Wednesday, September 27, 2006
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Scouting for Health
Scarlett Pomers, 17, one of two red-haired stars of the hit sitcom "Reba," knows the struggles many teens face. She will share her thoughts about anorexia at a conference Saturday in Midwest City.
Sometimes it seems young actresses and entertainers lead a perfect life. In addition to talent and fame, they have beauty, and all seem to wear a size 2. Pomers' story assures teens that no one leads a perfect life.
Pomers, also known for her song "The Chain," a remake of Fleetwood Mac's hit song, will be guest speaker at a Tween Health Conference hosted by the Girl Scouts Redlands Council. More than 500 girls and their moms are expected to attend.
Conference topics will focus on healthy eating, self-esteem, peer pressure, Internet safety and leadership. During a recent afternoon at Disneyland with her girlfriends, Pomers spent a few minutes in a telephone interview, to say why she is coming to Oklahoma for her first such conference.
She will speak publicly about receiving treatment for anorexia. By doing so, she hopes to show teens they share the same issues, and help them realize when they are making wrong choices and need to ask for help.
Natural beauty and a famous life didn't keep Pomers from experiencing a frightening spiral into a starvation diet less than two years ago. She recognized she was exercising excessively, rarely eating and hiding what she was doing. She turned to her mother, and checked into an inpatient facility for treatment of anorexia.
She receives thousands of e-mails and letters from young women who share their thoughts and experiences with eating disorders. She said the problem is more widespread than people realize and is often misunderstood.
Many young women now use pro-anorexia Web sites to find information and support about the dangerous and sometimes deadly psychological disorder. The Web sites provide tips on ways for women to purge and starve themselves and continue their negative moods and low self-esteem.
In addition to talking openly about anorexia, Pomers established Arch-Angels, a dedicated fund within the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), to support the ongoing efforts to raise awareness and funds for education, advocacy and research. Proceeds from "The Chain" will be donated to NEDA.
Scarlett said it's important for girls to have friends who care about them for who they are and not what they do or how they look. She said goodfriends encourage the best in one another and discourage behavior that is harmful.
"I think being a teenager is a hard time for anybody," Scarlett said. "I'm almost 18, thinking about adult things and teen things. It's definitely a time of transition and it helps to have a teen support system. I was 16, when anorexia completely took over my life. Girls who have an eating disorder need to find someone they trust and talk to them. I made a choice to get better, and I talked to my mom."
Scarlett, who is a television veteran with a long list of credits, said she is a normal teen who enjoys spending time with her friends. She lives at home with her mom, and said she enjoys the simple things. She loves fairies, and her entire bedroom is decorated in that theme. She loves to be outdoors and spend time with her cat, dogs, and horse.
Besides singing and acting, Scarlett studies Egyptian belly-dance and East Indian tribal dance. She writes poetry, surfs, and studies Japanese sword fighting
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