downer psa.

For all the drama surrounding Terri Schiavo’s death, I think the saddest part is how a young woman ended up in her situation to begin with: like Paula Abdul, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and Justine Bateman, Terri Schiavo suffered from bulimia, the anxiety-addled shamefest that is binge and purge eating. As a result of Schiavo’s eating disorder, she was lacking in potassium, which caused a heart attack, which cut the oxygen to her brain, which resulted in her vegetative state. Here, Feministing drops a little post about it.
It is true that bulimia is a manifestation of psychological disorder, related much more to physical, emotional and sexual abuse than to the media’s mandate of miniature waistlines. It is also true that family, friends, even spouses can be totally unaware of its existence, because it’s a very secret, lonely thing–a way to keep oneself separate from other people–I don’t know what the Schiavo husband and parents knew about her bulimia, but it’s entirely possible they were in the dark. (I know of a man whose wife engaged in bulimic behavior for their nearly 20-year marriage, who had no idea it was happening until she told him.) Something Fishy is a good basic resource for info on bulimia and other eating disorders.