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Eating Disorders:
They Can Be Beaten

Sarah Gratwick, a South Portland resident and recent Waynflete School graduate, is one of the 11 million Americans who struggle with an eating disorder. After seeking treatment at the New England Eating Disorders Program at Mercy, Sarah is in recovery from her illness and has learned how to have a healthy relationship with food. And now she’s sharing her story, wanting to spread a message of hope.

Sarah’s eating disorder came to light after a summer trip to Spain in 2005. “During sophomore year I decided I was going to lose weight, and no one was going to stop me,” she said. “I became very rigid—I ate and exercised the same way every day.” Sarah had trouble maintaining her rigid eating and exercise routine in Spain, so she ate hardly anything at all. After a month and a half abroad, she returned home.

When she got off the plane, “My dad had an expression of shock on his face,” Sarah said. The family went to dinner that night, and Sarah cried when she thought about eating the Caesar salad in front of her.

The next day she was at Mercy, and on the road to recovery. She was reluctant to go at first, but Sarah had visited the program before due to her rigid eating style. She spent every weekday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the program, and, with considerable help from her parents, followed a strict meal plan on the weekends. She gained support from friends and changed how she was thinking about food.

“I see now that I can have another piece of cake and it’s not going to change my life,” she said with a laugh.

In all seriousness, Sarah says the education she received about exercise and nutrition was invaluable.

“I’m so grateful for what the people at Mercy have done,” Sarah said. “They showed me that food does not have to control my life.”

Sarah will begin her first year at Georgetown University this fall.

Sharing Her Story of Recovery with Others

Sarah brought her story of recovery to a wider audience in May. For her senior project at Waynflete, she spent several months working on a multi-faceted program that took place at Catherine McAuley High School in Portland on May 23. The program featured Thin Line, a 30-minute, one-woman play about eating disorders by Adverb Productions. Sarah also moderated a panel discussion on eating disorders featuring Dr. Patrice Lockhart, Judy Franciose, RN, and Karri Clohosey, CTRS, from the New England Eating Disorders Program at Mercy. The evening focused on awareness and warning signs of eating disorders, prevention and treatment options.