Do you have a question that you are too shy to ask your mother? The Naughty Squaw will be your confidant. No topic is too embarrassing. Send your letters by fax to (514) 278-9914 or by e-mail to nation@beesum.ca Dear Naughty Squaw I’m worried for my friend. For over a year she has been on a diet. What worries me is that NOBODY knows what she’s doing. She doesn’t eat anything all day. During the day she only drinks coffee with milk and sugar and at supper times she eats. She is so into losing weight, if she eats she’ll talk about how many calories she just ate. What’s wrong with her? If she gains 1 or 2 pounds she’ll say “STRICT DIET” and this means even less eating at supper time. I don’t know if her family notices what she’s doing to herself. Is she sick? Or will she get sick?
Worried Friend Your friend has got to learn that not eating is really DUMB. It does not lead to being healthy, fit or sexy. Not eating truly messes up your body. It weakens the immune system, interferes with your reproductive system and slows down your metabolism, which actually makes it harder to lose weight. If she continues this way, she probably will get sick, but it sounds like she is already unwell. Can you say “Anorexia Nervosa”?
Anyone who has ever glanced at a teen magazine has probably heard of this eating disorder, which mainly affects young women. Warning signs that it is actually Anorexia include being too thin for her height, an obsession with thinness or weight, excessive exercising, restricting food intake and a distorted body image. If your friend has these symptoms, all you can do is: Tell her she looks unhealthy or sick. Don’t say she looks “thin” or “too thin”, because thinness is her goal. Suggest that she go and talk to someone about her health. Offer to go with her.
There is tons of information about Anorexia and other eating disorders on the Internet, so I suggest you check that out, and show your friend the info. The sad thing about Anorexia is that it won’t go away with time, it only worsens. The dieting is just a symptom, not the real issue.
One theory is that these women often come from very controlling families or other situations in which they feel trapped. So they rebel by taking control of the only thing that is theirs and theirs alone -their bodies. The counting of calories and monitoring of weight gives them a sense of power over their own lives.
Dear Naughtiness I have a problem with my boyfriend’s feet. They reek when he pulls off his sneakers or boots. How do I approach him about personal hygiene without hurting his feelings? Other than the smell we have a really good relationship.
From No More Toe-Jam Please There are two ways to approach this. If your stinky boyfriend is the sensitive kind, you might sidle up to him and say: “Sweetheart, you know I love you. And I never want to hurt you, but… your feet kinda stink. Is there any way that I can help you overcome this problem?” (At this point he should confess to you that he has been plagued by foot odor problems all his life and he is at his wit’s end. “Yes,” he’ll say, “I would love your help. Thank you, you are an angel sent from heaven above!”) For those with thicker skin, there is always good, old-fashioned teasing. “PEE-YUU!” you can say, grabbing your nose and fanning the air with the nearest available copy of the Nation. “That sh*t is toxic! Are your feet registered as lethal weapons?”
