The jury is still out on what led to the tragic death of the 32 year-old actress, Brittany Murphy. It isn't a surprise that the media is already speculating that an eating disorder may be a possible cause of her death. It's been rumored (although not confirmed) that Brittany has struggled with bulimia and drug use possibly to control her weight. One can't help but notice her shrinking frame and frail appearance in recent years. It has been a far cry from her healthier exterior in the movie, "Clueless."
Regardless of the actual cause of her death, it is an opportunity to reemphasize the fact that people do die from eating disorders. In fact, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.* Approximately 20% of those suffering from anorexia prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder such as suicide, kidney failure, cardiac arrest, dehydration and heart problems.
It is often difficult to determine if deaths are caused by eating disorders or not. The physical evidence often points in that direction. However, people often keep eating disorders a secret. They deny that they have an eating disorder and their families are often in denial as well. Coronors typically do not list an eating disorder as the cause of death. Instead, they list the immediate cause of death such as cardiac arrest. For this reason, there may be more deaths caused by eating disorders than those documented.
The death of Ana Carolina Reston, a 21-year-old Brazilian model, is a recent example of a person taken by an eating disorder. She died from heart failure during a fashion show. It brought attention and debate about professions, like modeling, that may trigger and exacerbate the disorder.
Like Brittany Murphy, Karen Carpenter, a singer popular in the late 1960's, also passed away at the age of 32. Karen died suddenly from cardiac arrest due to severe anorexia. The public was shocked. It was one of the first occassions that people began to realize the lethality of the disorder. Since Karen's death, there has thankfully been more attention drawn to the dangers and urgent need for well researched treatment programs and prevention.
The people mentioned above are the famous victims of eating disorders. Tragically, there are many, many, unknown men and women who have also been taken by this disease. Take Anna Westin for example. It's unlikely that you know her name. She too struggled for many years with an eating disorder until her death. Her mother began a foundation to help people get insurance coverage to obtain treatment. Now, there is a treatment center named in her honor.
Goodbye to Brittany Murphy. It's tragic for anyone to lose their life so early. We don't know if she struggled with an eating disorder or not. Obviously, you can't tell simply by looking at someone if they have an eating disorder. Nor is an eating disorder just diagnosed by your weight. You can have an eating issue at any size. But, we know that if Brittany did have an eating disorder, it could very well have been be related to her death, if not the cause. Malnourishment weakens your body and your mind in so many ways.
If you are worried about someone with an eating disorder or want to seek treatment, don't wait. The right kind of treatment can help and prevent another needless death. Treatment can teach you how to eat mindfully and live a healthy, balanced life. Visit www.edreferral.com or www.gurze.net or www.nationaleatingdisorders.org for more information on eating disorders.
By Dr. Susan Albers, psychologist and author of 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food and Eating Mindfully. www.eatingmindfully.com
*www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
