The Quiet Plate – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
From the book – Chapter 26: Eating Disorders
The Quiet Plate
Diya, sixteen, from Kolkata, was a top student and a state-level swimmer. After a cousin joked about her "round cheeks" she began cutting out foods, first sweets, then rice, then whole meals. She told her mother she had eaten at school.
She trained harder and wore loose clothes. She felt cold, her hair thinned, and she grew dizzy on the pool steps, but in the mirror she still saw someone she wanted to shrink. Her mother noticed that Diya cut her food into tiny pieces and counted things in her head, and that her periods had stopped.
What this story explains
This story shows anorexia nervosa: restriction, distorted body image and over-exercise, and why fainting and a slow heart are a medical emergency that needs a team and family involvement.
How to recognise it
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Skipping meals, hiding food or claiming to have eaten.
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An intense fear of gaining weight with a distorted view of the body.
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Excessive exercise and rigid rituals around food.
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Feeling cold, fainting, dizziness, thinning hair or missed periods.
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Pulling away from friends and becoming secretive.
What to do
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Take it seriously early; do not wait for the person to see the problem herself.
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Book a medical check, because heart and blood tests matter.
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Ask for a team: doctor, dietitian, therapist, psychiatrist, with family involved.
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Keep mealtimes calm and predictable, and follow the dietitian's plan, not an online diet.
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If there is fainting, chest pain or collapse, go to the nearest hospital or call the local emergency number.
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Talk with the coach about rest and safety in training.
Do and don’t
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Express love and concern. | Do not comment on her body or weight. |
| Speak about health, not looks. | Do not force-feed or argue at the table. |
| Eat together calmly. | Do not start a home diet plan. |
| Support the whole treatment plan. | Do not praise weight loss. |
| Look after siblings and yourselves. | Do not wait for her to hit a low point. |
Read the full chapter – Chapter 26: Eating Disorders
Stories from real life
- The Hidden Cycle – Sofia, twenty-two, lived in a shared flat in Manchester and worked in a bank. Everyone thought she was the one who had it together. She was…
- The Man at the Fridge Door – Ahmed, thirty-eight, an accountant in Dubai, ate quickly and alone, often standing at the fridge late at night. He would eat far past comfortable fullness, even…
- Eight Foods and a Packed Lunch – Little Arjun, seven, from Chennai, ate only a few foods: plain rice, one brand of biscuit and dry toast. New smells made him gag. At school…
- Not Quite Anything – Jamal, seventeen, in Leeds, played football and began to cut back what he ate to "get lean." He had a small group of friends and was…
More on this topic: Sleep problems, food and daily routine for a healthy mind
More questions
- The Hidden Cycle – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- The Man at the Fridge Door – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- Eight Foods and a Packed Lunch – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- Not Quite Anything – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- What can we learn from the story “Meera’S Plate”?
- What they are?
- Understanding anorexia nervosa – eating disorders
- Understanding bulimia nervosa – eating disorders
- Understanding binge eating disorder
- Understanding ARFID and OSFED – eating disorders
- How to sleep better – habits that help
- Food, mood and emotional eating