Replies to '02/25 Deadly Thin'

You are so right and so wrong. Yes, there ARE website (sick, bad websites) where those WHO HAVEN"T GOTTEN help for their illnesses and who haven't hit rock bottom YET egg eachother on to be more thin. Eventually they will become like today's guest. They will become ill, their hearts will start to give out, their hair will start to fall out and they will no longer be able to be on any website.

The rest of your post is wrong and cruel. They are not mentally ill. I studied the disease (briefly) in a college course and was partnered up with a woman who was anorexic. She went from being a beautiful, thin, athletic blond to being a sickly looking woman who didn't even realize how badly she looked. She was in couseling, had returned to school after being hospitalized and was trying her best to beat her illness. She, along with textbooks and professors, helped me to better understand the illness.

Yes, the disease starts out as a control issue. Eating is the one area these young women can have control in their lives. It's also the area where they can get attention. But  then the disease (the compulsion) takes over them. Then they become a slave to it and often can't escape its grasp without professional help. Parents often don't even know their girls have the disease until it's well into full effect. The girls are good at hiding it; they eat and then vomit in private. They wear larger baggy clothing around their folks. They say all the right things.

You need to show compassion. Kids will make mistakes. And some mistakes have horrible consequences. Not everyone has parents who will get them professional help. Not everyone can afford professional help.

If this show helps JUST ONE girl get healthy by exposing the problem to more parents, than I am thankful to Dr. Phil.

I don't understand why you felt the need to comment if Dr. Phil is not something you wish to watch in the future.  I commend Dr. Phil for trying to help people.  I know Aimee and know that this was the last resort for her. She can't do it on her own and those that love her the most can't help her any more either.   If being on the Dr. Phil shows gives her any hope than kudos to all involved.  Also, if you knew Aimee at all or thought about someone beside yourself you would realize how hard going on the show was.  It is not easy to stand in front of the world and admit a problem, it's not easy giving up the only thing in your life that you can control. As for the websites, those are for people who aren't ready to take control of their life back, who can not really admit yet that they have a problem and yes, for people who want to get ideas from each other, not for people like Aimee who want to live