Hey Ron! Is My Sister Bulimic?

In this week’s trip down Ron Hemphill Lane we make a detour at Eating Disorder Ave. It’s the scene of a harrowing tale from one of our readers who believes his sister might be forcing herself to yak because of an emotionally abusive boyfriend. As always, our man Ron sets him straight.

Hey Ron!

I think my sister is bulimic. The last few times I’ve had dinner with her she’s gotten up to go “to the bathroom” a bunch of times and I’m pretty sure I can smell barf on her breath. I’ve tried to bring it up with her once, but she flipped out on me and left. As far as I know, she’s never had an eating disorder but she started dating this guy about six months ago who I don’t like very much. I’ve only met him a few times but he gave me really bad vibes. I don’t have any proof that he’s disrespecting her or anything like that, it’s just what my gut tells me. Where the hell do I start with this?

Yours,
RG

Dear RG,

I think you should put a padlock on the bathroom. If she tries to knock it down, then that’s a big hint that she might be bulimic. If you find her somewhere in the backyard where the doghouse is, that’s your second clue. Other than that I’m not sure really how to handle this.

When I was growing up we didn’t have bulimia in my neighborhood. We had Medicaid and food stamps. So if you didn’t have any Medicaid or food stamps, you didn’t eat or go to the doctor. It wasn’t a choice.

As far as the boyfriend goes, if your gut is telling you he’s no good maybe it’s because of what your sister is doing to herself. Maybe you’re just associating them together and he’s not the cause of her problem. You need to follow-up on him. Try to go out with him, get to know him, check out his friends, and the girls he’s dated in the past. I don’t know what kind of city or town you come from, but if it’s not that big maybe you can just ask around. Get on his Facebook, check his page, etc. If he’s the kind of guy who talks about his girl’s weight and hurts her emotionally, that’s when you check him. Stick his hand down his throat and see how he likes it.

If it turns out your sis is bulimic, you need to have a family intervention. Get together and really talk to her about it. Hopefully she’ll tell the truth. Bring some of her friends who hang out with her all the time and find out. If all else fails, strap her down to a bed until she tells you the truth. It won’t take long, I promise. If she bites through the rope to go to the bathroom to purge, she’s an A-1 felon.

Love,
Ron

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