size 9!!!! You're huge!\" __Dear Rachel,\n\n A year ago I was very chubby, and my stepmom called me fat like everyday, and my dad used to always say that I gained weight, but my mom never said I was huge until one day she was like \"You put on a little weight.\" Then on Christmas my sister bought me a pair of jeans and I couldn't even fit into them, and my sister was like \"Wow, you gained a lot of weight, when did you get so fat? Those skinny jeans are size 9!!!! You're huge!\"\n\n _ I started crying and than told myself for my new year's resolution I have to lose a LOT of weight. I started going on extreme diets, and I started to throw up everything I ate. Than I lost 45 pounds, and now I am skinny. But--I still feel insecure about my body, and I still go on extreme diets and throw up food that I just put down. I just don't want to be fat and huge and chubby again, should I stop the diets? How can I actually love my body again?\n\n Confused and Insecure_\n\n Hey Confused and Insecure,\n\n I want you to sit down, close your eyes and wrap your arms around yourself. Why? Because that's me giving you a huge hug. Which you need, like, right now. You are doing some really harsh things to your body and soul, and I want you to give yourself just a little bit of love.\n\n I am worried about you. Throwing up your food is a symptom of bulimia, which is an eating disorder. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, bulimia is characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by purging. Bulimia includes eating large amounts of food--more than most people would eat in one meal--in short periods of time, then getting rid of the food and calories through vomiting, laxative abuse, or over-ercising.\n\n In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting an eating disorder. This is serious. An eating disorder can kill you. And you don't need to be throwing up or starving yourself to have a problem, either. Destructive attitudes about your body and food, extreme concern with body weight and shape, or constant dieting are all symptoms of disordered eating, which can lead to a full blown eating disorder.\n\n The best treatment for bulimia is a combination of working with a therapist (like a social worker or psychologist) and getting nutritional counseling. So as soon as you stop reading this, I want you to think about a trusted adult in your life you can talk to. Hopefully it's your parents, but if not, find someone else who can help you speak to them. Ask your parents if you can see a medical doctor first, and the doctor should help you find the counseling you need. For more information on getting treatment for an eating disorder, click here.\n\n I'm so sorry that your family made you ashamed of your body. The only person who can decide to change your body is you. Being thin may get you more attention and less crap from the world, but it's not worth your life or your health. You can start down the road to feeling better about your body by clicking here and reading \"10 Steps to Positive Body Image.\" Before you do anything else, though, love and respect yourself by getting help. And here's another hug for the road.\n\n Xoxo\n\n Rachel"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.teenvogue.com/story/bulimia>