Spring Break
Andrea's Voice Explores Bulemia
Joanna Arpie
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: Focus
We are a society obsessed with image. This certainly is not new information, nor is the impact this obsession has over so many people. Andrea Smeltzer is just one of the many people who faced a battle with her body - one that she lost at the age of 19 when she died during her sleep due to an electrolyte imbalance that caused her heart to stop beating. Today, Smeltzer's parents, Doris sand Tom Smeltzer, travel the nation to help give a basic understanding of eating disorders. Through their daughter's journal entries and poetry, they have been able to gain a better understanding of an incomprehensible illness, and thus have allowed Smeltzer's voice that was once silenced by bulimia to finally come through.
Smeltzer was a bright, talented young woman. She sang opera, wrote poetry, studied abroad in Spain and was actively involved in human rights. To many, she seemed like the definition of perfection, and yet on the inside she faced many demons. A battle which her mother Doris says began with a desire to be wanted, which developed into an obsession with dieting.
"Andrea took out her unhappiness on one variable, her weight. That was something she could control, something she could change," said Doris.
Eventually, dieting wasn't enough to fulfill Smeltzer's lack of self-love, and thus she turned to purging. Although Smeltzer recognized her disorder, she, like many who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, felt that she could control the disease. According to Doris, Smeltzer was completely aware of the statistics, she knew all the facts, but failed to realize that they applied to her. In fact, when Smeltzer discovered that one of her good friends was anorexic, she wrote a letter to her telling her to stop, that she was already thin and didn't need to lose any weight. And yet, one month later Smeltzer threw up on purpose for the first time.
"Andrea didn't believe that the same applied to her because she didn't consider herself to be 'too thin' as she did her friends. And so she allowed herself to believe that this behavior was okay," said Doris.
Smeltzer was a bright, talented young woman. She sang opera, wrote poetry, studied abroad in Spain and was actively involved in human rights. To many, she seemed like the definition of perfection, and yet on the inside she faced many demons. A battle which her mother Doris says began with a desire to be wanted, which developed into an obsession with dieting.
"Andrea took out her unhappiness on one variable, her weight. That was something she could control, something she could change," said Doris.
Eventually, dieting wasn't enough to fulfill Smeltzer's lack of self-love, and thus she turned to purging. Although Smeltzer recognized her disorder, she, like many who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, felt that she could control the disease. According to Doris, Smeltzer was completely aware of the statistics, she knew all the facts, but failed to realize that they applied to her. In fact, when Smeltzer discovered that one of her good friends was anorexic, she wrote a letter to her telling her to stop, that she was already thin and didn't need to lose any weight. And yet, one month later Smeltzer threw up on purpose for the first time.
"Andrea didn't believe that the same applied to her because she didn't consider herself to be 'too thin' as she did her friends. And so she allowed herself to believe that this behavior was okay," said Doris.
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