Ms. Friedman has recovered from her illness and now finds health and balance working as a personal trainer in Sacramento, CA. She thanks her parents for intervening to help her. They sent her to a therapist and a nutritionist to help her address the underlying emotional issues, and to help her get back on a healthy regimen of eating.
Ms. Friedman, who gave birth to her first child this month, has also authored a book titled Diary of an Exercise Addict, which became available in stores in November 2008. She has also appeared on national television on The View and 20/20. In an article published this week by the San Francisco Chronicle, Ms. Friedman comments on the nature of eating disorders:
"I could have been a drug addict, a sex addict, a shoplifter or a cutter. I think I wanted or needed an escape. Exercise worked for me. I could not deal with the pain. ... I found escape through starvation and exercise. Maybe the groundwork is there to develop some sort of eating disorder, but when something changes - it can be a trigger to turn into an actual eating disorder."
Posted By: jgarcia