Tag Archives: weight loss

You Are More Than Your Body: Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Posted on by

The following post comes to us via Tracey Sands, a graduate student at Arizona State University’s West Campus studying communication as it relates to advocacy. Tracey believes dialogue is an act of love and strives to empower others to find and use their voice. She is an education outreach intern at Planned Parenthood Arizona.

The scale. The dinner plate. The mirror. The photos. All of these silent, inanimate objects are anything but silent when you have anorexia. The scale yells back saying, “You weigh too much.” The dinner plate taunts you, “I know you’re hungry, but you won’t eat me.” The mirror scoffs at the way you look, and the photos clap in support of the mirror’s disapproval. No matter what silent, inanimate objects are a signifier of an eating disorder, the eating disorder itself is constant and deafening. How do I know? Because what I described above happened to me.

My Story

Growing up I was a sassy and confident leader, both in school and sports; the first to raise my hand or reach out to a classmate, and the go-to person for team morale and strategic plays on the basketball court. Although this did not completely drift away, it was dulled at the beginning of 7th grade as I started to hate my body.

You are more than your eating disorder, you are more than your body.

Why did I hate my body? I honestly don’t know. I just did.

While no one knows for sure what causes eating disorders, a growing consensus suggests that they are influenced by a range of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

I developed an all-consuming anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder in which you restrict the amount of calories you consume and limit the types of food you eat, which led to detrimental weight loss. By completely restricting my diet and pushing my body and mind to their literal limits, I went from 125 pounds to 98 pounds in one year. As I lost weight, I lost my confidence, my strength, and my period, all occurring during the most pivotal time of growth, puberty. The physiological and emotional impediments put me in a dark, unhealthy place. Continue reading →

National Breastfeeding Month: A Glimpse Into My Breastfeeding Journey

Posted on by

The following guest post comes to us via Cynthia.

breastfeedingBreastfeeding is the most natural, rewarding, challenging, frustrating, amazing, and empowering thing I have ever done. While I was in my second trimester of pregnancy, I was starting to make all kinds of decisions about how I wanted to care for my baby, including diapers, daycare, pediatrician, and breastfeeding. After doing the research and talking to other women about breastfeeding, I decided it was the best decision for me. There are amazing benefits.

I was referred to a lactation consultant. I called this woman my fairy milk mother.

In fact, there are so many great benefits the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a health initiative around breastfeeding and recommends that babies be breastfed through 6 months of age. A breastfed baby gets a nutritional superfood (to use a popular phrase) that is so dense with beneficial vitamins, minerals, and fats that the list of ingredients is long enough to fill several sheets of paper (women’s bodies are pretty spectacular).

Breast milk is powerful stuff, too. Studies show that breast milk will boost the immune system of the baby and benefit the mother’s health as well, in addition to reducing her chance of breast cancer. Additionally, breastfeeding reduces the rate of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and future obesity for infants as they go into childhood and adulthood. Oh, and breastfeeding helps a mom shed her pregnancy pounds quicker — bonus!

Breastfeeding also provides the opportunity to bond with a baby in a close and personal way (the AAP makes note of this benefit too). My favorite times were when I could sit with my son on my lap and just relax. I didn’t do anything else but touch his soft baby skin, look at his toes and fingers, store in my memory the chubby cheeks, little nose, and rosebud lips, and lovingly stroked his back and legs. Thinking about it now, the sweet scent of my little one comes back to me. There is never another moment like when a child is an infant. Soon they will be crawling, walking, and then running. And that close time does wonders for a baby, providing reassurance, confidence, and a closeness that lasts beyond infancy. Continue reading →

Over 90 Percent of What Planned Parenthood Does, Part 10: Diabetes Screening

Posted on by

from http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/about/dateline/win11/5.aspxWelcome to the latest installment of “Over 90 Percent of What Planned Parenthood Does,” a series on Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona’s blog that highlights Planned Parenthood’s diverse array of services — the ones Jon Kyl doesn’t know about.

November is National Diabetes Month. Diabetes is a serious chronic disease — and at Planned Parenthood Arizona, we can screen you for diabetes and help you get necessary treatment if you are diagnosed with it. The American Diabetes Association recommends screening for anyone more than 45 years of age, as well as younger people who have risk factors.

At Planned Parenthood, we can screen you for diabetes; at home, you can take steps to prevent it.

What Is Diabetes?

The human body creates glucose (a type of sugar) from our food, which it breaks down into tiny molecules. Insulin, a hormone that is created in the pancreas, enters the bloodstream and enables glucose to enter our body’s cells — which use glucose as fuel. Diabetes occurs when blood glucose becomes too high and the body is unable to regulate it; this lack of regulation results in damaged tissues, leading to long-term health concerns.

There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes, which is characterized by the pancreas’ inability to produce enough insulin; and Type 2 diabetes, in which the pancreas can continue to produce insulin, but the body’s cells aren’t able to utilize it. Those with Type 1 diabetes commonly encounter issues with frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, extreme fatigue, and blurred vision. Individuals with Type 2 diabetes may experience any of those symptoms, as well as slow-healing cuts and bruises, frequent infections, and areas of darkened skin. Heart disease is also a serious concern; an individual with diabetes has more than twice the chance of a heart attack. While some people with Type 2 diabetes experience no apparent symptoms, it can result in death if the disorder is not monitored and controlled effectively. Continue reading →