NPR/Youth Radio: Struggling to Overcome Anorexia
Lauryn Silverman, Youth Radio

Morning Edition, May 16, 2005 · High school junior Lauryn Silverman of Youth Radio
shares her struggle to recover from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa,
an illness that affects one out of every 100 high school and college-age females in the United States.
Listen to the audio file here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4653106
Local audio capture file

Vocabulary:
high school junior
Berkeley, California
recently
to become part of
alarming
statistic
to suffer from
anorexia nervosa
illness
to affect
high school and college age
to suffer from
heavier than they are
to have an intense fear of s.t.
to gain weight
to share
struggle
image
perfect young woman
to form
in one's mind
unfortunately
to look nothing like s.t.
to raise the question
how could I be special
it's not like...
to wake up one morning and decide
the answer is to V
diet
restrictive
half cup
cottage cheese
dinner
to perform a disappearing act
for a while
to notice
to vanish
to get used to
friendship
to provide
to promise to V
to feel unique
in a matter of months
to go from x to y
to lose one's ability
to think straight
nutritionist
doctor
pulse
heartrate
dangerously low
change in behavior
to get better
on one's own
to not work
to surrender
to be admitted to
hospital
to lie in bed
shivering
alone
to finally fall asleep
to slow down
to wake to the sound of
heart rate monitor
to go off
to clutch
heat blanket
nasty
high-calorie
milkshake
to die
right then and there
nurse
to draw blood
like he had
to wear
paper gown
to tug at
uncomfortable
scratchy edges
bony fingers
to stand up
to take one's blood pressure
to lose one's balance
in front of s.o.
friends
visiting
embarrassing
memories
vivid
can't even imagine
that person was me
there I was
dining room table
endless meals
to flip its numbers
deck of cards
food on one's plate
to look down at
as if it were the problem
to stare
hopefully
dicing
rearranging
carrots
steak
turkey sandwich with extra cheese
slice of butter
toast
oversized plate
to glance back at
clock
to take one small bite
to laugh
mouth curved into a wide, open smile
to realize what one had done
to defeat
to conquer
old companion

Listening comprehension questions:
1. How did Lauryn's anorexia begin?
2. What does feeling that one is somehow "unique" have to do with anorexia?
3. What are some of the medical problems that Lauryn's anorexia and resulting very low body weight led to?
4. What information about Lauryn's situation do we get from the expressions "endless meals" and "oversized plate"?
5. In what ways did Lauryn's parents intervene?
6. Why does Lauryn refer to anorexia as her "old companion"?
7. Make a list of similes and metaphors, both explicit and implied, used in this report.
8. If Lauryn wants to recover from anorexia, why doesn't she just eat? Why is it so difficult?

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