Emily Larson describes her childhood as a happy one, at least until the age of 12 — that’s when Larson’s mother pointed out that she was getting fat. “I look back at the pictures and I just don’t see it,” says the now 48-year-old executive from Woodbury. With her mother’s encouragement, Larson (who asked that we not use her real name) began to diet and exercise with a vengeance, and by 14 she was 5’6″ and a mere 91 pounds. A deadly combination of bulimia and anorexia had taken over, and Larson was hospitalized for the first of what would become several visits throughout her life. “You get used to doing it, and part of you that realizes you’re good at this,” Larson explains. “You do whatever you can to try to hide it. It’s extremely isolating. Eating disorders take over your life.”
For Larson, who now speaks about her recovery to patients at the Emily Program, the only thing worse than spending a lifetime battling an eating disorder was the idea that her 11- and 13-year-old daughters would do the same. “The last thing I would want is to see them go through the hell I’ve been through,” she says. “I’ve lost all my teeth, I have pins holding my ankle together because of bone injuries from being in such poor health. I wanted them to know how horrible it was.” Recently, the topic of eating disorders came up thanks to a book her older daughter was reading, and Larson decided it was the right time to explain her past. “We got into a discussion, and I felt I owed it to them to be honest with them. I wanted it to come from me, and I wanted to be open about it.”
Larson’s daughters responded with plenty of questions followed by supportive hugs, and Larson was happy to learn her children felt she had always set a positive example where food and exercise were concerned. “They said they’ve always seen me eat normally, which is good. Being a mom and a role model for them keeps me honest,” Larson explains.
Larson still describes herself as “hypersensitive” when it comes to watching her daughters for signs of an eating disorder and says the best advice she has for parents is to be open and available. “As a parent, your job is to be focused on the positive about your children, bring them up with self-confidence so they know it’s not what they look like or how much they weigh that matters.”
