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The woman who saved the life of her anorexic daughter... by losing three stones in healthy diet pact
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Weighing just 4st 13lb and warned by doctors that her organs could fail at any moment, Ruth Jenkinson’s life hung in the balance.
But no matter how much her mother, Dolly, begged her to eat, the 17-year-old, who had battled anorexia since her early teens, staunchly refused.
So in a desperate plea to save her daughter, Mrs Jenkinson decided to change tack – she would appeal to Ruth in terms she could relate to.
Picture of health: Ruth Jenkinson and her mother Dolly today, following their successful pact
They made a pact – if Mrs Jenkinson, who had always struggled with her size, stuck to a diet and lost weight, Ruth agreed she would try to start eating again.
It was a deal that saved her life.
Mrs Jenkinson has since lost 3st, while Ruth has put on nearly 2st.
Mrs Jenkinson, 44, who works for a construction company and is married to Peter, 47, a fireman, said: ‘It was an unusual bargain, but I knew I had to do something to get Ruth eating again. I was trying to force her to eat, but that didn’t work. I tried to beg and plead with her too, but that didn’t work either.
‘When I suggested that I lose weight if she would put it on, she agreed to try it. And it really worked. She would help me with my meal plans to lose weight, and even cooked some of the meals. It ended up saving her life.’
Ruth has battled with anorexia since she was just 13. Her parents say she started watching her weight after she went to her GP with a swollen calf muscle and he blamed her weight.
Ruth, who is 5ft 3in and weighed 10st at the time, started skipping meals and managed to hide her weight loss under baggy clothing – until 18 months later, in June 2007, when she went to a wedding in a slim-fitting cream dress.
Contrast: Ruth was close to death after battling anorexia since her early teens, while mother Dolly needed to lose weight
Mrs Jenkinson said: ‘I was horrified as I could see that she had become too thin. The dress was a size ten and it was miles too big for her.
‘She told me she had lost 2st by eating just cereal for breakfast and lunch. I told her that she must not lose any more weight.’
By October last year, Ruth’s weight had plummeted to a life-threatening 4st 13lb. Her periods stopped and downy hair covered her body.
Doctors told her that her organs could fail at any time and she was admitted to an eating disorder centre, but Ruth refused to start eating again.
‘I would beg her to eat and then she would shout at me that it was all right for me, I didn’t have to follow a meal plan,’ Mrs Jenkinson said. ‘That’s when I came up with the idea. That I would follow a meal plan if she did too.’
To her surprise, Ruth agreed. Mrs Jenkinson, who lives in Northover, Essex, joined Slimming World weighing 12st 7lb. They gave her a meal plan and Ruth helped her to follow it.
Her mum carried on dieting to keep her promise, and slowly Ruth started to put on weight. Mrs Jenkinson now weighs a slim 9st7lb, and has dropped three dress sizes, from a 16 to a ten.
Mrs Jenkinson said: ‘Seeing me fulfil my part of the deal really helped her to want to get better. Seeing me succeed really made her want to succeed too.’
Ruth now weighs 6st 3lb and is determined to keep putting on weight. She said: ‘I was so proud of mum’s food diary and got a real buzz out of helping her. I’m determined to stay well.’ (mailonline)
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