As a teenager, every day was a struggle, every meal was a struggle, and every bite was a struggle. After every meal he ran to the bathroom to quickly shove his fingers down his throat and get rid of the food he had just eaten. “I'll never do it again,” she always told herself. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay I never realized how much an eating disorder could control your life, until I found out that my best friend, Josie, had one. For the most part, it was all laughs with her; telling stories about strange encounters at school, talking about what we were going to do at softball practice that afternoon, or relaxing by watching a chick flick. I have known her for five years and she has been fighting for her life against bulimia for two years. Josie's addiction was initially innocent. His motivation to eat healthy and his dedication to the gym was something we were all envious of. It wasn't until simple things like going out to eat or inviting her over became nearly impossible that I realized my friend needed help. In high school it was obvious to me that he had started losing tons of weight and was spending more time in the bathroom after meals than anyone I had ever met. Yes, she was thin, but as an athlete in our society, that was a standard. Athletes are particularly prone to eating disorders, and due to the stress already placed on their bodies, the consequences can be disastrous not only for their athletic careers, but also for their long-term physical and mental well-being. Female athletes, more than male athletes, are at risk for eating disorders because they experience social pressures and other stressors due to their participation in competitive sports. The societal expectations that women already face can make female athletes very uncomfortable when competing. Josie was diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa when she was fifteen, although she had been suffering from the disease for much longer. By the age of seventeen, her eating disorder had begun to worsen. I watched her become obsessed with eating and purging. I saw her take only liquids for days, often followed by a purge. I even watched her secretly get sick if she thought she ate too much. In his freshman year of college, skipping meals or spending hours at the gym every day was nothing new. She had lost more than twenty-five pounds since graduating from high school and was barely getting enough nutrients into her body. It wasn't until she realized she wasn't healthy enough and couldn't participate in her first season of college softball that she decided to ask for help. After completing her freshman year of college, she was admitted to the hospital where she began a treatment program. She started as a 24-hour resident and was bedridden for three days. After noticing improvement, he was able to join other patients in daily sessions. This included individual and group therapies, as well as meetings with the psychiatrist, psychologist, dietitian, medical team and clinical director of staff. After hard work and dedication, she managed to complete the program within three months. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Eating disorders have become a big problem among athletes because of the pressures of the sports in which they are involved. Similar to Josie, many people suffer in silence because they are ashamed of their symptoms or think their symptoms will get better on their own. It was difficult for Josie to realize the extent to which bulimia consumed her life and only when did i..