Food for Thought is the ninth episode of Season 3 of Degrassi Junior High, and the thirty-fifth episode overall. It aired on January 23, 1989.
Summary
Kathleen and Melanie, despite their falling out, are forced to work together on their Science Fair project, and Melanie figures she's going to kill Kathleen before it's over, because Kathleen is so irritable. Of course, it's because she never eats anything. Erica and Heather are working on a project on eating disorders, and Heather begins to worry about Lucy.
Main Plot
Kathleen is at the dinner table with her parents when her dad announces that he has to leave again tomorrow, part of the job. Kathleen asks to be excused, her father says that she hasn't eaten a thing, but she insists she's full and has to work on her project for the science fair. As Kathleen is leaving, her father points out how skinny Kathleen is, and asks her mother if she's even feeding her, Kathleen is looking at herself in the mirror upstairs when she says that she's fat. With class cancelled, Kathleen and Melanie have all day to work on their project in the resource center, when Melanie finishes the chart, she offers Kathleen to lunch, who quickly declines. When there's a spelling mistake in one of the charts, Kathleen crumples it up, telling Melanie to re-do it, who storms off to lunch. At Kathleen's house, while working on the project, Kathleen starts scarfing down cookies, then goes to the bathroom, drinks a cup of water, and forces herself to throw up. Melanie reads her "diary" which turns out to be a food & exercise journal, where she plans to eat no more than 300 calories a day. In the bathroom the next day, Melanie catches Kathleen in the bathroom with laxatives, and Kathleen runs off. At the science fair, Melanie tries to get Kathleen to tell her why she hasn't been eating, but she just says she's on a diet. When Heather and Erica with first prize rather than Kathleen, who only got an honorable mention, Kathleen storms out and starts crying because "they" would've been so proud, and she faints. The next day, Ms. Avery insists that Kathleen visits the nurse, and Melanie tries to support Kathleen, but she still is upset about Melanie invading her privacy.
Sub Plot
Alexa is looking at girls in magazines and recognizing how skinnier they are than her, and she asks Simon if she'd look better if she love five pounds, when he says maybe, she storms off saying she'll loose five pounds by next week. Then Alexa is talking to Heather and Erica, complaining that she's fat, though they insist she isn't. Alexa plans to go on a crash diet, Heather warns her, but all Alexa has to say is "Anorexia! I'd love to have a little anorexia, just for a week!" Alexa is still brainstorming for ways to lose 5 pounds, but still complains how hungry she is. Alexa is also refusing to go out with Simon because she needs a week, because he called her a "fat lump" supposedly. Alexa is still complaining about being hungry, but Lucy just says that a boy's not worth losing weight so hastily over, and Alexa agrees.
Third Plot
When Lucy walks by Heather and Erica at lunch, they offer for her to join, but she declines, says Clutch is coming and continues walking. Heather starts suspecting Lucy, because she always has an excuse for not eating. After school, the twins once again invite Lucy to eat with them, this time out to get fries, but she declines again, causing Heather to suspect Lucy more of anorexia. Erica points out to Heather that Lucy is eating, so she can't be anorexic, but Heather just says that more than half of anorexic's are bulimic as well. They later find out that Lucy is just maintaining for dance. At the science fair, Heather and Erica end up winning first prize.
- The first instance of an eating disorder occurs in this episode. Kathleen is revealed to have anorexia nervosa binge/purge subtype.
- The character featured in the final freeze frame for this episode was Kathleen.
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| Can't Live With 'Em ā¢ A Big Girl Now ā¢ Season's Greetings ā¢ Loves Me, Loves Me Not ā¢ He Ain't Heavy... ā¢ The Whole Truth ā¢ Star-Crossed ā¢ Food for Thought ā¢ Twenty Bucks ā¢ Taking Off (1) ā¢ Taking Off (2) ā¢ Making Whoopee ā¢ Black & White ā¢ Pa-arty! ā¢ Bye-Bye, Junior High |