Quick Facts and Myths
-Around 8,000,000 people in the United States suffer from eating disorders
-90% of the people are woman
-Eating disorders usually start in the teens, but may begin as young as 8!
Weight is always a subject that floats around in many people's head. The need to be skinny, the constant comparisons, and eating disorders take over our lives.
But why?
How did this all start?
What triggers eating disorders?
Celebrity who had eating disorders..
Model Beverly Johnson recovered from anorexia and bulimia
Singer Brandy suffered from anorexia and a diet pill addiction
Billy Bob Thornton struggled with anorexia after he had to lose weight for a movie role
Many people go through alot of pain, why? To look like this?
To me this is scary, but that's just me.
Yes I'll admit, I have had those times when I say "Oh god I'm fat" and tried to eat less or exercise. But i had to write this blog as a wake up call to me or others.
What do you guys think? What are your thoughts on weight? Have any of you suffered from eating disorders?
Comments (51)
I did...before I had children.
I don't see how this is a wake-up call. To me, those women at the end had very attractive bodies. And I'm not sure what myths you might be disproving or exposing here.
Just saying.
Who knows why it starts. Every girl has her story. Guys too. It just starts.
I'd also know what myths you're attempting to disprove or expose here.... I saw none.
I think this post will just serve as thinspo for people with EDs.
Everyone has those moments of doubt for their own body. It seems for me, everytime I silently hate my figure, my boyfriend is there to tell me I'm beautiful and he loves my body. I guess some people don't have that support system, or they feel like people are lyeing to them.
I dont really understand eating disorders, as I couldn't imagine ever starving myself. I also don't understand how people would think that skin and bones is "sexy". HEALTHY is sexy!!!
@Tanezia_Delight@xanga - Just wondering, what about their bodies comes off as attractive?
urgh. healthkicker and eating disorders posts! for once, i would love for someone to do a really thorough, comprehensive healthkicker post on eating disorders so we can get off the subject and move on with other topics relevant to health, fitness and wellness.
I think eating disorders are very interesting, and they are a HUGE around the world, more than we know. They are also VERY much so relevant to health, fitness and wellness. Talking about it brings up the awareness of it to people of all ages. The more it's talked about it, the more we can prevent it, and even help people who already have it. I have struggled with weight for a long time and have developed not so good habits, but I have always had a huge interest in eating disorders and enjoy reading about them as sick as it may sound...but reading about them and being educated on how bad they actually are, stoped me from having one myself. If I hadn't read books and sites from anorexics themselves, i could very well be suffering from my own disorder right now.
@carydeeluxe@xanga - Amen!
Having a best friend who struggles with an eating disorder, can I just say that it pisses me off beyond all belief that people make fun or make light of them?
Much like your depression blog, I'd like to thank you for bringing these issues out of the darkness and into the light.
@brittbritt__x@xanga - Well really, It's just the first girl's. I like her stomach. The second and last one were a bit scary. The third one was so so. Granted, in that position, her stomach is going to look smaller than normal, so I'd like to see what she looks like when she's not distorting her actual body.
This post contains neither facts nor myths.
I have struggled with an eating disorder almost half my life. And I can say it doesn't have anything to do with weight or appearance. I would love to have a strong, healthy body someday. Thin or not. In and out of treatment centers, I discovered there are a great many different reasons people develop ed's and there is no exact pinpoint on a reason 'everyone' can understand. I just wish people would stop glamorizing it.
Yes, eating disorders are scary, and this post is very simplistic. The majority of the female population has some form of disordered eating, but it's not the same as an eating disorder. It takes more than a couple pictures of (attractively) thin women to be a "wake-up call." I just hope you know there's more to it than just simple vanity. It's nowhere near so simple, and telling girls it's just silly and to stop feeling fat is quite short-sighted.
@methodElevated@xanga - Hell to the yes. This was absolutely pointless.
@carydeeluxe@xanga - exactly. I whined about this pretty hardcore a while ago and got seriously shot down. I really am not sure what it would take to change this repetitive content. I'm very happy with other posts I see on this blog; this I cannot stand. Damn right I'm strident. Constantly saying "eating disorders exist" does nothing to work the collective mindset into a healthier place.
I'd also like to know* (correction for my comment above)
This post really didn't contain a lot of information. I think I'm going to do a post soon that comprehensively covers eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, and EDNOS. I'm getting tired of just seeing bits and pieces of facts/statistics.
This post will most likely just serve as "thinspo" to girls who do suffer from eating disorders, disordered eating, or body image issues.
@carydeeluxe@xanga - I agree.
i would take this down, this is a massive trigger!
Eating disorders can go both ways, I think picture number 2 and number 4 were very attractive, number 4 is not a eating disorder in my opinion. She is just thin, and I don't know how that can be considered painful. Number 5 looks like a painting to remember the crimes of the holocaust.
Again, if you want to look at the super skinny and call them sick in order to feel better about yourself then that's your opinion, but it's not going to make the rest of the world change their ideas about what a 'healthy' weight is.
Yes some women do take it beyond the bounds of normal, hence actually eating disorders, but I do know women that are skinny like in picture #4 who eat about as much as I do. But they WORK at keeping their weight down and caring about their looks.
i see it as stupid and foolish and brainwashing because i'm a sober asshole when im SOBER but yeah that's just me. i need to put on some weight because i can feel my ribs *poke* fat keeps you warm.
This is healthkicker's eating disorder post of the day I guess.
I had an eating disorder before I had my son. I should say that I was active in my eating disorder before I had my son. I still have the same thoughts about my body, weight, and food but I choose not to act on them.
@DeadXTendencies@xanga - I promise I'm not trying to start a fight with you and that this is a legitimate question:
If you want people to stop glamorizing EDs then what's up with your profile picture? Where's your face? I don't get itThere are so many people on xanga who keep strict logs of everything they ate every day. Does anyone else see this? Xanga seems to attract a lot of these people. It's sad that no one seems to reach out to them either. I guess I really haven't either...
I wish I could look like that.
Trying to get better, but I am sick. I think those bones sticking out are beautiful. I shouldn't think so, but it is time to be honost.
@Miss_Sarah_Jane@xanga - I used to be an ana supporter. You can see it on my older blogs. I'm ashamed because I was just feeding into others EDs, including my own. I still have a lot as friends but I no longer support their EDs or mine. Anyway, it is really sad. EDs are NOT glamerous. I was underweight at one point but not emaciated. When I was though, I looked and felt like shit.
=/ I think this is a trigger for a lot of people.