Ruth says that the pressure of being the "pretty, thin twin" isn't the only thing that became difficult for her. Ruth says she feared if she didn't put the pressure on herself, she might end up overweight like Mary.
"I've gone through many battles of anorexia and bulimia because I didn't want to look like her," Ruth says. "And it's not that I'm ashamed of her to that point. I love her—she's my sister. But I don't want to ever be like her and go through what she goes through—pain, torment, hurt. People staring and making fun of [her]. It's amazing how cruel other people can be."
Mary says that taping a segment at a restaurant for the show helped her wake up. She's been overweight for 25 years, and it's time for a change.
"I never realized what I eat. [I was] just sitting there looking at all the food. [I thought,] 'Everybody's going to see me eating like this.' It's very embarrassing," she confesses. "This is a huge breakthrough. I've just realized what I eat. But it's terrible. I wouldn't even have realized I was getting seconds. I was just doing it. And I didn't know why. With this one day, I see it. And it's humiliating. It's like an eye-opener to me. I need help. I feel humiliated."
Published 05/18/2005
