My name is Zachary Arecore. I want to tell you about what happened to my friend Tracy, last year.1
It all started with the movie we saw, 'Blue crush'. In it it had a bunch of surfer girls with great bodies and perfect legs. Well, we had rented it and were watching it at my house while we ate a big thing of pop corn smothered in butter and salt.2
After about half the movie I noticed something strange. I was the only one eating the pop corn. I had thought that Tracy loved the stuff. So I asked her if she wanted chips or pretzels or something else. Than she got this really weird expression on her face, somewhere between a blush and a look of loathing. I didn't get it.3
So anyways, I had thought she had PMS or some other girl thing so I let it go. But then more things started happening. Like, I took her to a burger place and I got her a burger and fries with a milk shake. (she always lets me order for her when we go out because she has a fear of confrontations) and as we were eating I noticed that she was constantly asking me if her shirt made her look fat, or if sitting like she was made her look heavy. She is really athletic, (more so than me and I do like, ten sports) so of course she looked fine. I told her so but I don't think she believed me.4
This kind of thing kept happening, she would try to act like she was eating and whenever I caught her just pretending she would look all ashamed. 5
She kept doing that. She would take whatever was given to her, but she would play with it and make it look like she was eating. She even turned down my Mom's pasta and sauce. Now my Mom is a chef in a five star Italian restaurant an when she was making Italian food at home NO one turned it down. But Tracy did. She said that she was on a diet and Tracy LOVES Italian food.6
So I asked her what was going on and she insisted that it was nothing and that I was just imagining things. But I wasn't. The whole school seemed to notice that she was changing dramatically. Teachers kept asking me if I had noticed anything, but... I don't know why, I told them that everything was fine. It was a lie though, and my teachers had good reason to not believe me.7
Like one day, when I was in line waiting for my food a Freshmen came running in saying that there was a girl unconscious in the hallway. So everyone went running and there was Tracy, looking really sick and thin. I shook her and she woke up. The teachers wanted to send her to the hospital but she wouldn't hear of it. She insisted that it was just a virus and that she just needed to go home.8
When I went to her house to give her her homework she was weighing herself in her room. I glanced down and she only weighed eighty-three pounds! Gosh, my sister weighs over a hundred and she is about a head shorter than Tracy!9
So I told her that I understood that this diet was important to her, (she would never have turned down Italian food that my Mom cooked unless it was) but that she needed to stop before she starved herself to death. She insisted that she would never starve herself so I took her to the kitchen and made her eat a peanut butter sandwich. To my surprise she ate it. Then she went into the bathroom and I could hear her retching. When she came out she said that the virus was preventing her from eating apparently.10
So I let it go, ma by she was really sick. Ma by my sister was just overweight. It wasn't until Tracy fainted during a mile run in Gym that I realized that the thought that my sister was overweight was crazy. It was Tracy who was having a weight problem, not my sister.11
When the hospital had been called I was summoned to the Principal's office. Our principal is really nice, you can trust her. So when she asked if I knew what was wrong with Tracy I told her about Tracy's strange behavior and her sudden drop in weight.12
They kept Tracy in the hospital for two months, until she was no longer underweight. For the first two weeks Tracy refused to talk to me and she sent back the presents that I mailed her. But I kept mailing her and one day she called me and asked me to visit her in the hospital. There we made up. I told her that I had told about what she was doing because I was scared and she thanked me. She told me that if I hadn't told she probably would have kept on dieting until she died.13
Now we are applying to the same collages and we hope to get into the same one. That way we won't have to break up. Because when two people go through what we have been through and come out with a stronger relationship than before than they should stay together. Tracy is seeing a therapist now and that is helping I think. Anorexia is a dangerous and deadly disorder. It can't be talked out of someone (as I found out when I tried to talk her out of what she was doing myself). It should never be ignored or left to go through it's paces. If you know someone who is anorexic you need to tell someone who can get you or whoever needs it, help. It may cause your friend to hate you, but it may be the act that saves their life.14
Author notes
this isn't a true story, but annorexia is not somthing to be casually delt with.
A contest entry
- [eating disorders] by miles of smiles.
600 points, ended December 7, 2008, 13 entries
• next story in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
1 - 13 of 13
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This is a really good story, but it makes it sound as if the friend hardly notices anything, because there aren't that many details about what else Tracey does. How else does it change her? Does she become moody/withdrawn, or even depressed? Does she just do it cos she wanted to look like people in a film, or does it go deeper than that? Keep writing, Meggh xxxxxxxxxxxx
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I really feel you should take more care with spelling. Ann O'rexia was a skinny Irish woman I believe. Also you are incorrect: starvation and poverty cause more deaths than anorexia. Anorexia is just a stupid make-believe illness affected by stupid people.
Edited on Jan 14, 10:07 because ''. -
Oooh I know the feeling... I save several friends who are concious of there weight. They aren't anorexic, but they could very easily be... Only eating salads and excercising alot without taking in meat, sugar etc to keep up bodily strength. I think the thing is though weight is a big thing with alot of people. With me, I feel like I am fat and that I should diet. The only thing that stops me is people telling me I shouldn't and I try and believe them. If I did try and lose weight it would only be for a couple of pounds and i'd monitor it... you know?? But it can very easily turn into something much more than that. Anyway it's a lovely write... It's really inspirational... All the best and good luck in the contest,
x Stef x -
Good job writing, especially considering that the story isn't true. I think you did a great job with this. I don't know anybody who is annorexic but I have had weight problems myself. Frist I was overweight then I was underweight. It completely sucked the energy out of me. It sounds like Tracy was more than Annorexic though. She was more likely bullemic, considering she threw up her food. So nice job and thanks for entering the contest. The judging will be held in Tuesday.
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this was creepy to read because my name is Tracy too, and im struggling with an eating disorder right now. it scared me because i notice that my friends and the guys i hang out with notice somethings up too. this was a decent story, good job!
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This is so sad, but with a very happy ending
Im glad everything turned out ok even if this wasnt a true story, you sure made it sound like it Im going to applaud this for you making it sound so true and also for putting the point up about anerexia and other eating disorders Thanks for sharing this story Im sure it will help alot of people 
Rowena Jo -
i know that u didnt save anyones life but like teehee cudda dun
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this is the most true story i have ever read (the ending was)i mean why should your friend have to go through all that?and just to think you saved her life god i cant get over that(is this a true story and even if you didnt mean it to be true i know lots of people have an eating disorder and i remember my brother had anorexia(i think you are the first one i have told)i mean he is 16 and just 6 stone!
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My boy friend and I both deal with our weight problems. So far, I dont have a eating disorder, but I am going on a diet today. I cant stand being over weight, and I want to loose it. I have gym when I go back to school, and I know I wont make it unless I do something about it, you know? Thanks for the story, this was good work, especially for not being true.
LaLa -
wow this is awsome... so many girls in my class have eating disorders and very few of them admit to it. it makes so many sickly people out of people who were once active in so many things. i'm naturaly thin and can't imagine being so insecure about myself as to think i'm overweight and starve myself but i know so many thin girls that do. it's pretty amazing how much our personal veiws of ourselves can hurt us. well great write and have a fantabulous day...
~nobody special -
Fantasy, I'm just commenting back on yoru comment. They dont stick with the person forever. The diseases themselves are all int eh persons mind. When the person you see looks int he mirrow, all they see is fat. Even if there bones are sticking out and are disgusting. IF you ever asked some one who was anerixic, or any other eatting disorder, they woudl tsay they felt fat. My best friend right now, is to skinny, look like she ways 100, and hes taller than me by liek 3 inches and i'm only 5'2. And lately her dreams have been comming true. She had a dream she was in the hostipal, and it was late august when she finally got out. And i told her if she kept it up it was goign to happen. And my friend still doesnt think she has a problem, she thinks shes just gainning weight. She only is in the mild case of it right now, but if she stops eatting all together then she will end up in the hostipal, just like my other friend almost did. And its hard on eth person whos there friend, it puts so much pressure and stress on the person frield. Like my friend didnt want to tlel me she was going annerixic and wasnt eatting because I already have an Ulcer. Well i've had it since iw as born, but its triggered and makes me sick when I dont eat, or if i stress to much. My acids get worked up, and she didnt want me to get sick or hurt. I missed over 40 days of school because of it. And then i have to watch out for her with this, but is now telling me since i got a control on how i get stressed, at least since we got into the last semister of the school year. YOur friend, if she says they stick with her. Means she probalby isn't cured of it. Because my friend who is cured, has gained over 30 pounds sine she finished her thearpy and is eatting a lot lately, i mean she came over and eat a whole thing of ice cream with me. And she no longer cuts herself, since she now knows her friends are there for her and stuff. Just gotat help them through, and even though yoru friend didnt tell you. It might ahve been a good thing, because when people tell others about what they do and some one tries to help the other person migh feel a bit helpless, or pissed that they're beeing told what to do. Ah well, i dont wanna keep spamming on this page. THis story just trigged so many of my memories. And lal the stress i had gone through to help my friends x-x; So hard. Welll, I gotta go now o.o; bye. And again, great write.
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yeppp....i can relate to u both. last year, freshman year, i found out my best friend had eating disorders. she told a bunch of ppl when she was really drunk. the problem is she is skinny as it is. she would say she wanted to be as skinny as her sisters and stuff. silly things like that. its real sad. i never really expected this ya know? so me and my friend told the guidance about it...yeah i didnt even talk to my friend aboout it..she just wansnt letting anything out and would just deny it to me. i kinda felt sad that she wouldnt talk to me about it and im her closest friend. she found out and got soo pissed at me and wouldnt talk to me. she like completely hated me and i thot we would never be friends again. they called her mom and everything but nothing was ever done about it. this year she told me soo much stuff. how she never ate any meals but dinner and she would throw it up everyday. and during volleyball season she had been so emotional becuase she was overdosing on diet pills she stole from her sister. she even had thrown up blood before. she tells me that anorexia and bullemia dont go away, that those disorders will always be with u for the rest of ur life and shit. and sometimes i think she still does this stuff...like theres so many signs. i just dont know what to do. i CANT get her mad at me again. its not like shes in the 80's or anything..the 90's. i dont know. all i know is that its a bad disease and if u have a friend PLEASE get them help and make sure the person gets help...dont be stupid like me.
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This story, is pretty much true to me. My best friend last year. (I was in only 7th grade then.) Was annerixic. Everyone we knew was trying to force stuff down her throat, make her eat, but then i was the only one who was there for her. She woudl alwyas talk to me about it as well. At one point her bones were sticking out everywhere, she had not one ounce of fat on her and was in around her 80's in weight. And she was 13, and about 5'2. She was once very over weight then in about 2 months went down to about 80. And being put in my position was so hard, i didnt wanna losse my friend, we had been togetehre since 1st grade. But i had to tell, since she was also very depressed and starting to cut herself badly, and almost overdosed herself on pills. She was almost put into the hostipal, but didnt wanan go, so then was just watched very closly, and now is finally better. And now its happening over to me again, i slowly started my way away from my best friend, and founda new one. Which is my friend now, and she just came annerixic. And the thing was, she wasnt overweight at all. Her body was almost perfect, like most girls want to have. And stuff, but she thought she was fat and is now never eatting, and always telling me how many calories are in things. But your story is very true. MOst everything you said happens. Except when the person is annerixic. They normally talk about how many calories are in stuff, or always and i mean always are watchign what they eat. Its one of the things that show that they are becoming it. Especialy like you had, the lose in what there fav. Foods were. ^^; well graet story. And keep up the great work.
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