關注社會:厭食症母親體重不及七歲幼女
At first glance they might be sisters, but look again at this startling picture. They are, in fact, a 26-year-old mother and her daughter.
After suffering from anorexia, Rebecca Jones weighs five stone – less than her seven-year-old daughter, Maisy.
The medical secretary survives on soup, toast and energy drinks – even though doctors have warned her the lack of nutrients could kill her. At the same time she encourages 5st 9lb Maisy to enjoy chocolate and cupcakes.
Her eating disorder began following her parents' divorce when she was 11.
Comfort eating caused her to balloon to 15st, and she was teased at school and lost confidence in herself.
At 13, she says, "I pretty much stopped eating". After a drastic weight loss, friends began complimenting her figure and her family did not spot the dangers.
But within two years her weight was down to eight stone and her periods stopped.
She met Maisy's father when she was 19 and studying at Manchester University. She had assumed her anorexia had left her infertile and had no idea she was expecting until she felt a kick. A scan revealed she was 26 weeks pregnant.
Doctors urged her to eat chicken for protein and take vitamin pills to help her baby, but her stomach wasn't used to them.
As a result she survived on a diet of bread and beetroot during pregnancy and put on only 7lb during that time.
Nevertheless, Maisy was born healthy, but small at 5lb 7oz, and her mother couldn't produce milk to feed her.
After splitting with her partner, Miss Jones went on to a virtually liquid diet which took her weight down to five stone.
Now her daughter's weight has overtaken her as she enjoys cakes, chips and pizza. "It's wonderful to see her enjoying cakes", said Miss Jones, who lives in Manchester. "I've told her I have an eating disorder and she knows it's a bad thing."
Earlier this year, blood tests revealed Miss Jones had dangerously low potassium levels – a condition known as hypokalemia, which causes extreme muscle weakness. She now has her potassium levels and heart rate monitored at regular check-ups.
Doctors have warned her she is at risk of a fatal heart attack if she does not put on weight.
"I'm terrified I won't see Maisy grow up", she said. "I'd love to eat – I can think of nothing nicer than going out for lunch with Maisy, but I can't."
據英國《每日郵報》11月8日報道，圖中兩人一眼看去會以爲是姐妹，但再仔細看看這張令人震驚的照片吧。事實上，她們是一位26歲的母親和她的女兒。
患上厭食症以後，麗貝卡·瓊斯體重僅爲五英石(英國的一種計重單位)——比她七歲的女兒玫思還要輕。
這名醫務祕書僅僅靠湯、麪包和能量飲料維生——儘管醫生已經警告過她營養的缺乏可能會要她的命。與此同時她鼓勵體重5英石9磅的女兒玫思盡情享用巧克力和杯形蛋糕。
她的飲食失調症是從她11歲時父母離異後開始的。
爲了安慰自己而狂吃使她迅速發胖到15英石，因此在學校被人戲弄，喪失了自信心。
在她十三歲時，她說，“我幾乎停止了進食”。在經過高強度的減肥之後，朋友們開始稱讚她的好身材，她的家人卻還沒有意識到危險性。
但在接下來的兩年內，她的體重下降至八英石，月經也停止了。
她在十九歲那年遇見了玫思的爸爸，當時她正就讀於曼徹斯特大學。此前她以爲厭食症已經使她無法生育，她也沒有想到她其實已經懷孕，直到感到肚子被踢了一下。掃描檢查顯示，她已經懷孕26周了。
醫生建議她多吃雞肉攝取蛋白質，並服用維生素藥物來幫助她的孩子成長，但她的胃無法接受。
因此懷孕期間她只能吃麪包和甜菜，體重僅僅長了7磅。
儘管如此，玫思出生時還是很健康，只是太輕，僅重5磅7盎司，而且她的媽媽也沒有奶水餵養她。
與愛人分手後，瓊斯小姐幾乎只吃流質了，這使她體重降到了5英石。
現在她的女兒體重已經超過了她，因爲她喜歡吃蛋糕、薯片和披薩。“看着她享用蛋糕我很高興”，現居於曼徹斯特的瓊斯小姐這樣說。“我已經告訴她我有飲食失調症，她也知道這是件壞事。”
今年早些時候，血液檢測顯示瓊斯小姐血液中的鉀水平已經低得很危險——低血鉀會引起嚴重的肌無力。現在她一直在做定期檢查，監測鉀含量和心率。
醫生已經警告她，如果她還是無法增加體重，將會有患上致命心臟病的危險。
“我很怕自己不能看着玫思長大”，她說，“我喜歡吃——我能想到的最美好的事情就是和玫思一起出門共進午餐，但我不能。”
