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Blog Entry 45 of 97 Horoscopically Blonde
Life is pretty funny. From waking up in the morning and seeing yourself naked, to slipping down the driveway waving your arms about like a chicken, it's all about the humor. Death is serious. Life is hilarious. Unless you're a SeaHawks fan. Then it's tragically funny.

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Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be anorexic

Contributed by: Jamie VanEaton   on 7/16/2007

Pictures glorifying people like Nicole Richie and the Olsen twins (one of whom was treated for an eating disorder) help to illustrate that not only have eating disorders continually been an issue in America, but, that they have a new savior.

Originally, teens and young women were trying to starve themselves with minimal amounts of carbohydrate-laden foods. Because of this, anorexia felt more like starvation due to temporary blood sugar fluctuations.

Initially, too, sufferers with eating disorders, prior to the internet cropping up to lend support to others ailing from the same, had to suffer in silence. The advent of the internet brought with it the ability to not only gain access to starvation groups, but support circles, encouraging others as peers to continue the madness.

Unfortunately, because of the low-carb twist on crash dieting fabricated by followers of a new phenomenon and not condemned (and sometimes encouraged it would appear) by the founder herself, your child might now using a cheese stick as a meal replacement plan in order to shed weight quickly.

Just last month-- and at a very timely commencement of swimsuit weather everywhere-- a national magazine (known for touting sometimes sensational advice to those wishing to lose weight) featured a weight loss plan, and marketed it to a nation of people, many of whom are young girls wanting to lose weight and lose it now. Claims previously and later followed after the article that the diet was better than bariatric surgery and Atkins. Those might be considered by many to be lofty claims from a plan where the founder herself admitted publically that she fasted, followed Atkins and didn't eat for weeks at a time.

This plan is known as "Kimkins," a Hello Kitty adorable (and seemingly safe) name of cute affixed to a dark way of eating that the magazine is said to have actually modified due to its insanely low caloric counts. Now appearing to be barely more balanced at 1,000 daily calories, one visit to the fitday.com accounts of any one of many dedicated followers of the plan reveals numbers anywhere from 300-600 calories per day.

Additionally, merchandise for sale at a site store for Kimkins proudly advertises SNATT (Semi-Nauseous All The Time) items, a desirable trait by those seeking to subsist on little more than the numbers which tend to be heralded as dietary plans provided at pro-anorexia sites.



Feeding on the young

Some disturbing propaganda via viral advertising online and spamming sites with information, promises and links to Kimkins are targeting the youthful audiences in the country through affiliate programs and aggressive marketing techniques.

One such man, at the age of 14 was looking to lose weight, and to lose it quickly. Like many today, he asked how he might do this at a popular on-line site where people ask questions and receive answers from potentially millions of users. He was almost immediately eagerly courted by a Kimkins follower, who promised him quick weight loss, and provided a link to a site which required $60 for membership.

It was discovered later, by the young man's own admissions at a different site, that his mother refused to give him the money to join.

Still, there are others being pressured to join through whispers that 'certain actresses are following the plan with great success' and through more nefarious marketing practices, such as paid affiliates and pressure to recruit at myriad websites.



Protecting your child

If you are a parent of a child who spends any measurable amount of time online and who might be exhibiting any questionable behaviors regarding diet, there are some signs you can look for:

1. A mysterious charge on your credit card to PayPal that you didn't authorize. Let's face it: kids are desperate. They see that someone has lost 200 pounds in a year and they have to have access to those plans, and to people, many of whom are suffering from eating disorders in an accepted format. And if it's not Kimkins, it could be one of any number of plans which should be investigated.

2. Your son or daughter is suddenly worried about their carbohydrate or caloric intakes, and are obsessing over food. If meals are consisting of string cheese, chicken breasts and egg whites, be very concerned. Other forms of eating disorder could include secret binging and/or purging, excessive exercise, and general obsession about diet.

3. Weakness, nausea, blackouts. Kimkins (as one example) in its ability to stave off hunger in general through greater protein intake percentages has given rise to a new and exciting measure of possible anorexic behavior. Painted as 'just another low-carb plan', kids following this plan are going to find efficacy in starving themselves in order to achieve the fastest losses. Just like the contingency of dieters who support egg whites as entire meals. One fitday plan I peeked into logged a total of 300 calories for the day, consisting of egg whites.

4. Water fasting, laxatives and questionable non-medical advice, such as eating one time of food repeatedly. These are sometimes coined as a 'diet behind the diet'. Once inside the Kimkins.com website (as an example), adults starving themselves on fewer calories than pro-ana website menus will encourage others to follow in their footsteps for greatest success. A national magazine had to doll up the plans provided to make them less horrendous to the general population.

5. Research. Concerned parents need not join kimkins (or other paid membership sites) and spend their money (better spent buying healthy food or a visit to a nutritionist) in order to investigate the danger in this plan and the plan which is underneath the widely-advertised plan. Websites like lowcarbfriends.com are available for free, and offer a thread with the originator of the highly questionable plan stating advice which would turn any anorexic into a young lady in a proverbial thin hog heaven.


An ongoing battle

Anorexia and other forms of eating disorders are a frightening trend in this country. Signs of glamour in the grotesquely thin fuel feelings of worthlessness in children who already suffer from low self esteem. They worship the bones jutting out of their skin like angry coat hangers.

Parents have the awesome and sometimes daunting responsibility of making decisions on behalf of their children. While problems such as substance abuse or teen pregnancy are issues to be contended with, it is easy to miss the very real abuse of low-calorie plans and their affects on growing bodies.

Certainly, Kimkins is not the only crash diet which promises quick weight loss available-- and for a cost-- but it is indicative of a disturbing trend growing by leaps and bounds, which threatens to harm young people who are looking for a questionable support system and quick weight loss.

The question remains: should claims made by someone who has openly advocated the regular use of laxatives and other medically unsound advice be the person leading your child down the long-term road to healthy weight loss?

Who is trying to influence your child?


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Showing 1-10 of 21 comments
Submitted By: Jamie VanEaton
posted on 8/3/2007 @ 5:44:31 PM
(Not Rated)
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061111140419AA2Rh1M KimmerK is the name of the person behind this plan. Look at this yahoo answers link and see a 14-year old being advised by Kimmer K. A link to the site follows.
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Submitted By: Jamie VanEaton
posted on 7/24/2007 @ 11:58:29 PM
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Sorry about the glitch. I think the needle was stuck.
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Submitted By: Jamie VanEaton
posted on 7/24/2007 @ 11:57:51 PM
(Not Rated)
Trying this again! Sorry about the glitches. It is easy in so many ways to hide an ED! I had one for years and who knew? My doctor said you couldn't go into starvation mode so long as there was fat to burn. So I ate maybe 500 calories a day for a long, long time. The problem? The binging that came afterwards. Followed by more 500-calorie days. It is so unhealthy! If people can know what to look for in their kids, I wonder if more of them might be ok today? Tomorrow? I can only hope. I am sorry you almost lost two friends to ED.
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Submitted By: Jamie VanEaton
posted on 7/24/2007 @ 11:54:52 PM
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glitch
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Submitted By: Jamie VanEaton
posted on 7/24/2007 @ 11:54:51 PM
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computer
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Submitted By: Jamie VanEaton
posted on 7/24/2007 @ 11:54:48 PM
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Weird
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Submitted By: Jamie VanEaton
posted on 7/24/2007 @ 11:54:14 PM
(Not Rated)
{{{Tabitha}}} Thanks for the chuckle! I am a major fan of low-carb and healthful eating, and I love produce, yogurt and fruit! I am spoiled. I followed Atkins for years and am now following Dr Thompson's Low Glycemic-Load plan. Thank you for your comments! I really appreciate them!
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Submitted By: Barbara Neff
posted on 7/22/2007 @ 4:17:40 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Jamie, during my college years I saw two friends nearly starve themselves to death. You are right. Spotting an eating disorder can be hard and too late. My friends survived, but I am thinking the young woman in the photo you provided is probably dead now. Thank you for this blog.
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Submitted By: Tabitha Dial
posted on 7/21/2007 @ 8:56:55 AM
Rated Blog Entry
Hi Jamie. Thank you for this. I can only imagine how difficult an eating disorder is and it seems to me our society has a myriad of image issues. I was just in Yellowstone and noticed how all the menus had low-carb options and at least one dish that was produce-inspired. I was almost compelled to order them, but don't you worry -- I still enjoyed my hamburger lunch and a steak and egg breakfast! I did move on to a grilled chicken sandwich and a cup of fruit and yogurt at a McDonald's on the way home, though ... ;-) But seriously. Thanks for this blog.
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Submitted By: Jamie VanEaton
posted on 7/18/2007 @ 11:21:35 PM
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Hi, PJ! I agree with what you are saying. It is going to be hard to instill positive low-carb tenets when now people may very well affiliate the 'crash diet' versions to valid plans such as Atkins. It isn't bad enough that low-carb eating is thought of as necessarily bad and dangerous. Now we have to do damage control regarding this latest twist on Atkins for daster weight loss. I barely touched on the lipolysis causing a lack of hunger, but wasn't sure at what point I would be educating people and at what point I was giving pointers to people who want to starve painlessly. I appreciate everything you have had to say and your time.
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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Jamie VanEaton

Longmont , CO

Jamie VanEaton has posted 97 blog entries and 777 comments since joining on 1/24/2007. Jamie VanEaton 's average blog rating is 4.98.
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