Reading John Prescott’s frank admission about his battle with 
bulimia in today’s Sunday Times was really eye-opening. I thought it was a disorder which only affected women.
Gorging on food was his way of dealing with stress instead of turning to the bottle, though he admits to binging on vodka a couple of times a year.
He has described in his memoirs how be became bulimic back in the 1980s and only stopped a year ago, coincidentally, around the time he stepped down as Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
This is what he says:
“I’ve never confessed it before. Out of shame, I suppose, or embarrassment or just because it’s such a strange thing for someone like me to confess to.
“People normally associate it with young women – anorexic girls, models trying to keep their weight down, or women in stressful situations, like Princess Diana.
“I could sup a whole tin of Carnation condensed milk, just for the taste, stupid things like that. Marks & Spencer trifles, I still love them, one of my favourites. I can eat them for ever. Whenever I go to Mr Chu’s in Hull, my favourite Chinese restaurant in the whole world . . . I could eat my way through the entire menu.”
Prescott says one of the causes of the disorder was stress, brought on by overwork as far back as the 1980s when he was in the Labour shadow cabinet.
“The only break I ever took was to eat. That’s all I did. Work, and then quickly eat something. It became my main pleasure, having access to my comfort food. So what I did was stuff my face with anything around, any old rubbish, burgers, chocolate, crisps, fish and chips, loads of it, till I felt sick – but at least I’d had the pleasure of stuffing my face and feeling really full. Then there would be a weird kind of pleasure in vomiting and feeling relieved.”
Should we be looking after our politicians better? Do they all have regular health checks as there’s no doubt it is a stressful job, though the positives far outweigh the negatives, else they wouldn’t be doing it. I’ve known my MEP Robert Sturdy, to be in three countries on one day, the workload and stress must be intolerable at times for politicians, but they are so driven and unable/afraid to fail. Or disappoint anyone. They are pulled in all directions.
Let’s hope Prescott’s candid account will encourage other men, as well as women, who suffer from bulimia to seek help, and encourage workaholic politicians to to find a worklife balance and say to themselves: "Hang on, slow down, there are other important things in life too, like family…"
P.S. Can you suggest a good way of dealing with stress? I would recommend walking, just walking and walking and walking…
I guess we all find different ways of dealing with stress, whether gorging on food or binging on vodka. Mind you my favourite way of shedding any unwelcome stress is either a good game of squash, or an evening of intense passion -both followed by a shower or hot bath and deep relaxation.
The best solution is to avoid stress, but sometimes work, life, the universe and quite often other people thrust stress on us whether we want it or not. And I guess if you are Deputy PM, you can’t exactly just walk away.
And those who are stressed will often stress out others around or under them. Aaah the circle of life – Yin & Yan – whilst some of us are trying to shed stress and help others, others are building up stress and spreading it about.
Q9, We all react differently to stress and your comment made me ask the question about the best way of dealing with stress.
Walk for relaxation…. jog and gym for stress.
2 very different kinds of exercise for me. 🙂
I find company with good friends, chatting about fun things and just relaxing helps.
The word ‘stress’ suggests a situation forced upon you that you have to deal with. The word ‘depression’ suggests some kind of mental condition – that it’s your fault for thinking or feeling a certain way and if you can just be convinced to change your attitude you will be ‘cured’. Alternatively you could have mood changing drugs to stop you feeling.
Sometimes the stresses in someones life are so relentless, and not balanced by positive input, that jogging cannot be attempted or enoyed.
I forgot to mention that Defence and Scottish Secretary Des Browne has had a week off from his ministerial duties due to suspected health problems.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=560786&in_page_id=1770It seems ridiculous to me that one man should have two ministerial posts, they are both separate jobs.
I did know it could affect men as well and I do feel sympathy for JP in this. I think most jobs are stressful now and MPs are better rewarded financially than most of us, so I don’t see why they should get free check-ups. I recommend spending time with your dog!
Ellee: Health problems indeed, and this one could be fatal!
Obviously men are less affected by bulemia but they definitely are. He may use the excuse of stress but there is a lot more too it than that, trust me. I hope he has not damaged his oesophagus permanently over that long period of abuse.
Leads one to think where one is on the anorexia-bulimia scale. I tend to the latter.
I go walking too Ellee – take the dog and have a long hike. But I think friends are important too, see a film or havea good natter. That helps too.
Prescott sounds as if he was bulimic in more of a Roman style.
Exercise is indeed the best response. Stress is an evolutionary defence mechanism that prepares the body to ‘fight-or-flight’, so when you get stressed you should either start a fight or do some exercise to relieve the body of the stress hormones. Your choice!
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Love him or loathe him, kudos for coming forward and sharing such a personal issue that needs more awareness.
I have never aspired to be more closely involved in politics because of the stress and strain that it seems to me inevitably surround it..leading to these kinds of problems of which I am sure there are many,many more…
Has anyone considered the possibility that he’s making it up to sell books? I’m not suggesting that it’s all a lie, but the cynic in me says it’s a possibility.
Sherrilynne, I’m not cynical. I just hope the swathe of sympathy he is now getting means we can’t still poke fun at him.