Eating Disorders

[Krasevayadancer]

I hope this is the right place to start a thread like this.
It is no secret that it seems that many celebrities are now coming forward with their eating disorders. Do they do it to help others like them, or to market on the growing "popularity" of being eating disordered. As someone who has personally dealt with anorexia I was wondering how you all felt about the new "eating disorder fad" Is it fair to those who suffer/suffered from eating disorders to be pushed into the spotlight of scrutiny.

Another thing I would like to comment on is the prevalance of xanga webrings devoted to the glamorizing (is that even a word?) of eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. It pisses me off to see girls who say stupid crap like: "Oh, I ate a piece of lettuce today and nothing else, I am anorexic" Or, other girls who ask for tips on how to be anorexic or bulimic so they can get thin. It is so wrong... And the girls who encourage other girls to look emaciated. That pisses me off too...

Anorexia is not a diet, or a lifestyle. It is a disease... The fact that people view it as a get thin quick diet angers me. Anorexia doesn't make you beautiful, it messes you up...

Anybody else have thoughts on this?

 

[Beauty Mark]

I have more thoughts on this, but I have to go soon.

I wish every single online community that allows young girls (I'm talking under 18 years of age) to discuss how to have an eating disorder, hide it, and does that "thinspiration" stuff would be shut down.

It's a violation of freedom of speech to do that, but it really disturbs me sites like Livejournal allow it and how easily it is to find.

I think celebrities coming out to talk about their eating disorders can be useful to some. I don't get it myself, but a lot of people are inspired to take control of their lives again because some well-regarded person discusses their personal life. Not the same but when Brooke Shields talked about her post-partum depression, I think it supposedly encouraged other people to get help.

I don't think one should be scrutinized for having an eating disorder (over or under eating), because it's an illness and a really bad one at that.

I do, however, think there's a culture of competitiveness with not eating that doesn't have anything to do with an eating disorder, as well as some people needing something to complain about because they have no self-discipline. I don't regard those people as having an illness, because it's more like they don't care about following a diet or something.

For that last part, I'm talking about being overweight, because I can hear women at work always discussing stuff like, "Oh my God, I ate a cookie! I'm such a pig!" I think it's fishing for compliments, not something mentally wrong with them.

 

[Dark_Phoenix]

I think there's a serious difference between wanting to lose weight and an eating disorder. Like, just because some of these girls want to lose thirty or fourty pounds does not make them anorexic or bulemic. I think that they see an eating disorder as a either a diet plan or a way to get attention. Meh, not all of them but some. I lost about 50 lbs in '05 after hospitalization and starting new medications for vWD but I'm not anorexic.

I don't think they should be closed down though. People will just find a new way to get around bannings. However, LJ needs to regulate some of them, like not allowing certain "tip" or "hints" to be posted that are dangerous. I think Moderation is better than outright banning.

 

[hoemygosh]

well i recently became anorexic in the begining of this year, & i knew that i wasnt making myself that way. i think that i was just so insecure with my body that i did it within my mind. even without my consent. i went from 165 to 138 in about 3 months. i got so disgusted of food that i couldnt go out to eat anymore, and when id go to partys or bbq's with food around i wouldnt eat. i thought i was going crazy, literally. I know exactly what you're talking about i was trying too find a support group on Livejournal for people with ED, but i found a bunch of groups encouraging eachother to fast, not eat, binge, it was rather disgusting. here's one of them. the community's private, so you cant see much.

http://community.livejournal.com/_thinspire/


these girls aspire to be nicole richie, its sickening. sorry ladies, but shes bulemic/ anorexic. its a horrible disease i dont know why you'd want to make yourself that way on purpose.. ughhhh / aggravated.

 

[Raerae]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoemygosh these girls aspire to be nicole richie, its sickening. sorry ladies, but shes bulemic/ anorexic. its a horrible disease i dont know why you'd want to make yourself that way on purpose.. ughhhh / aggravated.

Oh c'mon, she looks damn good in her recent photo's

 

[flowerhead]

As someone who has suffered from severe anorexia (I went to hospital, was put on a drip, lived in a rehabilition centre blahblah) I find it extremely disturbing when I hear silly little teenage girls trying to 'glamorize' it and sucking on a lollypop and pretending they have an eating disorder for attention.
Anorexia is not glamorous, at all. What's glamorous about excess body hair, digusting breath, brittle hair and nails and a face that looks like it's been in a wind tunnel? You can't think straight cos your brain is starved of fat and you don't even want to leave the house most of the time. Fabulous.

 

[eighmii]

When I was about 15? I went on the "apple and diet sprite" diet. (i made it up myself.. thats not actually a diet, lol)

I had gained a lot of weight over the summer. I went from about 112 to 131. I HATED myself. So in SEPTEMBER alone, I went from 131 to 106. I loved the feeling of being hungry. The feeling of being hungry felt so much better than eating a whole plate of nachos. (I LOVE nachos). Don't get me wrong.. I still had cravings. I CRAVED FOOD LIKE CRAZY. but I had so much freakin will power. I would bring an apple and a diet sprite to lunch. All my friends sitting around me ate chicken sandwhiches, pizza, etc. But my apple was good cause you can eat it in small bites and keep your mouth occupied and keep eating long enough to not go crazy.

I loved getting skinny. I would constantly weigh myself. 4 times a day. Maybe more. I would stand in front of the mirror naked. I loved just being hungry. When I felt my stomache growl, I knew I was doing good and was losing weight.

It was weird though.. because even though I was getting skinny I didnt feel as good as I thought I would.

Somehow.. I got over it fast and it didnt spiral into anorexia. Once I started eating again I got up to like 115, and I was okay with that.

Then about a year ago I did it again. I went from like 125 to 100. I was getting so skinny it looked nasty. (Probabley not to most.. but I live in South Florida.. people like thick girls, not skinny girls) I did this slower though. About over 2 months.

Problem is it KILLED my metabolism. And once I started eating again, I gained more than I weighed to begin with.

These "thinspiration" sites are disgusting. They actually have pictures not just of models, but of severly emaciated women. That weigh like 60 lbs. WHO WOULD ASPIRE TO BE LIKE THAT?! It has to just be for attention. And if they would go through such extreme measures like that.. then they do have a problem. And its not anorexia.

And I don't think its a good idea for celebs to come out in the open about things.. It can be very triggering. Just my opinion.. =/

 

[Kim.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoemygosh well i recently became anorexic in the begining of this year, & i knew that i wasnt making myself that way. i think that i was just so insecure with my body that i did it within my mind. even without my consent. i went from 165 to 138 in about 3 months. i got so disgusted of food that i couldnt go out to eat anymore, and when id go to partys or bbq's with food around i wouldnt eat. i thought i was going crazy, literally. I know exactly what you're talking about i was trying too find a support group on Livejournal for people with ED, but i found a bunch of groups encouraging eachother to fast, not eat, binge, it was rather disgusting. here's one of them. the community's private, so you cant see much. http://community.livejournal.com/_thinspire/ these girls aspire to be nicole richie, its sickening. sorry ladies, but shes bulemic/ anorexic. its a horrible disease i dont know why you'd want to make yourself that way on purpose.. ughhhh / aggravated.

Has Nicole Richie made an announcement to the public that she did infact have an eating disorder? If not I think that it's really wrong to assume that someone has an eating disorder especially when you don't know them at all. She may infact have one but there are many other possible reasons for her weight loss: chronic conditions, sicknesses, streess etc. Also, it's a common misconception that people who look like a toothpic are the only ones who could possible have an eating disorder. Many people live with it silently for a long time and just by looking at them you'd think they're healthy and at a good weight. My point is that you can NEVER tell unless they say it. You are not them. You don't know what they put in their mouth and what they don't, you're not their doctor. I think people should take a step back and stop assuming and focusing on celebrities possible eating disorders and problems and look at their own.


Krasevayadancer, I'm not judging you or critisizing you but aren't you in an industry that condones eating distorders (Modelling)?

 

[Beauty Mark]

Nicole Richie has never announced that she has an eating disorder. She has looked sickly, IMO, for a while.

 

[Dizzy]

Anybody who needs to use "thinspiration" or any other creatively named crap like that to starve themselves are NOT anorexic. They're people looking for attention who don't have a grasp on reality.

I hate to call it this, but "true anorexics" don't need to see pictures of emaciated bodies to have their disorder, or for it to continue. They are people who have a problem with food, with themselves, and how they percieve themselves.

These people who are in these communities and use these pictures and methods to starve themselves don't understand the damage they do to themselves and each other. It's even sicker when you realize that they're all feeding off of each other.

But at the same time, I don't think it should be censored. As much as I hate this sort of thing (seriously- who wants to glorify starving themselves voluntarily, when there are people around the world starving because they have no other choice?!?!), I can't say that we should take away someone else's freedom of speech for it. But maybe livejournal should put a warning message before entering the page? It might not do much good, but it'd be something.

 

[Raerae]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dizzy Anybody who needs to use "thinspiration" or any other creatively named crap like that to starve themselves are NOT anorexic. They're people looking for attention who don't have a grasp on reality. I hate to call it this, but "true anorexics" don't need to see pictures of emaciated bodies to have their disorder, or for it to continue. They are people who have a problem with food, with themselves, and how they percieve themselves.

ITA with you.

 

[Beauty Mark]

Can't there be more than one type of anorexia?

 

[Raerae]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauty Mark Can't there be more than one type of anorexia?

I dont think so...

Anarexia is a mental problem.

I think people starving themselves on purpose to diet and lose weight, because they want to be thin like a celeb or runway model, is totally different.

 

[Dizzy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raerae I think people starving themselves on purpose to diet and lose weight, because they want to be thin like a celeb or runway model, is totally different.

Exactly. Anorexics have no control over it, the girls in these communities are doing it voluntarily.

 

[Beauty Mark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raerae I dont think so... Anarexia is a mental problem. I think people starving themselves on purpose to diet and lose weight, because they want to be thin like a celeb or runway model, is totally different.

Don't those girls get rather skinny? And maybe it's a cover for their real problems that follow traditional anorexia?

There's a difference between dieting and anorexia, of course, but I think sometimes those girls in those communities have more issues than what meets the surface. Maybe they think, as messed up as it would be, if I were as thin as- Nicole Richie, I would be able to do x with my life. I could see something like that spiraling out of control fast.

In any case, I think any kind of starvation to the point that you're emaciated is an eating disorder.

*I'm not blaming Nicole Richie for other people's issues, I'm just using her as an example.

 

[Dizzy]

That's a good point, there's a definate possibility that that sort of behavior could spiral into something out of control. But I think the defining characteristic of anorexia is the fact that it is (mostly) involuntary. It's a compulsory behavior- they HAVE TO avoid eating at all costs. There is no other option, and that's what makes it a disorder.

These girls who are starving themselves willingly need to remind themselves not to eat, or make certain concessions like "if i eat this, that's okay, but that's not." Those girls are extreme dieters at best, not anorexics.

 

[Chic 2k6]

i was looking around on livejournal and came across this: http://community.livejournal.com/proanorexia/ i'm reading through it and im at disbelief at the moment, the idolise the olsen twins and keira knightly because they're skeletal and they think it's beautiful :| they talk about having x amount of paracetemol so they can throw up their binges. the reason why they binge is because their body can't handle the starvation.

Eating Disorders is a really bad thing

it's a disease in my opinion

 

[MissMarley]

Why don't people understand this is a psychiatric disorder? It's not some fucking fun way of life, it's not fucking glamorous. I'd like to know how the hell these "pro-ana" girls would feel having an asshole psych ward nurse standing over them while they strip and get into the hospital gown. Or wake up in the ward with their loony roommate staring at them saying "I bet you're an eating disorder patient. Am I right?". OR passing out on top of the fucking toilet while you're trying to purge. OR having your teeth rot in your mouth from the acid in your vomit. OR listening to your husband cry outside the bathroom door because he knows you're purging. OR realize that you just purged into the trash bag you were taking outside because you knew you could hide it better that way, and you're standing in the cold, behind a garage, with your finger down your throat and vomit on your shoes. IS THAT FUCKING GLAMOROUS?????

Can you tell this really fucking pisses me off? I DIDN'T WANT THIS AND WHY THE HELL DO THEY??

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chic 2k6 i was looking around on livejournal and came across this: http://community.livejournal.com/proanorexia/ i'm reading through it and im at disbelief at the moment, the idolise the olsen twins and keira knightly because they're skeletal and they think it's beautiful :| they talk about having x amount of paracetemol so they can throw up their binges. the reason why they binge is because their body can't handle the starvation. Eating Disorders is a really bad thing it's a disease in my opinion

ahh someone asked on that site... if "Carrots are bad for you"


WHAT!?!!?!

 

[Raerae]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauty Mark Maybe they think, as messed up as it would be, if I were as thin as- Nicole Richie, I would be able to do x with my life. I could see something like that spiraling out of control fast.

Isn't that like anything though? If only? If only I had more money like Nicole Richie I would be able to do x with my life... If only I were more popular... If only.... That fits pretty much anything.

Quote:

In any case, I think any kind of starvation to the point that you're emaciated is an eating disorder.

I think you have some issues, but there not necessarily the same. The reduced eating is just a symptom of something else. Which is probably a lack of some other element in their lives thats making them unhappy.