Weight gain Journey

1. Weight gain Journey Lucy is a 17 year old school student who is 170cm in height and weighs 49kg. Her BMI is 17 categorising her as underweight. For Lucy to have a normal BMI she must gain at least 5kg. Help Lucy on her journey of recovery from anorexia!! Start

2. Cola Porridge &banana Its breakfast time, Lucy wakes up and is faced with two meal options, her normal breakfast which is usually a can of cola or a bowl of porridge with a banana that her mother has made. Choose one breakfast for Lucy.

3. Can of Cola By choosing the cup of cola for breakfast, Lucy will consume 100 calories and 35g of sugar. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it provides the energy your body requires in order to perform activities throughout the day. If Lucy consumes one cup of cola she is not providing her body with important essential nutrients and will have no energy to be sufficiently engaged at school. Proceed to Lucy’s first lesson at school

4. Porridge and Banana Proceed to Lucy's first lesson at school By choosing the bowl of porridge and banana, Lucy will consume 200 calories, 60g carbs and 57g of protein. This breakfast is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It also contains calcium which is an essential mineral for development of bone growth and repair. The body gets the calcium it needs through the food you eat. If Lucy’s diet in not high in calcium her bones can weaken or not develop properly. By choosing this meal for breakfast Lucy will not only be energised by she will be providing her body with the right nutrients and minerals.

5. First Lesson at school in Health Greek Yoghurt Ice Breaka Lucy is attending her first period class of Health. The topic is on nutrition and the effects of a low calcium diet can cause on the human body. As Lucy listens to the side affects of having a low calcium diet she realises she has some of the symptoms, such as aching bones. Lucy is willing to consume foods at morning teas that contain calcium, which option does she choose?

6. Greek Yoghurt 80g 175g Greek yoghurt is a food high calcium which vital for bone and teeth health as well as heart and nerve function. Greek yoghurt also has double the amount of protein than other yoghurts and contains healthy fats. This is a great choice of morning tea for Lucy in her recovery of anorexia. As Lucy chooses a high calcium meal what size tub does she have

7. Ice Breaka Osteoporosis Cirrhosis Ice breaks providesa good source of Vitamin D, Riboflavin, Calcium and Phosphorus. As it is high in calcium Lucy will consume the right amount to help her bone and teeth become more devolved and stronger. Even though Ice Breaka is high in calcium, this choice should only be consumed occasionally as it is high in sugar and fat. What disease can be caused from a low calcium diet?

8. Cirrhosis No Yes Cirrhosis is a complication of many liver diseases characterized by abnormal structure and function of the liver. There are many causes of cirrhosis including chemicals such as alcohol, fat, and certain medications. Calcium deficiency does not cause this disease however it is another disease Lucy may develop if her low eating diet contains lots of high sugar meals (like her usual cola breakfast). For the following week does Lucy swap her all her cola drinks for meal or snack instead?

9. Osteoporosis Yes No Osteoporosis occurs when bones lose their strength and density. They become fragile, weak and brittle, and can fracture (break) more easily. A healthy diet rich in calcium and vitamin D can help prevent osteoporosis. Lucy needs to include more high calcium source foods into her diet to reduce the risk of potentially developing Osteoporosis. For the following week does Lucy include high calcium foods into her daily eating plan?

10. 80g Osteoporosis Cirrhosis Adding a serving of yogurt to your daily diet may do more than help keep your bones strong. A new study suggests it could also lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Consuming the smaller tub of yoghurt provides Lucy with some calcium, however to boost her calcium intake and increase her weight Lucy must upsize her meals in order to be successful in her recovery. What disease can be caused from a low calcium diet?

11. 175g Osteoporosis Cirrhosis Adding a serving of yogurt to your daily diet may do more than help keep your bones strong. A new study suggests it could also lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. As the daily requirement of calcium for a teenager is 1000mg a 175ml tub provides 332mg which is a third of Lucy’s daily intake requirement. Choosing the larger tub of yoghurt will be the wiser option to choose as it has more calcium and is a larger portion to help Lucy intake more healthy fats. What disease can be caused from a low calcium diet?

12. Yes swap cola Continue to Lucy arriving home from school If Lucy gets into the habit of eating substantial meals or snacks during the day instead of having a can of cola, not only will she providing her body with more nutrients and minerals but she will essentially be consuming more calories in healthy fats increasing her body weight into the healthy category.

13. No to swapping cola Continue to Lucy arriving home from school If Lucy does not break her obsession with consuming various cola drinks throughout the week she will be lacking nutrients and minerals and substantially filling her body with unnecessary sugars.

14. Yes include calcium foods Continue to Lucy arriving home from school Lucy needs to include high calcium food in her diet to strengthen her bones and prevent her from developing osteoporosis.

15. No inclusion of calcium foods Continue to Lucy arriving home from school If Lucy wants to recover her anorexia she needs to include high calcium foods to prevent her chances of developing osteoporosis and to include dairy products as they provide healthy fats that Lucy is desperately needing to gain weight.

16. Lucy arrives home from school Stays Satisfied Purges As Lucy arrives home from school she decides to consume and medium bowl of spaghetti and a slice of cheesy garlic bread Does Lucy decide to purge her meal she has just consumed or stay satisfied with her consumption?

17. Purges Recovery Process Usually a person with anorexia will purge (self-induced vomit) which is a syndrome associated with clinically significant levels of distress which may be caused by the consumption of food. The dangers of purging include malnutrition, dehydration, vitamin and mineral deficiency, tearing of oesophagus, gastic rupture and gastrointestinal bleeding. These dangers can cause serious health problems and could essential place Lucy in the emergency centre if she does not stop purging.

18. Staying Satisfied Recovery Process As Lucy stays satisfied with her meal consumption she is demonstrating a sign of recovery. By accepting the decision to consume the meal and feel satisfied she is one step closer to acknowledging food as source of nourishment and not as an enemy. This step will help Lucy’s progress in recovering anorexia.

19. Recovery process In Lucy’s journey there were not enough healthy choices made to help her recovery from anorexia. However, a person with anorexia cannot make correct choices and recover overnight, it takes months even years to recognise and admit to having the disease. This initial journey may not have been successful however Lucy has many more chances to take the journey of recovery.

20. Recovery process Congratulations the decisions chosen to help Lucy in her journey of recovery from anorexia has taken her steps closer to gaining weight and providing her body with essential nutrient's. These choices will allow Lucy to develop stronger bones and muscles and increase her body weight to a healthy BMI.