John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

BBC NEWS | Politics | Prescott tells of bulimia battle

I'm sorry, I know that for those who genuinely do suffer from eating disorders, that it is no laughing matter but, I haven't been able to stop laughing since I read this report.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

John Prescott suffers from Bulimia, I had to check the date, thought it was April 1st

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Although I have no great love for the man, happily I'm not the sort of person who finds mental illness a cause for mirth.:(

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

whats so funny about someone having bulimia?

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

How do u know its not genuine?

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

I found it wryly amusing simply because it was John Prescott. The thought of a Deputy Prime Minister with Bulimia had me in stitches. How many more lame excuses are the labour party going to come up with as an explanation for their rank incompetance?

Tony Blair OK'd the Iraq war with God. John Prescott was poised permanently over the bog throwing up, I wonder what Gordon Brown's excuse is going to be: child abuse, teenage pregnancy, Dyslexia?

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

It's no more funny in an overweight deputy P M than it is in a young teenage girl. Bulimia is an illness that can have tragic consequences and, whether or not you like Mr Prescott (and I don't, particularly), he's still a human being.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Bulimia is an extremely dangerous condition, more so than anorexia, due to the damage caused by the vomiting, however, I can see a little irony (not exactly humour) in what A-B saw. It is all about losing control and events around you and eating habits are the one thing that you can control .. so maybe this is the truth behind his illness. !

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

As Prescott is standing down at the next election I can't see how on earth this is going to help anyone politically, except perhaps other sufferers.

His going public about this problem has made him go up in my estimation.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

just been listening to this on news 24, i cant see anything funny about it, he's just said he could go to a restaurant and eat everything on the menu then go home and bring it all back up, that must have been really hard for him, being in the public eye so much, good on him for admitting it i say

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

i agree here

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

I fail to see anything funny about that and think he should be applauded for having the courage to let people know about it.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Good job he hasn't got an terminal disease or we'd be ****ing ourselves. :(

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

I am not completely without a heart. As I was at pains to point out at the begining of the thread I can well understand that for genuine sufferers bulimia is no laughing matter. I suppose my reaction to this news report centres on the fact that Prescott is a politician and as such is more or less a stranger to the truth. In short, I don't believe him. He is Lying or exagerating what little truth there is to grab a little sympathy.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Could it be something he has brought up(no pun intended) because he is due to publish a book(like, he needs the money).

Or is that just cynical me again.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Looks like you might have hit the nail on the head there Margaret

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

this could be possible, but what does it matter? he was bulimic and that is that

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Well, he has been out of the public eye for a little while.
Perhaps he thought he needed to jog our memories a bit.

I know that Bulimia is a serious condition, and the sufferers from this condition do need help....but not all celebrities who admit to this condition should be believed.
A consultant psychiatrist expressed the opinion that in a man of JP's age it is very very rare.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

perhaps he thought it may need to be made public before people read it in his book?

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Flashy...he says he was bulimic.....now that might be different from actually being diagnosed with the condition.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

will we ever know IF he was diagnosed with the condition? we are all good at speculating, none of us actually know the real truth

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

ve just taken this survery and apparently i also have an eating disorder :eek:

.... do you?

Psych Central - Eating Disorder Screening Quiz


btw....I dont and no i am not in denial!!!!

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Flashy, of course you are right. I am very distrustful of anything that a politician tells me.......and why do you think that might be?

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

your not the only one Margaret, but we have to give them the benefit of the doubt

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

well I aint got a eating disorder and the quiz says also!

and im glad iv never had one, bulimia must be a a awful disorder to have, and just cuz hes fat, doesnt mean hes lying:rolleyes:

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

In the normal couse of events that is exactly what i would do...and if he hadn't got a book coming out......then I would have less reason to doubt him.
I think if(and I would like to stress the 'if' here) he has used this as a dubious ploy to gain publicity....he is doing the genuine sufferers of this condition no favours at all.

I feel for the genuine sufferers of any psychiatric disorder, as these are often much misunderstood.....but for so called celebs and such like to use these conditions as a vehicle to promote books, tours etc is reprehensible.

JP tells us that his condition was caused by stress.......I bet he was stressed......stressed that we might find out what a lazy Deputy PM he was.(that is just my opinion).

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Panther, I didn't say that at all. I didn't mention or allude to his body weight at all.
I just said that i didn't trust what he had to say...and I based that on the fact that he is a politician....someone who calls lies 'spin'...and is not averse to using 'spin'.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Wonder if he has mentioned laxatives, as is 'normal' to purge top 'n bottom.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

I hardly think the admission of an eating disorder is going to send any book of his to the top of the best sellers list.

I'm sure he's been privy to many more exciting secrets, and could easily reveal them, if all he was after was publicity.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Yes, you are right Rindy....but he wants to use the sympathy vote.
And isn't theres something about having to wait 30 years before the juiciest secrets can be published?
Surely if he wanted to increase his book sales he could have used his illicit antics with Tracey whatsername...you know the one he had conjugals with(allegedly) behind an open office door.....ah, but No.......that would show him in bad light.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Some GP's recegnise comfort eating as an eating disorder, I have been told that by my GP at some point. Also they feared that I was anorexic at 16 yrs old (this wasnt true, it was just that id lost so much weight due to exercise and just didnt eat a lot) and then a few years after they said I was comfort eating due to stress and an unsettled life (my ex was to blame for this!)

I took this test and it said that I do not have an eating disorder although my dietician does say that I have and eating problem (not quite a disorder) in the fact that I dont eat enough and am being told to eat more. (This is why I am struggling to lose weight, beause of how little I actually eat my body takes everything I eat and stores it according to him?? sounds strange but is apparantly true)

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

that survey says i am a none purging bulimic.............im sure theres a joke there somewhere!

I do the opposite of comfort eating... i can only eat when i am happy.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

I have to say that when I first saw this on TV yesterday morning I DID think it was a wined up, now I have read more about it part of me feels sorry for the guy, yet the synic thinks he only diclosed the fact to ensure his book sells. Mind you he does say that he has beat the problem, which is to his credit. Bulimia is a very serious disorder, with long time damage being done to the bodies vital organs, lets hope that that isn't the case here. I have to say that I din't like the guy, but if by disclosing this in his book, for whatever reason, helps others to overcome this disorder, then that can only be a plus

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Unfortunately Jaysay, John Prescott admitting this will have absolutely no effect on other bulimics.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

How can you be so sure?

Even if this publicity means that just one person, particularly a man or an older person, such as Prescott, seeks help, surely that is a good thing?

At least his 'coming out' means that people will understand that eating disorders don't just affect the young or female.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Thats very true, you generally only ever see women suffering form this, (and normally they are young) not so long back I saw something about a young fella with an eating disorder and although I knew it didnt just affect young women it was unusual to see it affected a young lad. This hopefully will highten the awareness of eating disorders and show people that it doesnt just affect a certain "group" of people but that people of all ages, different sexes and any walk of life can suffer from them

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Would love to think that I am wrong Garinda, but eating disorder sufferers tend to put their head in the sand with regard to the hope of being cured. Don't particular want to. They are enjoying the experience and have no particular admiration for anyone breaking the habit.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Many people, particularly men, die each year because they either ignore symptoms of disease, or are too embarrassed to talk to a doctor about a problem.

I can't think of any other public male figure who has admitted to having had an eating disorder, and in doing so Prescott may take away some of the associated stigma, and to me that can only be a good thing.

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

I'm afraid I disagree with you katex, John Prescott is, or was in the spotlight, and for him to bring this problem, for what ever reason, is going to put Bulimia on the front page of newspapers and on TV news reports. Having worked for a national charity on a voluntry basis I know what kind of impact a newsworthy celebrity can have on your organisations work. It may not help sufferers to beat the disorder, but it brings out into the open which can only be a good thing

Re: John Prescott Battles Bulimia
 

Wasn't disagreeing on points above Jaysay, does bring the condition to the fore, which is not a bad thing at all, but just general information re. age of sufferers/sex/how they feel, etc., and may help other people's misunderstanding of bulimia ... still don't think will help other bulimics, (as you said); which is what I was trying to say.

The condition could have not been more in the open than when Princess Di. suffered from it.