Eating Disorders

[HBK-aholic]

Anorexia. Bullemia. Two psychological diseases which have spread acoss the teenage population scaringly quickly over the last 10 years. Although girls are more likely to suffer, there has also been an increase through the male population; increasing at a quicker rate than female diagnosis. People who suffer from Eating disorders usually see themslves as "fat" when the reality is they're starving themselves to death.

I've always thought this was a stupid disease - starving yourself is NOT the way to being gorgeous. But then I realised 'stupid' is coming on way too strong, as I've never been in the particular position of feeling inferior, or fat to the extent I'd do anything to change it. I think those that do pay too much attention to the media - Size 0 airbrushed models and actresses running about is hardly a great confidence boost, and this increase in the Size 0 trend is what I believe to be responsible for the increase of eating disorders. Do you agree? If so, do you think modelling agencies should put something in place to stop it?

 

[klunderbunker]

Oddly enough this was on the front page of Lexington's paper today. I will never understand people with eating disorders resulting in them not eating enough. Food tastes good. Enjoy it. Girls that are ridiculously skinny aren't attractive. in fact they're frightening looking. Today I was at the store and I saw a magazine talking about Jessica Simpson gaining weight and being a fuller looking woman. It showed her in the red bikini from Dukes of Hazard and today in regular clothes. While she looks great in the bikini, she doesn't look bad at all now. She's got some meat on her bones and looks like a normal woman with a gorgeous face. People complain about her having an eating disorder. Bull. Why should she have to be rail thin? Simply put: she shouldn't.

 

[Tastycles]

The number of sufferers of eating disorders, like self-harm, is something I take with a pinch of salt. The reality is this: there are people who suffer from them. It consumes their lives and often ends up actually ending their lives. If you want to see such a person, wiki Richie James Edwards. Usually it is coupled wit severe depression, a disease which a disproportionate amount of WZ forums users have suffered from, as I remember.

Anyway, these people have my deepest sympathies because it is inescapable. However, in 9 out of 10 cases it is nothing but a cry for attention. Think about it, in school or uni or whatever, everyone who "had anorexia" did it in a manner that made it so obvious that you'd have to notice. If you are genuinely mentaly ill, you would not want it broadcast.

I have no idea why anyone would want to live like that. Being hungry is a bad feeling, I don't see how it could ever make you feel better. But, I have to concede, that maybe I just can't understand it until I've had it.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

I don't get people like this at all. I mean, why starve yourself to death. Or even make yourself puke. I hate puking, I can't imagine forcing myself to vomit. Whatever happened to a good days workout. Where you can feel proud about your accomplishments and lose weight a safe way. People who are rail thin make me sick anyways. It doesnt even look good so why do it? I guess people are fucking warped in the head about their appearances. I blame Hollywood for this. It is seriously the downfall of todays youth.

 

[Azrael Cain]

Diseases like that are often times about taking control because the body is the only thing the people feel like they have control over. If everything in my life is being controlled by others, then I will control the one thing that is in mine: my body. The victims also may have some serious issues with themselves and their appearances, meaning that their self-perceptions and self-images are negative, and their self-esteem is low, for whatever reason.

The media adds to delusion that 'Thin is In' with their tabloids and skinny celebrities who are the role models for girls these days. I think that the media is not 100% to blame. Like I said, those who suffer from these diseases are trying to "regain" or take control that they feel they may have lost, so it's a very personal issue that is not caused by the media, it's just fanned by it and reinforced.

I don't know where these diseases come from, honestly. What could make a person feel like they have no control over their lives enough to take it out on their body? It is a very fast paced, demanding and [at times] cold and cruel society we reside in, and often times this society places unrealistic demands upon its citizenry, especially the female part. Girls, from a young age, are bombarded with these ideals. Some can resist the temptation to make themselves throw up, some can't. It's a shame for those who cannot, and they should be helped as soon as possible however possible.

I think that public and private schools should teach about nutrition and the psychology of positive self-image. If the youth is armed with proper knowledge as opposed to skinny spoiled millionaire bitches, it could make all the difference. As a society, also, we have to re-evaluate what we consider attractive or what we want. We need to loosen our demands of our women, and men.

Suddenly Size 0 girls and Size 22 guys are what we're after? There is far more to life than how one looks. And while it is important to stay in healthy shape and not become overweight to the level where it's dangerous for one's health, proper information must be delivered.

 

[Sparky]

Never understood it. Love yourself for who you are not what others wish you was. Why on earth would you eat something just to through it straight back up? I would much prefer to be like I am now rather then a skinny little runt that would brake his ankle by standing up. And I have no idea why on earth women do it and then say they do it for the guys. Eugh. who in the world wants something that you would most prolly break in half just by looking at her, they aint sexy in the slightest.

They should ban All models under a size 12 (Australian) because it isnt a very safe thing for kids growing up that want to be models.

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

I never understood it but I cant really pass judgement on those people because Im not in their shoes. Most of those people legitimitely think they are over weight when they are not, its crazy. One of my friends used to be anorexic and the reason she was was because she honestly thought she was fat when she wasnt. It was something in her head that thought she was huge even though she probably only weighed about 110 maybe 120lbs. Nobody called her fat or made fun of her or anything in fact she was always one of the more popular girls and every guy wanted her but she had it in her head that she was big which is why she basically starved herself. At one point I thinks she was down to like 90lbs it was so disgusting. Thankfully she over came that but unfortunately so many people dont.

I also agree that super skinny girls are really unattractive. I have to have a girl that has some curves and I know Im not the only guy that thinks that, which is why I will never understand why girls think that is attractive. I know they see all these Hollywood celebrities but usually the super skinny ones are the ones that get slammed in the tabloids for looking like that. Most of the true sex symbols have a healthy weight.

 

[OIL]

I can't understand why people feel that being a size 0 is attractive. It repulses me. It's not attractive and it just makes the person look ill. However, with all the modelling agencies airbrushing their models and making them thin, they feel that this is attractive. Good example in England a month or so ago, I think her name was Kate/Katie Green. She got told she couldn't model because she was too fat. If you see a picture of her, she is NOWHERE near too overweight. She looks perfect. Not too thin and not fat at all. Why she couldn't model is beyond me. They need to start putting larger people as models, otherwise this problem will not go away.

 

[Eternal Dragon]

Reading some of the replies in this thread, I can see that some of you guys don't really understand why people get eating disorders. It's more than just a beauty issue, because no one in their right mind would think that being 5'4 and 70 pounds is beautiful. And that's the main idea, no one who is anorexic, bulimic, orthorexic, etc is in the right state of mind. What we think is a healthy weight, becomes distorted into "fat" and what we think is ridiculously thin, they'll think is gorgeous (for the most part, there are of course eating disorders such as over-compulsive eating that change the body in an opposite way, but I don't think we're discussing those types at the moment). Every single pound you lose is an accomplishment, every single rib you begin to see is beautiful, and every pound you gain the worst kind of torture. People say they don't understand eating disorders, well think about it like this. Why is anyone an alchoholic? Why do some people have OCD's that require rituals that make little sense and affect their lives in every way? It's because having an eating disorder is kind of like having an addiction, and it's very similar to having an OCD, where the impulse is to lose weight. This excerpt from "Letter from Ana" (basically a letter someone wrote from the perspective of anorexia, as if anorexia was a living being) explains the obsession really well.

Pretty soon, I am with you always. I am there when you wake up in the morning and run to the scale. The numbers become both friend and enemy, and the frenzied thoughts pray for them to be lower than yesterday, last night, etc. You look into the mirror with dismay. You prod and poke at the fat that is there, and smile when you come across bone. I am there when you figure out the plan for the day: 400 calories, 2 hours exercise. I am the one figuring this out, because by now my thoughts and your thoughts are blurred together as one. I follow you throughout the day. In school, when your mind wanders I give you something to think about. Recount the calories for the day. It's too much. I fill your mind with thoughts of food, weight, calories, and things that are safe to think about. Because now, I am already inside of you. I am in your head, your heart, and your soul.

If that "letter" disturbed you that's because it was supposed to. THAT is how consuming it can be, THAT is how addicting. Having an eating disorder doesn't make ANY sense and that's because there was no sense to be found in it in the first place, just like there is no sense in doing something that harms your health like drugs, but people still do them, because like I said, it's not a physical thing, it's a mental issue, that is difficult to overcome. Sure food tastes good, but hey, being thin? Way better, especially once you start hating food.

As someone who had to live with anorexia and bulimia for two years, I can tell you this, the scariest thing about eating disorders isn't just the fact that so many people get them. It's the fact that some people don't believe it's a disease, they think it's a lifestyle, like being a vegetarian or something. There are websites dedicated to this stuff, pro ana-mia forums, forms you have to fill out that determine whether you're dedicated enough to join a pro-ana group or a pro-mia group. Messed up stuff, but anyways like I was saying, for anyone who thinks that people who have eating disorders are just superficial girls who don't want to exercise or eat healthy-you're wrong. That's why even if all the models started to become bigger or something, this disease wouldn't be stopped from ravaging millions of people. It goes much deeper than what you see, which is ironic considering the topic because people with eating disorders just don't understand the phrase "beauty is only skin deep."

Flames Out
Dragon

 

[Richard]

I know someone who suffered from an eating disorder and it was because she'd always get picked on by people at school and yes, her own father would make jokes about her being fat like "When's the baby due?" etc. I know why she stopped eating and stuff but then it just ended up with her going to hospital and she ended up putting the weight back on.

Whoever said it was for a cry for attention obviously hasn't had one of their best friends go through it. It was brought on by the constant bullying and harassment she went through that made her think "If I don't eat and lose weight then I won't get bullied" which lead to it, which is sad for someone to have to resort to that.

Eating disorders are dangerous and should not be treated lightly as they can be hard to reverse since it's not a physical thing, it's a mental problem that can only be rectified once the person who has the disorder is able to realise that it's not good.