Fading Away :: Short Stories Anorexia Eating Disorders Essays

Fading Away "Maddie, are you sure you don't want anything more? You didn't eat much," Mrs. Whitman turned from her dishes to ask her daughter. "I'm fine. I'll eat a big lunch," Stacie said, gulping down her last bit of water. "Maybe you do. But I never see you eat much. For breakfast it's a pancake with jam. Even if you did eat all your lunch like you say you do, when it comes to dinner time, you eat like a bird. Stacie, I think you need to eat more," Mrs. Whitman told her daughter, relieved that she had finally confronted her about her meals. "I eat enough. You don't see me all day long. I eat at other times during the day, too. Just because I don't eat chips when I come home from school or snack on cookies. Just because I'm trying to be healthy, you criticize me for making an effort," Stacie defended, raising her voice. "It's not about choosing healthy foods to eat. I admire your self control. I really do. You know I have difficulty saying no to deserts and different things. But Stacie, I can see you're not eating enough. Those jeans you're wearing, they fit you perfectly when you picked them out this summer but now you need a smaller size. I understood that you wanted to lose a few pounds; all of us can stand to shed a few pounds. But you've kept losing. You look good, I admit. You look very good but I'm worried. You need to eat more. You're so active, running every morning, school, volleyball. You need food to keep you going," Mrs. Whitman explained. Her heart was beating quickly now and her body became warm. Tears welled up in her eyes but she continued gazing at her daughter, hoping she had made a connection, a break through. "I said I eat enough!" Stacie shot back angrily. "I am fine. I've lost weight and thank you for noticing. Something you've never been able to do. You and your stupid Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers and diet pills and every other dumb T.V. trash diet you send away for. You're really going to lose weight when you eat out and catch fast food all the time! I heard Big Macs do wonders! 'Just eat these pills and they'll give you all the nutrients you need and reduce your appetite too, '" Stacie mocked.