Addictive Eaters Anonymous
FINDING THE ANSWER
I have lived in New Zealand for the last twelve years, after being born and raised in Somerset, England. My parents ran a playgroup in our house for much of my childhood and I made close friends there, but I still felt isolated and different to everyone else.
I always loved food. We were able to help ourselves from the cupboards at home when I was young, with no restrictions. I believe a normal eater would just eat until they were full, but I could not stop. I put extra food in Mum's shopping basket and would gorge on leftovers at night with my friends. My friend’s dad owned a pub and when the half-eaten plates came back, I would pick chips off them, chatting as I did so, to my friends' astonished faces.
From as far back as I can remember, I felt irritated and impatient with people. I would interrupt and correct the teachers at school and have furious rows with my family, then later tell them I loved them. I lived in a fantasy world. My favourite times at school would be writing stories and acting. My emotions were a rollercoaster, up and down. Food made me feel better, soothing all the anxiety. I never realised how dependent I was on food, until it got much worse.
Poll: Is the increase in disability parking fines fair?
In October, the fine for parking in a designated mobility car park without a permit has jumped from $150 to $750—a 400% increase!
The goal is to keep these spaces open for those who truly need them. Do you think this big increase in the fine is fair? Share your thoughts below.
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89.1% Yes, it's fair
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10.3% No, it's unreasonable
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0.7% Other - I'll share below
Cyclists forced to use ‘more dangerous’ crossing if cycleway closed
Closing a Christchurch cycleway to avoid an unsafe rail crossing will lead cyclists across an even “more dangerous” crossing, cycling advocates say.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has weighed in on the issue, calling the move to shut a 1.5km section of the Heathcote Expressway for up to two years, “illogical”. He has asked KiwiRail to explain.
KiwiRail is demanding Christchurch City Council close part of the expressway until $6.5 million worth of safety improvements can be made to the Scruttons Rd rail crossing.
It said the “unsafe” crossing posed the risk of death or serious injury once every thousand years.
What do you do think? Read the full story by reporters Sinead Gill and Tina Law here and tell us what you think in the comments. (A subscription is required, but you can see two free articles a month).
House fire causing road closures
Pages Road is closed this afternoon from Breezes Road, this is due to a house that has caught fire in the area.
Coastal Ward Community Board member, Alex Hewison, shared the closure on a local Facebook page.
Fire and Emergency are at the scene but further details have not been shared at this stage.
Avoid the area where possible.