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Espido Freire's Bulimia Journey

The author writes about her experience with bulimia in her new book Cuando comer es un infierno. She suffered from bulimia for seven years during her adolescence and struggled daily with weighing herself. Though the experience left her scarred, she wanted to tell her story to give a voice to others suffering from eating disorders. Her book provides a realistic, personal account of living with bulimia and her difficult journey to recovery. It differs from her previous fiction works and recounts her experience with some bitterness.

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Mirela Lungu
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158 views3 pages

Espido Freire's Bulimia Journey

The author writes about her experience with bulimia in her new book Cuando comer es un infierno. She suffered from bulimia for seven years during her adolescence and struggled daily with weighing herself. Though the experience left her scarred, she wanted to tell her story to give a voice to others suffering from eating disorders. Her book provides a realistic, personal account of living with bulimia and her difficult journey to recovery. It differs from her previous fiction works and recounts her experience with some bitterness.

Uploaded by

Mirela Lungu
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

AUTHOR WRITES OF HER BULIMIA "HELL"

When it comes to potentially lethal eating disorders, adolescent girls are the highest
risk category. Many simply don't survive.

And while 28-year-old-Basque writer Espido Freire lived to tell the story - literally - of
her seven-year-fight with the binge-and-purge eating disorder bulimia, the experience has left
her scarred for life.

In her new book Cuando comer es un infierno, released yesterday, Freire painfully
retraces those seven long years because, as she says, "if a writer isn't able to lend a voice to
those who aren't capable of expressing themselves, then part of their vocation has been lost."

According to Freire, Cuando comer es un inferno "offers a realistic and personal view of
bulimia - the seven years of suffering and the strength it took to get over them." Arriving at
Barajas Airport earlier this week from Scotland, where she has spent the last two months as a
visiting writer to various universities, Freire headed straight for her home in Madrid but
couldn't avoid noticing the billboards filled with skinny models advertising next season's
fashion on the road home

They immediately reminded her of her book and the exhaustion she felt after writing
about the darkest period of her life.

Freire has a strong desire to tell her story - but still, she warns, she doesn't want to
become a poster girl for bulimia. She doesn't just have that story to tell, she stresses. As a
writer, she was the youngest-ever winner of the Planeta Award with her second novel
Melocotones helados in 1998.

Her first two books were works of fiction but now, in Cuando comer es un infierno, she
has gone down the autobiographical road to recount, with some bitterness, her difficult
adolescence - cataloguing her terrible daily battles with the weighing scales.
(EL PAIS English edition with the International Herald Tribune, March 7, 2002)

Read the text and answer the following questions:

1. Guessing vocabulary from context. Read each definition below and choose the word
from the list that matches the definition. (2 points, 0.4 each)

lethal, scarred, released, retraces, headed, skinny, bitterness

(a) very thin:________________


(b) went, moved in a particular direction:___________________
(c) marked, wounded:__________________________
(d) anger, resentment:___________________________

1
(e) made available to the public:_______________________

2. Answer the following questions according to the text. Try to use your own words. (2
points, 0.5 each)

(a) Why is bulimia defined as a deadly eating disorder?

(b) What did Freire think when she saw the billboards with skinny models?

(c) What literary prize did Freire received for one of her books?

(d) How does Cuando comer es un inferno differ from Freire's previous two books')

3. Rewrite the following sentences maintaining the same meaning (1.5 points, 0.5 each)

(a) While Espido Freire lived to tell the story of her bulimia, the experience has left her scarred
for life. (however)

2
(b) According to Freire, Cuando comer es un infierno "offers a realistic and personal view of
bulimia." (Freire says ....)

(c) Freire has spent the last two months as a visiting writer to various universities. (for)

4. Complete the following paragraph with the correct form of the verb in brackets (1.5
points, 0.3 each)

In order to write Cuando comer es un infierno, Freire____________________ (l . have) to


relive her own difficult past. She also ____________________ (2. listen) to 20 case histories
from other bulimics, some ____________________ (3. tell) to her directly, others over the
Internet, and some via telephone. In one of the book chapters, Freire ____________________
(4. describe) her life after the eating disorder. "For almost the last eight years, I
____________________ (5. live) an absolutely normal life," she says.

5. Composition (120 words): Choose one of the following topics. (3 points)

(a) Do you think too much importance is placed on physical appearance? Are there other
factors more important? Please explain.
(b) Are the so-called "skinny models" role models for today's youth? Discuss why or why not.

Common questions

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Espido Freire notes that seeing 'skinny models' advertised on billboards reminded her of her own struggles with bulimia, suggesting that societal standards of beauty can be a constant, triggering reminder and can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy in individuals dealing with eating disorders .

Freire's narrative challenges societal discourse by exposing the destructive impact of placing excessive value on physical appearance, as her story reveals the life-threatening consequences of aspiring to meet unrealistic body standards, thereby advocating for a shift towards valuing individuality and mental well-being .

Espido Freire became the youngest-ever winner of the Planeta Award with her novel "Melocotones helados" in 1998. This achievement contrasts with the somber theme of her autobiographical work on bulimia, as it highlights a successful career juxtaposed against years of personal struggle .

Writing the book required Freire to relive her past and confront her experiences, which can serve as a therapeutic process by allowing her to process trauma through narrative and find closure by sharing her story with others .

Freire's experience highlights the societal pressures that contribute to eating disorders, showing that mental health issues like bulimia are deeply connected to societal ideals of beauty and success, which can distort self-image and lead to long-term psychological impacts .

Freire chooses to maintain her autonomy to ensure that her identity as a writer is not solely defined by her personal experiences with bulimia. By asserting she has more stories to tell beyond this narrative, she protects her creative space and broader authorial identity .

Freire is wary of becoming a 'poster girl' for bulimia, highlighting a barrier where authors who write about personal trials risk being pigeonholed or overly identified with a single issue, which might detract from the breadth of their work and interests .

Espido Freire suggests that adolescent girls are the highest risk category for eating disorders due to societal pressures and possibly an inherent vulnerability during adolescence, a time when external validation and body image are critical components of self-esteem .

"Cuando comer es un infierno" differs from Freire's previous books as it is an autobiographical work that offers a realistic and personal view of bulimia, whereas her earlier publications were fictional novels, with one winning the Planeta Award .

Espido Freire believes that part of a writer's vocation is to lend a voice to those who cannot express themselves. In her book "Cuando comer es un infierno," she recounts her personal struggle with bulimia, reflecting her commitment to sharing not just her own experiences but to also provide a platform for others who might silently suffer from such conditions .

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